short lived break

Our short break appears to be over and the gate is showing signs of getting busy again. We have had a lot of equipment delivered and rumors that another crew with even more equipment will arrive later today to start the next phase on the wells. Our slow down lasted only a few days, seem like I just started getting comfortable sleeping through the night and now I'll be back to working the "hoot owl" shift again.

We have decided that our last day will be next Wednesday and called our company asking for a replacement. We will be moving North with a stop near Dallas where we are getting a new breaking system installed on the Dakota. We decided to go with the M&G braking system and will have it installed at their factory Friday before we continue towards Indiana. The new brake system ties into the air brakes on the motor home and is a much better, and more reliable, system than the Blue Ox "brake in a box" we have been using.

Yesterday was my turn to drive into Cotulla and have lunch with the guys. We had a decent turn out and spent a couple of hours catching up on current events. Several of us are planning on leaving in the next week or two so it looks like the big snowbird migration is getting ready to start, weather pending of course. :-)
One face missing was our friend Jerry Bertelsen (http://www.kitandjerry.com/index.htm). They were out working their gate last Sunday and a motor home pulled in and told them they were their replacements. Turns out this couple had this gate long term and left a few months ago and the land owner requested they be returned to the gate when they were back working again. Doesn't seem right to me but a lot of things just don't make sense in this business. Kit and Jerry have returned to their home in Brackettville until another gate comes available. We have told them about our gate so they are stopping by for a visit later today and check things out. I'm not sure who they know down here but we no more found out they were visiting and a road crew showed up and filled up the largest craters on the road leading to us! These two must have some influence around here! :-)

We will slowly start packing things up getting ready for our departure next week. We are both more than ready to take a break and see some new scenery. I'll keep you posted!