Our RV Adventures

NOT!

It’s amazing, and scary, how fast the weather can change, going from good to very, very bad in just a few minutes. Like these RV’ers at the River Ranch Campground in New Braunfels, TX.

They went from this,

to this so quickly they didn’t have a chance to leave.

Notice the 5th wheel that didn’t even get his slide in.

We’ve driven over this campground on I-35 a number of times and always remarked how beautiful it was, located right on the Guadalupe River. But having seen in the past how fast a river can rise, it always made me a little queasy. And it doesn’t even have to be raining where you are. But ten miles upstream it can be a whole ‘nuther story, with the water level rising 6 to 8 feet in just a few minutes and heading downstream to you.

Our hearts and sympathy go out to all affected by this storm.

In comparison, my little adventure this morning doesn’t even rate, but at the time it did keep me busy.

After on-and-off slow, drizzling rain most of last night and early this morning, it finally let up, and when I check the radar about 3am, there was nothing to be seen. But a new, much more powerful storm announced itself a little after 5am, with a big WHUMMP!, as a sudden wind gust tried to pick up the canopy. Within seconds it was pouring down, heavier than any rain we’ve had since we’ve been here. And the wind didn’t let up either, but if anything got worse.

We’ve had storm damage to our canopies before, so my preparations have evolved over the years.

This was at our second gate in 2012, about 2 weeks into our first gate guarding adventure.

We were following a Marathon drill rig, and a tornado was sighted about 5 miles away. The Company Man came and told us to evacuate to the Tool Pusher’s trailer, which was an oversized cargo container tied down to the ground.

So Jan and I crowded in with about 30 of the crew to wait out the storm. Jan had wanted to bring the cats, but I had said No. Mister would have been fine, but Emma would have freaked out.

When the storm passed and we went back to the rig, this is what we found.

I was actually able to repair the canopy frame and get it all back together with a little work.

Then last year, in 2014, a downdraft hit us in the middle of a bad storm, leaving us with this.

Notice that it’s just crushed in from the top. With the canopy shredded, this is when I started using a tarp instead, much stronger than the thin canopy fabric.

And the fact that a new canopy was $80, and would take 10 days to two weeks to arrive, and I had a tarp in the back of the truck didn’t hurt either.

This year I did things a little different. The canopy frame, which survived last year’s storm, is staked down, and also weighted down with 4 – 50 pound containers of water. Then the tarp is just laid over the frame, and not really tied down to it, but it too is tied off to stakes in the ground.

This lets the tarp give some, and lets the wind blow through without trying to take the frame with it. And based on this morning, it was a pretty good plan.

When the storm first hit, I bundled all the electronics into garbage bags and stowed them in the truck out of the way. Then I just waited it out, keeping an eye on things. We did have a couple of gusts that got under the tarp and billowed it up with a loud SNAP!, but it all held together.

I went inside a little after 6am when it looked like things were dying down, and luckily, by the time Jan went out at 7 it was pretty much over.

We only had 48 vehicles through the gate today, the big majority of them water tankers taking out water from the Flowback. As far as the Flowback itself, we only have a crew of six running things, three on the day shift and three on the night.

During the week, there’s always a bunch of management types passing through, but it seems they don’t work weekends. Much the better for everyone, I’m sure.

Our grandson Landon has apparently decided on a career in Law Enforcement. Here he is walking down to receive his diploma after Academy graduation.

And here he is with his first ‘collar’.

A recidivist candy-napper if I ever saw one. Kitty does have a kind of wild look in her eyes. Must be high on sugar.

Love those mirror shades.

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Happy Halloween!

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Well today, which was supposed to be Sunny and 80 two days ago, turned out to be Cloudy, Rainy, and 65°. But overall, not really too bad.

We did have a fairly heavy drizzle for several hours later in the afternoon, but with no wind to speak off, it actually was kind of nice. Then about 4 the rain tapered off, finally coming back for a couple of hours later this evening. And tomorrow looks to be about the same.

Apparently when we weren’t outside a lot last week, we had several bovine visitors to our canopy area.

I found hoofprints in the dirt actually under the canopy. Last year Jan had one come right under the canopy while she was sitting there. So I guess they’re just curious. At least they’re not being made into cheap shoe laces.

Besides the cow pic, Jan also got a great shot of the sunrise through the trees.

I think she really likes the new Panasonic FZ70 Camera we got.

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If you live in the Houston Bay Area, or are at all interested what’s going on there, or what new stores are on the way, check out our friend Barbara Cutsinger’s Business Development Update from the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP).

Business Development Update – Issue 57

It comes out every couple of months and gives you all the news ‘business-wise’ about what’s going on in the Bay Area. If you email Barbara at the address on the Update, you can get on the list to get the latest copy when it comes out.

Jan and I were happy to see that we’re getting both a Grimaldi’s Pizzeria and a Torchy’s Tacos in the Webster area, two of our favorite places.

Today was Wal-Mart/Whataburger day, so it was off to Carthage about 11am or so. While at Wally World, I was looking for hose washers and made the mistake of stepping out into the garden department. And stepping through the automatic doors was like stepping into a seasonal Twilight Zone.

All of a sudden I was in the middle of Winter Wonderland Hell. There was Christmas music blaring over the speakers, trees rotating and flashing, Santas inflating and collapsing, helium-filled snow globes floating overhead, and fake snow stuck to everything.

It was hell, I tell you.

I made a U-turn right back through the door. I didn’t need hose washers bad enough to brave that.

Can’t they at least wait until after Halloween?

Next up was Whataburger for our lunch, and it was déjà vu all over again. I got the same young lady as last week. But this time I’m prepared. I’ve printed out exactly what I want, and what I want on it.

She looks at the paper, starts punching keys, and then asked, “Do you want Pickles and Lettuce on this?”. In my head I’m screaming, “Do you see Pickles and Lettuce ANYWHERE on that piece of paper, but my mouth calmly says, “No.”

“What about Mayo?”

Mouth, calmly, “No.”

Head, screaming, “NNOOOOOOOO!”

Then after another 15 or 20 seconds of keypunching, she asks, “Do you want any thing else?”. I Calmly point her to the bottom of the paper where my sandwich is listed. She looks it over, starts punching keys, and then asks, “Do you want Mustard, Ketchup, Pickles and Lettuce on this?”

Again, mouth, CALMLY, “No.”

I won’t repeat what was screaming in my head.

Finally we’re finished, I pay, get my receipt and cups, and walk toward the drink dispenser, checking over the items on the receipt.

She put Mayo on Jan’s burger.

“NNNNOOOOOOOO!”

Then I noticed people staring at me.

I think that one slipped out.

Oops!

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Thought for the Day:

“The lesser of two evils is still evil.”

“Yes, but it’s also LESS.”

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