One of my Heroes

I love my children equally, but I just got off the phone with my beautiful daughter Leya after a long conversation.  Our talk covered a myriad, or I might say ton of topics.  I consider my self relatively well read, slightly informed and certainly I should be able to keep  up to an uppity twenty two year old who has barely experienced life like I have.  Who am I kidding?  We talked and talked and after each point was raised I was at least humble enough to appreciate the brilliance she demonstrates on so many things and seems to have a much more detailed concept of those subjects that I am capable of.  And gasp, she also possesses an uncompromising moral direction that I like to think she got from me. (Again who am I kidding). And a great big heart with the character to go with it.  I am so proud of her I could bust. And she has given birth to my grand daughter who is shaping up to be so much like her. It is times like this that give me comfort that I have left something worthwhile in this world.  

3AM again

Well, after a month of a great 12 hour gig we were supposed to get a week off.  Lisa ran off to Idaho to  complete some housekeeping and get her Piffy fix.  I returned to Port A for some fishing and get caught up on some maintenance.  The week turned out to be four days of hard work for both of us and then we were called back.  I left at three thirty this morning, drove the 110 miles here and worked until five when Lisa managed to get back here.  Took a nap and now for the graveyard.  Thankfully  it is slow for now and will probably pick up tomorrow. The unpredictability of this work is a frustration.  Often we have no idea how long the gig will last. One day it is just over.

In this instance we are positioned midway in the worksite.  Other guards are positioned at the front gate and the workers funnel through them and then through us.  Of course we are both keeping meticulous records.  Generally our part serving no real purpose.  The real reason we are here.

This gate has to be closed at all times because I am told this area has been stocked with Trophy size Bucks.  The same source continued to tell me that Hunters pay as high as $5000 for the opportunity to hunt these Deer and an additional (from several thousand to as high as twenty thousand) if they are lucky enough to bag one of these Bucks.  Certainly folks of my ilk will never hunt here.  I've seen the advertisements and I didn't think it was that high, though the information came with a warning of consequences should any escape.  The area is surrounded by a ten foot fence. This to me is a pretty strange concept having grown up in Idaho and having participated in many hunts on Public land where my total cash expense was gas, grub and a License.  All right, and a tag.   I'll admit it, though I have not yet been successful, I have experienced the thrill of having some pretty big Bucks in my sights.  Call it Buck Fever that I never returned with meat. Oh well, think of all those dead pheasants.  But one can't but help comparing to medieval times when all the game in the kingdom belonged to the King for sport while the peasants starved.  Idaho by more than half is public lands.  By contrast, Texas has only three percent.  Yet in Idaho, there is a movement by the local elected pols demanding the US turn all public lands over to the State.  Despite the idiocy of the concept for instance who is to pay for the services of maintenance and fighting wildfires.  Of course those arguments never had any validity because the self serving politicos have no intention of performing or solving any of those functions, only to auction off the public's lands to the highest bidder and to somehow wrangle a share of the profit for themselves and their cronies.  I suspect the parties involved have no intention of staying around afterwards to deal with the mess.  Think Superfund.  And while Idaho, like Texas have huge populations slaving in minimum wage jobs, those same politicos rest easy in their gerrymandered voting districts.  Happily pursuing their own agenda's.  God forbid that they might represent their constituents.  Sad.  Things that I once thought were "entitlements" like fresh air and water I am learning is a vanishing concept.

Speaking of the contrasts between Idaho and Texas, future planners are trying to conceptualize what will happen to all of the unemployed oil workers in years to come.  Though estimates of Texas Oil being available for decades.  The planners describe the work force as transient, consisting of "man camps" and bringing no worthwhile upgrades to areas they settle in.  No schools, infrastructure etc.  I thought it humorous after talking with one twenty year old making nearly one hundred thou annual.  If Idaho had these problems.  

Lastly, one of nature's physical laws, like Newton law of gravity was driven home to me the other day by a large black spider.  These same types of spiders exist in Idaho, only about one tenth the size.  You know, the kind that leaps into thin air to bag a fly and swing back on a thin strand of web.  I was half hearted swatting one off the hood of the Bronco and being amused how it kept swinging back.  Durn thing eventually ducked under the bumper while I sat there chuckling.  Lucky bugger.  Here is where the natural law kicks in.  Driving to the next job location pulling a three ton trailer, difficult enough at sixty miles an hour in the short wheel based Bronco, twice as hard upon glancing down and seeing the inch and a half spider gently lower himself on ones bare leg while a semi truck is passing causing everything to go helter skelter anyway.  Suffice to say I survived.  Why did I not see it coming when this same scenario occurs over and over each and every time each year of my fifty nine years.  Call it the power of denial I guess.

Never too old to learn

So while cruising through Corpus Christi looking for spare parts, this time for the Water Heater.  Remember that rarely mentioned every post thing I talk about?  Anyway, today I learned :

1.  After nearly a half hour of bumper to bumper 70 mph traffic following my smart phone GPS, the gong followed by "You now have GPS signal" and "make a legal U Turn when possible"  is not a good thing.

2. That a business called "Loving Adult Care"  has nothing to do with the entertainment industry.  Shoot, I wasn't going to go in there anyway.

3.  And finally, the day started out beautifully.  Cruising with the windows down rockin to one of my Bee Gee Favs, Haahh, Hahh, Hahh, Staying Alive, Staying Alive, Stayyyyinnnng Aliiiiivee.  I was in perfect sync when at the stop light I first noticed the Tattoos out of the corner of my eye.  Then the black Monte Carlo low rider.  Then I noticed the five Bangers looking at me.  The Barrio kind not the Bangers and Mash Brit kind.  At first kind of Awkwarrrrd.  Then I swear I saw one of them cross himself and they just left, just like that.  It felt good, real good.  Don't ask me why.

This is our scenery

We have barely been working in this spot for a month.  While we have thoroughly enjoyed this job, the scenery does get a little monotonous.  Then I thought as I had when I first arrived outside Corrizzo Springs that not a lot of folks have seen this area.  A huge area comprising of a large part of South Texas.

Intermixed within the farms and ranches is the signature equipment of the Oil business.  Nonstop day and night heavy tractor trailers towing the now familiar Frac trailers. Sand, gravel and water trucks as well.  The latter taking a little time to familiarize ourselves with.  As did the terms "blowback" or water collected from the Fracking operation and "Mudd".  The different consistencies needed for the different pressures exerted by the various wells, and whatever operation being conducted.  "Workover" an unusual term for repairing or retrieving a tool, for lack of a better word, located from a thousand to several miles beneath the surface.  Everywhere the eye can see is filled with the towering derricks, the odd grasshopper shaped oil pumps of all different sizes, their  insect like heads moving slowly up and down scattered in pastures with cows grazing right next to them.  Every mile or so are the large storage facilities interconnected by a highly complex network of pipelines. Workers we are told working inside closely monitoring the huge pressures contained withing the pipelines.  At night, the sky is lit up by the numerous fires from flumes burning excess gasses.  Danteisque would be a description one might use were that term an actual word.

Night time

I was trying to concoct a description for scenes like the one below but I guess I'll just let it speak for itself.

and

The local San Antonio newspaper had an article last week describing the problems this horrendous drought has brought to the Oil Industry.  Competing with the surface dwellers, that's us, for the available water.  Roughly speaking one fracking operation of one well requires a million gallons of water.  A family of four however in a year uses about one hundred and thirty thousand gallons.  The water is collected in fracking ponds.  Lakes big enough to water ski in. One is being constructed next to us.  A stark contrast to the reservoirs that in some areas contain only fifteen percent of their capacity.   In many areas private wells are going dry.  Those that aren't, the water is being sold to the oil companies.   Some compromise has been reached in that the companies have agreed to use the water located below the water table.  This water is brackish and not potable.  

There are literally thousands of oil wells. 

It is what it is and Lisa and I keep our general mission in mind, that we work to live and not vice versa.  Personally, I think it naive to believe that energy independence does not come at a price.  My liberal leanings conflict with my conservative roots in this regard.  I think it preferable to rely on ourselves than the unstable Middle East and Central American governments.

And Gate Guards, there are literally hundreds of us.  I had not even heard of this opportunity prior to arriving in Texas.   This is such a unique opportunity for retirees.  In any direction you drive you will pass guards in everything from high end Class A's to converted school buses.  Also many high end fifth wheels and pull trailers with multiple slide outs.  I have read enough horror stories however about the havoc the dust and extreme conditions wreaks on slide out mechanisms, converters, RV washing machine etc.

                          Anywayyyyyy, our little 21 footer is way bigger inside than it looks from the outside.  I'll do pics someday.  We have found it ideal.  High enough to get over the roughest of roads and simple and rugged enough to withstand the nasty extremes.  Although the recent weather has been pleasurable enough.  Our AC, which was running 24/7 the past several months has recently been turned down as the evenings get a little chillier.  I am a little overwhelmed by the number of devices that have to be maintained even in this little house.  The water heater, plumbing, converter,AC and Furnace. Refrigeration and did I miss anything, oh yeah the directional TV antennae and fancy catalytic converter.  Also the magic chef range and oven and also the microwave.  Any of these things going out costing a pretty penny.  Despite the initial issues with the roof, I have otherwise been pretty satisfied with everything so far.  

We suspect this job will be over soon and Lisa hopes to shoot back to Idaho for a quick visit with the family.  I will stay with the rigs.  Best of wishes to my Mom who is recovering from shoulder surgery. 

Nice Moon tonight

Nights are getting colder again

No doubt that we have been lucky.  We were at the above location a scant month ago before the Quitfire situation which found us relocated about 170 miles West of Corizzo Springs.  In fact we arrived in a very heavy thunderstorm last July.  Nothing like what occurred yesterday however, when they received  13 inches in a matter of hours.  Where we were perched we likely would not have been in any danger to speak of however we most certainly would have been stranded, unable to move in either direction more than a quarter mile or so.

I guess according to the papers Corrizo Springs looked like this today

With Austin, another location we have spent several weeks with Carl and Loris coming in a close first or second as we just heard . .  As I said, to date we have been lucky, however a rather large front coming from Mexico is supposed to hit tomorrow with heavy rainfall again.  I thought I had been in heavy rain before coming from Idaho so it is difficult to find the words to describe the difference.  Just that fully exposed to the weather, one can expect to be soaked to the skin after walking about six feet.



So here we are about sixty miles South of San Antonio

A little closer overhead view that looks quite different now

While there are several other Gate Guards stationed within several miles of us, one tends to feel quite isolated sometimes.  The Ranch Owner lives about a mile from our locaton.

But it is business as usual.  And while it may not look it, we are quite comfortable living out here in our little 21 ft trailer.  While I don't talk about it much, there tends to be a lot of upkeep associated with living like this.  For instance recently having to get back on the roof to unclog vents in the air conditioner for the condensation to collect on the roof rather that overflowing inside the trailer.  Another little item that just paid for itself is the $75.00 breaker between the Diesel Generator and the trailer.  Last night in the midst of a heavy downpour the Gen surged and the breaker did it's job.  Somehow tripping the GFCI inside the trailer. No telling the damage that could have occurred to the Converter, Refrigerator etc.  Just little learning events that keep you going. I most certainly wish that Lisa and I had discovered this lifestyle a few years earlier.  Our current gate is a 12 hour gate, rare in their existence but a pleasure to man.  We work twelve hours and that's it.  Meaning a good nights sleep.  Furthermore, I continue to be impressed with the Texas hospitality and the quality of folks we work with.  For the last several mornings, a couple of the guys have been dropping breakfast biscuits on their way into the site.  We receive a dish at each catered meal and the company running into town for lunch almost always stops with a couple of plates for Lisa and myself.  This job may run a couple of weeks yet but there is no way to tell.  And if there is no more immediate work, well then it is back to the beach for more fishing.

Here is a link to a site of several other blogs that I was perusing last night.  Keeps me motivated and inspired.  Can't wait to get through the winter and get on the move again.    http://www.hitchitch.com/links.html



Finally Cousin Will posted this photo of Ken Henderson, his Father and my not so long ago deceased Uncle on his FB page here with a couple of his grandchildren. 

 Ken died not much older than myself and stands as a reminder of the short time we actually have. And I guess a point I made earlier that the best parts of life occur when you are not even aware of them.    Seeing this picture caused a lot of memories to wash over me of childhood summer camping trips in the beautiful pine forests of Island Park and the freezing Goose hunting forays that I went on with Ken, my father, my grandfather, other uncles and sometimes other relatives that I met only a few times. I remember the clothes they wore and the old pump shotguns.  The old goose decoys, a mix of paper mache and cardboard silhouette  decoys we set out. Huddled under white sheets in snow and frozen mud in any kind of gawdawful weather starting when I was about eleven on the Blackfoot reservoir.  (Of course then I was expected to fetch the duck).  I can remember the smell of my grandmother's kitchen on those early mornings as she always rose to cook breakfast.  Peppers and scrambled eggs and bacon.  Hated em then, love them now.  The hot chocolate in the thermos and the neverending back and forth bickering between my grandparents. More of the way they communicated than actual arguments.  Remembering the sound of both their voices.  My grandmother gone some thirty years and my grandfather over twenty.  I remember cleaning pheasants and ducks with Ken in the basement in the wash room next to the old roller type washing machine.  The bloody newspapers and feathers.  Subsequently watching early star trek episodes, (the original series in the sixties) with Ken, Cathy my older sister and younger siblings (who were really young then) on old tan fold down davenports, covered in the old scratchy design material. My grandfather's old blue beet truck filling the large picture window behind the television .  I remember Ken's bedroom upstairs with the old sports pennants covering the yellow painted walls.  A high school and college basketball star Ken replicated the globetrotter basketball spin easily.  I also remember the Saxaphone.  Nuff said. And later, during and just after high school late night talks between myself, Ken and my older sister around the campfire on one of the many aforementioned camping trips over forty years ago under a moonless sky lit up by the milky way as bright as any photograph could depict it. His infectious smile, like the one in the picture that covered his entire face.  I could go on.  Ken, an uncle was more like a cousin because there just wasn't that many years between us.  Ken was a strong figure I looked up to and was proud of.  The college athlete and pilot.  I remember Ken getting married and going to BYU. But for the most part I got along with my life and lost contact with Ken, only rarely seeing him with Sylvia and a passel of small children.  This past year it has been a delight to see that passel of kids, my cousins ,now adults. Finally, I learned of some of his successes as well as his challenges later in life.  Some I learned of long ago and some only recently.  I understand some of those challenges as like my own. But then all of these times I mention occurred decades ago I'm certainly no authority of later years. However,  I read in a FB posting that "few respected Ken" which left me scratching my head (metaphorically).    It  puzzles me that anyone would mention this posthumously.  I don't know the individual or what he is talking about, how he could post a comment like that,  nor do I really want that point explained to me. No matter what was said after that the real point of the comment has already been said. And I thought it shabby in the context.  In any event, if there is anything I learned as a Parole Officer is that misfortune can happen to any of us.  I just prefer to remember Ken as  the whole package.  I think he lived a full life from his beginnings in Blackfoot, to his life in Texas, Missouri and wherever else he lived. From being awarded Freshman player of the year as I recall at Idaho State University (the same ISU that beat UCLA in later years) to piloting a KC135 in the Air Force, to the many different occupations he explored. I guess from what I have seen so far, no matter what misfortunes might have occurred, I'm sure he had regrets, we all do, but Ken left a pretty impressive legacy in his children.  A pretty impressive bunch.  And to Ken, I haven't given up on paying my respects, just I will endevour to get to the right cemetary next time. Rest in Peace Uncle Ken.

Texas Sunset

International Space Station

Lisa and I  just watched the International Space Station orbit over the San Antonio Texas area.  I have never seen a space vehicle other than the occasional satellite.  At 270 miles above the earth, it was bigger and brighter than anything I would ever have imagined.  Other than the moon, it was by far the brightest object in the sky. A rare treat.  We tried to do a video of it but failed.  Next week a new Camera.

Lawrence P Hauber

According to Idaho Vital Statistics, Lawrence P Hauber died on September 3, 2013.  He was 81.  I fought back and forth with myself about deciding to write about this  here but overcame those reservations and  decided to do so. It has been a month and I have looked for a death notice or obit for Larry in vain and  for whatever reason, the family has decided to grieve in private.    I don't know and offer no speculation as to that reason.  I think I have communicated to anybody who reads this that this blog is an outlet for me. As well as telling myself and Lisa's story.   Inasmuch as I have no desire to offend anybody, I would like to provide some reflection about Larry here.  This does not come easy to me because there has been many a funeral of various people who have had some meaning to me and I have chickened out of going.  I should have just to show my respect and in turn have no hard feelings of anybody who misses mine.   To the point though, Larry was kind of a mentor to me having initially hired me to be a probation parole officer exactly thirty years ago, In Burley and then Twin Falls, Idaho. A position I held for nearly 24 years and retired at in the very same pay grade when I was 53.  (I am 59 now)   A very visible, controversial  and flamboyant guy, I remember his interview with me in a motel room in Boise with another District Manager at the time. It was October of 1983 and I was 28 years old.  Going through a list of questions of which a point value was attached, or was supposed to be in order to be quantitative, he would add some comment or other, "boy this is dumb" or "what the hell do they mean by this" after reading the question, or" say what you want, I just don't care.  What a load of crap".  It was pretty obvious Larry wanted to hire his guy and cared less for format.  I worked for Larry the next several years, probably eight, until he retired as my boss.  This was kind of the tone of his leadership.  I learned a lot about state government during this time.  I also learned about the reality of government and sadly was educated about corruption in government as well. Maybe I will write about that someday.   Larry was one of those fearless bottle of whiskey in the drawer and ankle holster kind of leaders who would have probably been better served with a yellow feather or two here and there, maybe a little less whiskey, but who am I to talk.  But his style worked for him.  He was not afraid to stand up to his bosses if he felt the need and could be heard up the hall yelling on the phone at a bureaucrat or two on any given day each week. But Larry could also polish the apple with the best of them.   Larry liked attention and often notified the local press of new developments in our field and was comfortable with being interviewed, showing us in a pretty favorable light. It was not a rare event that the local news was covering us about something or other.  County sheriff's and police chief's in our jurisdiction may not have liked him, but they greatly respected him and we were highly regarded as a state agency.  I like to think we did and were involved in some pretty impressive things back then. We enjoyed that kind of respect from the State Police on down. Larry rubbed shoulders easily with high government officials and legislative leaders who came to visit him or regularly called to visit or request an opinion.  Larry could  call the Govenor of the state if he felt the need.  Many high profile folks were eager to ride with PO's then to experience what we experienced, visiting dangerous felons in the middle of the night. At that time by ourselves before cell phones and radios, I guess was considered a little Don Quixotic.  There are also lots of harrowing war stories that could be told here but I'll forgo them. We were allowed to be armed but had to purchase the weapon ourselves.  (There occurred very little training at that time and many an officer carried target load "wadcutters" as duty ammo without any intermediate tools i,e, pepper spray, just handcuffs).   And I also can remember local prominent attorney's coming to our office in the hopes of acquiring a recommendation for a District Judge appointment.  Larry's recommendation was considered that important.  Most importantly, working for Larry at that time was fun.  Every morning coffee was held in Larry's office and local event's were discussed, examined and reexamined.  Disregarding political correctness, there was an attempt to find humor in everything.  It was a good way to start the day.  As an employee you felt valued and supported.  Larry never left you to swing in the wind. And finally, there was a sense of mission in what we were and what we were trying to accomplish back then that I more or less attributed to Larry.   That sense of mission disappeared in subsequent years in that occupation as it devolved into something else.  Sadly as well as the pride one held in his job. With the exception of some quality individuals who chose to remain unrewarded, so too did the status that the department once enjoyed disappear with the law enforcement community.  

I could go on but won't.  With the very rare exception, I have not been privileged to witness that kind of leadership since. Certainly not the whole package. Larry had his detractor's and he certainly had his demons. Whether those demons were amplified by the idleness of retirement, I have no idea and don't wish to know. I simply wanted to express some deserved remembrance of the man.

RIP Larry.
  

Safety Greeters

Finally, the days are getting cooler and the bugs are kind of thinning out.  In our latest Gig for Conoco Phillips, We have been retitled.  We are now "Safety Greeters"  A title that CP want us to take very seriously.  And we do.  We are required to inform all visitors of CP's strict rules regarding, Alcohol, Drugs, weapons and Pornography.  As well that all visitors both are clean shaven, possess all safety equipment and are current in their training.  These guys are awesome.  At the end of the day, they ask us if we need anything from town, offer to take our garbage and to relieve us of the Porn that they believe we have confiscated.  Of course we just advise the rules.  Not enforce them.   Anyway.


  Occasionally we hear about trophy rattlesnakes seen nearby but we have yet to see any.  It has only been recently that we have seen, let alone been able to photograph some of the native wildlife.  (Photo below)

                

                                                          Shhhhhhhh

                                  You dont want to scare them

And speaking of wildlife, just as I finished this post, I detected some movement out of the corner of my eye and not ten feet away out the door stood a gray fox just standing there looking at me.  I spent the next five minutes unsuccessfully trying to take a photo of it.  It didn't even seem all that frightened.  Just transfixed by Jimmy Fallon, playing on the tube .  Go figure.  It wandered around awhile giving me every chance but I couldn't seem to figure out how to turn off the flash.  Consequently all the pics are too dark.  Stupid camera.  Next check for sure.