One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it, unless it has been all suffering, nothing but suffering.~Jane Austen, novelist (1775-1817)
With two days behind us out of the oil fields, here are our perspectives/opinions on our gate guarding experience.
Even though we suffered some, it was not all suffering. To describe it accurately, I would use the words adventurous, on-the-edge, different, hot, buggy, beautiful (sunsets, exotic animals, birds), available 24/7, disruptive, preoccupying, monopolizing, confining, but not boring. (Bob would say it was boring.)
Sure there was some suffering which included: H2S gas; heat; bug bites; bugs, mud and dust in the RV; blowing dust; remote location; flooding and gooey, slippery mud when it rained hard; company-provided generator problems; sand in the water; poor cell phone and internet connections; hard to get in exercise; no TV; feeling imprisoned (we couldn't leave to go anywhere TOGETHER unless we found someone to watch our gate--in two months it happened once).
Positives include: becoming part of a wonderful network of other gate guards (friends), bird watching, beautiful sunsets, no cost for site/water/electric/black water pump out, pays well for the amount of work you do, the oil field workers (for the most part) are polite and friendly, exceptional lightning storms, time to read, blog, watch DVDs, play games, your RV is your workplace (no commute). Did I mention making good friends and having their backs? Oh, and we didn't have any animals on the ranch so we didn't have to open and close the gate all the time.
Would we do it again? Yes. Would we do it differently? Probably. We'd make some requests about the type of gate we'd be guarding.
Welcome to new followers: The Back Porch View, Vicky at Full-Time RVing, Merikay at Merikay's Dream has Six Wheels, Mike at Mike and Pat's Travels, and Kittie at Kittie Howard. I started this blog to keep family and friends informed of our whereabouts AND to remember all the things we've seen, done, thought, experienced so we don't forget as we age. Now I have 55 followers who enjoy reading about our life. Thank you for journeying with us.
The requisite cat pics. Stop reading here if you don't like cat pics.
Remember...
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| There's always time for a catnap! |
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| Breathe deep. (Look at them choppers!) |
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| Keep yourself clean. |
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| You can never be too clean. (Ha ha.) |
Enjoy your week.
Travel Bug out.
Love the kitty pics.... What has you done to help your kitties adjust to mobile life? I have one that I would like to help adjust to life on the move. I'll be trying to catch up on some of your older posts... Karen, from the Back Porch View
ReplyDeleteThe biggest item to help the kitties adjust has been regular feeding times. And just think, no matter how far you travel, the kitties are always home.
DeleteWhen we first started our travels we put the cats in a big cage with kitty litter box in the back of my Escape. That lasted all the way from Nevada to Texas. Believe me when I tell you it was not pleasant to have the kitty box where I could smell it.
After we attended the RV-Dreams Rally in Kerrville, Texas in May, we found other cat owners who let their cats ride in the 5th wheel while they traveled. The cats (and I) like this arrangement much better.
We have a kitty "tube" that one of them likes to sleep in when we travel. He feels safe and secure in it. We still haven't figured out where the other one hides out, but he comes out when it's time to eat.
One of the other RVers puts a cardboard box with
an entrance hole under the covers of their bed. Some of their cats enjoy sleeping in that cozy spot.
DeleteCats are very adaptable. I thought we would have problems with ours, but we didn't. Our cats are not scaredy cats, though. Don't know how high-strung cats would react. Giving them a hidey-hole helps.
Our biggest scare happened when one of our cats bolted out the door (we think after a bird) and we had HUGE semis coming by within ten feet of our entrance door. Luckily, the cat was petrified and ran under the RV. Once the five semis with their huge trailers had passed, we hauled the cat out from under the RV and put him back inside. Geez, this could be a whole new blog post!!
Susan
There's is nothing like watching a cat taking his/her nap. The stretching,the yawning and the curling up. They do yoga so easy. I'm jealous!!
ReplyDeleteCat yoga...I like that.
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