New neighbors..and friends arrive!

Drilling was stopped temporarily until repairs could be made on the rig, so we didn’t have much traffic on the 3^rd and 4^th.  The whirring sound of a helicopter caught our attention Saturday morning.  Ron sat outside and watched it fly back and forth along the tree tops.  When talking to the ranch manager later he learned that they were netting deer, using a bazooka-like air gun that shoots a net.  The deer were then tagged and relocated.  Some were taken to breeding pens on the property. 

It was nice to have things quieter on the weekend, but it was business as usual on Monday.  Monday through Thursday is always busy because, in addition to deliveries and the workers going in and out, salesmen come to see the ‘company man’ on those days.  Ron talked to one of the workers as he came through our gate and learned that they drilled a total of 16,411 feet.  They drilled 9,000 feet down and then it took another 1,000 feet to slowly make it turn so the pipe can bend to go the last 6,411 feet horizontally.  That’s over 3 miles of pipe!! 

It continued to be busy all during the drilling process.  Our nighttime traffic is usually a welder or someone making a delivery to the drilling site.  

We have neighbors now!  Another couple was brought in to be gate guards at the gate across the road from us, which is also part of the Stewart ranch and where the hunting lodge is located.  Sadly, our friends, Chuck and Nancy missed being assigned to that gate by only a week.  They pulled into Whitsett on the 15^th and were moved to a gate fairly close to us on the 17^th.  We can see their oil derrick from here...only a couple of miles away, but 13 miles by road...which includes the 6 miles driving on the dirt road where we are parked.  It takes 40 minutes to get to their gate. Even though we can’t all get together at the same time, it has been nice having them nearby. 

Our new neighbors across the road from our gate

 Nancy and Chuck

Nancy and I make the trip to Pleasanton together now.  I drive to their gate and pick up Nancy or I leave our truck there and ride with her.  A typical grocery shopping day takes 8 hours from the time I leave our gate until I get back!  We spend about an hour online doing banking, paying bills, etc. before we eat lunch, buy groceries and do any other errands.  It still amazes me how long it takes to get things done here.

Below are a few of the pictures we took on our walks during the time we were gate guarding.  We didn't get a picture of the javalinas, wild boars, or the rattlesnake that we saw!

Things got even busier at our gate the following week when they were doing the casing.  The casing involves putting a pipe in the middle of the hole and pouring cement between the pipe and the sidewall.  We were up all night a couple of nights, with cement trucks coming in and out.  If we had known in advance, we would have taken shifts during the night.  Instead we had to take turns sleeping the following day.

After the cementing was finished and dried, they began moving the oil rig to a new drilling site across the road.  Without knowing that they would begin moving our rig out that day, Nancy and I drove to Pleasanton to get groceries on the 21^st.  While I was gone, Ron logged 144 vehicles!  The next day was even busier, with 174 vehicles passing through our gate.  As quickly as it began, it was over.  Several of the guys came by to tell us goodbye and to tell us they enjoyed ‘working’ with us.  The last of the crew moved out before the end of the day on the 22^nd.   And suddenly it was quiet!

I didn't get a picture of the drilling rig when  it was at our site, but here it is after it was moved and set up across the road

We now have only a few vehicles coming in each day so the men can clean up the site and ready it for production.  No one comes during the night now!   Our peaceful existence will last until they begin the fracking process.  We’ve heard that the company responsible for fracking is a month or more behind schedule, so we’re hoping that won’t come to pass until after we leave. 

Ron and Chuck met in town for lunch on Wednesday.  I was happy that they both had time away from the gate.  Nancy and I get an occasional break when we make our weekly trip to Walmart for groceries.  I’m looking forward to getting back into civilization when we leave here in 3 ½ weeks. 

Friday was grocery day.  Nancy and I drove to Pleasanton and went to H.E.B. and Walmart and then to the Verizon store to see about suspending Ron’s cell phone service.  Since the phone is in Ron’s name they wouldn’t do it for me, so I got online and took care of it myself.  I wish I had thought of suspending his service a month ago!