Our RV Adventures

And We’re Off!

It started up right out of the gate with the first truck in at 7am, and kept going from there. By the time I came out at 1pm, Jan was finishing up her 2nd log page (24 vehicles per page), and by the time she came back out at 6pm, I had done another page and a half. So we ended up with about 80 vehicles coming in, including a lot of frack equipment trailers that will stay until the end, and the first phalanx of sand trucks stocking things up.

Question: How do you tell if the frack is getting ready to start?

Sand trucks as far as the eye can see. Which turns out to be about ten before they wind off into the trees.

Talk about going whole hog, the landowner’s son came through a couple of days ago with a feral hog in the back of his pickup. Jan said the tailgate was down and the hog filled up the bed and the tailgate. He said it weighed about 400 pounds

He said he’d shot it back behind us where it was tearing up some of his crops. Said that there was another one that he was going to get next time.

Seeing as how the guy owns a meat market, Jan asked him if he was going to dress it out. He said no, that they were just too nasty. Seems like I’ve heard of people cooking them up, but I guess a meat man would know.

Because of the low water pressure from the frack well, we’re still getting our water from the GGS tank and just filling it from the well. So today I thought I’d top off our tank, and I’m glad I did because when I looked I only had a couple of inches of water left.

Because of the low pressure, it took over two hours before it was overflowing the top, so I’m done for another couple of weeks or so.

For dinner Jan heated up our left-over Jalapeno Tree from last night. Just about as good as before. Their enchiladas were really good, with a great tasting ranchero sauce.

Tomorrow I going into Carthage to pick up one of Jan’s prescriptions that wasn’t ready the other day. Probably also bring back Whataburger again.

I think we’re hooked.

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Thought for the Day:

You can tell a lot about a woman’s mood just by her hands. If they are holding a gun, she’s probably pissed.

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I guess the porta-potty guy must have drawn the short straw this weekend, because he showed around 9am to service the one unit on the pad and was gone in 9 minutes. But he was the only person who came in all day.

I’m actually kind of surprised they haven’t brought in a few more, as it seems they normally have more for the typical frack job, otherwise there might be a line.

Jan and I headed out about 6pm to have what’s probably our last chance to get away before things really pick up this week. On our way out we detoured over to the pad so Jan could take a look at the layout. The only thing that shows what’s getting ready to happen is that there are now about a dozen frack fluid trailers lined up around two sides.

We had planned to try to find KJ’s Whistle Stop Restaurant once again after we came up short this past Friday. We’d been given better directions this time, but we were still unsure about the place, since when I tried to call them today to see if they were going to be open, I found they had no working phone number.

I first tried calling them using the number listed with the incorrect address that I found on Yelp and other sites and found it was no longer in service. So I called Verizon directory assistance and found there was no number listed for them at all.

I’ve heard of fancy New York restaurants having an unlisted number, but one in Carthage, TX? After two tries we finally did find the place, made even more difficult by the fact that the big sign on top said “Mom’s Country Kitchen” while the little sign, hard to see from the street, said KJ’s Whistle Stop Restaurant. And as I suspected from a restaurant that’s only open Monday through Friday, it was closed on Labor Day too.

So we were off to find another place to have dinner. Our first thought was to try El Rancho Grande, a place recommended by our friend’s, Lynette and Gregg McHenry, but it was also closed. But our decision was made for us when we came to The Jalapeno Tree.

When I came by here Saturday around lunch time, the place was jam-packed. People were circling the parking lots looking for a parking space. And yes, I said ‘lots’. They have three separate lots, and they were all full. And even by 7pm tonight, they were still very busy. So, as I said, our decision was made for us.

After our first few bites, it was easy to tell why they’re always so busy. Everything was really delicious, so much so, that we both dug in so quickly that I forgot to take any photos.

Jan had their Two Chili Relleno’s with Rice and Beans, one of Jan’s favorites. Especially since these were stuffed with ground beef and cheese, and not just cheese like a lot of places. These relleno’s were also made differently. They were large problanos, over two inches in diameter and about 6 inches long, stuffed solid with filling, and then dipped in coarse batter and fried. Really good.

And they were big enough that she had one to take home for tomorrow.

I went with one of their combo meals, that for some reason are all named after movie stars. My choice was the Arnold Schwarzenegger, a combo with a Cheese Enchilada, a Beef Enchilada, a Soft Chicken Taco, and a Soft Beef Taco, as well as Rice and Charro Beans. Delicious, and like Jan’s platter, I had the two enchiladas to take home as well.

With the frack starting up, I don’t know if we’ll get a chance to come back before we leave, but we certainly would like to.

Finishing up, her Nana and Papa want to wish our beautiful granddaughter Piper a wonderful 22nd birthday. She’s now working in the ER at UTMB Hospital in Galveston and loving it. She said it’s the best job she’s ever had.

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Thought for the Day:

Dear “paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for murderers”,

If you find one, what’s your plan?

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