Polish American Engineer strikes again!!!

Yesterday was extremely windy. The local weather said winds 25-35 mph with gust to 50 mph. The wind was hitting us almost straight from the side and several times the wind lifted the slide out, with me in the love seat, up about a half inch or so. Now that’s a lot of weight to lift.

Several times the wind blew the outdoor antenna for the phones and internet almost all the way around. We did not want to lose phone service in case of an emergency, so it was time for action. Do you remember the last antenna crisis and the skill it took to fix that problem?

Professional engineers are called PE’s and actually carry a card saying that they are professional engineers. Now, I am not a card carrying PE, but I am a PAE…..Polish American Engineer…..and I do carry cards also, i.e. social security card, medicare card, health insurance card, credit card…and on and on. I have lots of cards, including about 20 different grocery store cards from coast to coast. So I am well qualified…

Well, I digress….it was time for action, and time for PAE.

I was ready. I put on my shoes, went out to my trusty toolbox and got a tool, cut off a short piece of rope (I had to buy more rope as I used all I had on the last project) and made my way, With much difficulty due to the strong wind(and various ailments due to age), to the trailer with the antenna on it. In short time I had turned the antenna to the correct direction and attached the tool to stop the rotating and firmly attached the tool to the trailer…..problem solved…..again….by quick thinking of the PAE.

In case you did not notice, the tool was a pair of vise grips that can be locked onto anything. And the rope came from my new 50 foot supply. Who says you need duck tape to fix things.

I will stay ready for the next crisis that requires my attention, ready to spring into action at a moments notice.

Have a great day,

Jim (aka PAE)

Illegals and snakes

Good Morning

  I went to bed about 8:45 last night, and shortly thereafter the dog's started barking really strongly. Than I heard Linda say "what do you want", and got out of bed and looked out the window. There were three people standing there and they wanted Linda to give them food and drive them somewhere. I quickly got dressed, but by that time they had moved off.
  Linda had gone outside and closed the outer door to the trailer. We called 911 and told them that we had three illegals at  our door but that they had moved on into the dark and were told to stay put and they would send someone out to check.
  About 15 minutes later a border patrol officer stops by and tells us that they have been chasing 11 illegals all evening and caught some of them. They, the border patrol, were in a different area and when we called they headed back this way. Told us to keep doors closed and left after thanking us for calling it in.
  About 5 minutes later two guys came by that had worked on this site to check up on us. They had heard about the illegals and told us to be careful and stay inside.
  Normally we leave the main door open, and use the screen door until Linda comes to bed. But from now on we will close the main door and keep it locked after dark.

  On another note.....spring is here a little early and the warm weather has brought out some of the snakes. There have been two sighting close to us. One of the tanker drivers killed a 5 foot rattler about a quarter mile up the road and as he was heading out he told Linda come see what I got. Just what she wanted to see, a five foot long rattler!!!!!

  Looks like our last day of gate guarding will be April 7th. Linda is supposed to fly  back to Woodstock IL to help Lorie after she has her surgery. I will stay at an Escapee rv park in D'Hanis, TX for about three weeks while she is gone. We will leave when she gets back and start a roundabout trip back to Illinois. San Antonio to Baton Rouge, LA to Tupelo, MS to Tunica, MS to Woodstock.
Should take a couple of weeks.
Have a wonderful day
Love to all of ya,
Jim and Linda
 

RAIN AND CALICHE MUD

Hi
Now, when you live in a regular house, in a regular town, with paved streets and driveways and grass you do not think too much about the rain. Yes it does affect your daily commute to work and spoils you plan to mow the lawn or do some outside work. But it is liveable. There is no mud.

When you are here in south Texas gate guarding off of the main roads and the only thing around you are caliche roads and blackthorn bushes and the only way to get anywhere is on the caliche and it rains and you have to go out in the rain and walk in the mud and check drivers in and/or out and the mud is sticking to your shoes and trying to pull them off and you are getting wet from the rain and it is dark and you are feeling miserable and you are alone and there is no one to complain to and besides no one is going to care.....than my friends....than the rain and the mud are a pain in the ass!

As I sit here writing this all I see is wet, goey mud in all directions. As soon as it is a little lighter I will take a few pictures for you. The rain started about 10pm last night and is still going at 7am.

Mud to our left for 3/8 mile to the main road.....guess what,,,it is under construction, so it is mud too!

Mud straight in front of us....no, I am not going to turn off the lights!!!

Mud to the right of us for 3 1/2 miles to the wells! One tanker driver coming out at midnight told Linda that he would not recommend any one driveing back to the wells as he barely got out. The road is pretty hilly and slick.

 

 

So there you have it. And that is why we dislike it when it rains. And do not like the caliche.
Have a great day today....
And stay out of the mud!
Love to all of ya bums
Jim and Linda