Today is 9-11…..A day we will never forget……and will always remember

Around 3 am. I was woke up by a very loud semi noise.  All last evening we had heard this noise from a distance.  I walked to the road and couldn’t see it.  Later threw the mesquite trees across the road we could see moving headlights.  We knew the seismic trucks were in the area.  We were told over a week ago they would be coming.  We had seen some company trucks and 4 wheelers in the area, but last nite they arrived.

So I got up and looked out.  Their were 3 of them. They came to our gate by mistake and then went over to the neighbors gate.   After they signed in, off they went in the darkness.  When I got up this morning, I could still here them working in the distance.  After I went outside, they came out from the area over by the neighbors.  They are very big.

The seismic trucks are used to plot out the land and decided where the oil is.  Their are 2 ways to do this.  One is to dig a hole and stick in some dynamite.  Then send down sound waves that bounce back to help them diagram the land. This is the other way.  If you look at the picture, in the middle of the truck, their is a huge metal plate on the bottom.  The travel along together and then stop.

The metal plate goes down and all the weight of the truck is put on it.  You here the engine revving, as they send sound waves down through the plate into the ground.  The instruments in the truck record it and after about 3 minutes they move to another spot together.   We had heard this all nite.   It sounds like when a truck is stuck in snow and trying to rev the engine to get out.  They finally came up the lane and left around 1 pm.

I thought they may come over here to this property, but maybe tomorrow.  or tonite?  For the last several days, we have noticed the crickets were getting thick.  Well today was horrible.  You could see them come crawling over the road to our screen.  They would jump on me.  I looked at the awning top by the roller bar and was  ….AMAZED…..Time to do something.  They were thick on the top of our awning.  They were like this on the inside and outside.   They birds just sat on the fence across the street and just looked at us……….ARE THEY ON STRIKE…..THEY MUST WANT US TO LEAVE…..LOL….

I bet their were couple thousand all together.  I got out the mothballs………Nothing………They didn’t care.   So finally I got out the ant and roach killer.   I started spraying…..OMG………They were dropping like fly’s from the awning.

They  were thick around the tires in the sand.   Then by the charcoal bags they were ……HORENDOUS…..YUCKKKKKKKKKKKK………….If you look, they were thick between the bag and the smoker….Horrible…

So I sprayed and sprayed……..they were jumping like crazy, then some were flying….they would land on me.

I walked around the rv and sprayed the back side.  They weren’t as bad.

I was thinking, maybe because rain was predicted, they were looking for a dry spot.   I don’t know but these birds had better start working around here and stop watching us from their fence…….

This is the aftermath by the smoker….but if you look at the bags you will still see more still alive…..Well I still have a half a can left, and more in the cabinet.  Stay tunned and we’ll see what tomorrow will bring……lol….

…………..Any Ideas on Cricket Control…………Any help will be appreciated……

I also had this kinda cool moth on the screen.

But I did wait till it left to start massacring the crickets….

This is the moth on the screen compared to the crickets.

Also another visitor yesterday was this little bug….

.Look like he stopped on my log paper to take a short bath….

Also had some Quail this morning….

The other day, a very nice Escalade with 2 women dressed very nice stopped.  It turns out they are the property owners from San Antonio.  They come down every couple of weeks to check.  They were wondering if the seismic people were here yet.  They also said they have hunters leased to the ground.  Soon they will be coming in to deer hunt.  After that will be quail…..So what does the future hold for us……we don’t know………They came by yesterday and pumped our septic, filled our gasoline tank with 200 gallons, and our water tank is also full……So time goes on…..

We arrived one week ago today.  It has been a rewarding week full of new things.  The trucks are busy moving in and out, but not really fast.  The scenery and wildlife around us is amazing to watch.  We are living in their ecology and watching the lives of the birds animals and insects as they survive.

The trucks still have not been heavy, still less than 38 a day.  They brought in an 84″ office trailer.

That was  quite a feat, as the driver had to make a sharp turn to get in the gate.  After 15 minutes of jockeying around, he made it  Good driver.     Much more equipment has come in.  From what we understand, the bore doesn’t match up.  Problems…lol…They might have to pull up the casing, if that makes sense.  A lot of time has been spent by the crew waiting for management decide what to do.

 View of the well at sunset…..

Lots of the guys are sleeping and eating in their trucks.  Not fun way to live for me.  Temps get to over 100 degrees in the afternoon.  Imagine sitting in your truck to get relief and eat your meals.  Some go to town to eat and I believe many also have rooms in town.  There are many new motels in town because of the oil industry. Also many campgrounds, trailers and Fema looking trailers.  You can tell the oil industry is really giving the area a  huge boost of economy.

The border patrol seems to be out frequently.  We’ve seen the helicopter several days but not as close as the first day.  Also the truck and horse trailer have been by several times.  One morning at day break the Border Patrol truck passed going very very slow.  Looking into the brush at the side of the road.  I just can’t imagine these illegals coming into this country, trying to walk at nite through this desert.  Look at that picture.  It is nothing but dense cactus and brush.  The goat heads in the sand or horrible, and at night, when they travel, the rattle snakes are out.  During the day it reaches over 100 degrees.  The heat is aweful.  How can they take their wives and children into this desert.  No wonder many of them are found dead.  How sad for them that they want to escape their country so bad that they put their lives and family at risk.

Last Friday Rich went to Uvalde and did his fingerprinting.  It was a drive of around 60 miles one way.  So yesterday I had an appointment in Crystal Springs which was much closer.  They are always moving around for the convience of the people.  But beings their is only 2 of us, one always has to be here at the gate, so we took turns.  So now we are done with fingerprinting and our test for the security liscense is also done.  I called Chris and he will be coming to pick them up.  Soon our raise will be in affect….Yessssssss….I also finally got to go to Walmart…….but, it is a small store, not a super Walmart….just a small amount of food….but then I went to a HEB grocery store and loaded up….It was nice to get out..

Last nite we had a wind storm come up.  Really had no idea it was coming.  I watch the weather channel on the phone and not till it arrived, did it register as coming.   It was only blowing around 23 miles per hour, but that was plenty to kick up the dust.  It only lasted for about an hour an half, but it was enough to make my freshly washed hair of the morning, turn into nothing but sand and grit.  My lips kept getting gritty and later I found sand in numerous cracks and crannies I won’t mention…lol …I was worried about the awning but it held up well.  The sand in the road just kicked up into the air and looked like a snow storm from Illinois.  Sometimes whirlpools would just flow down the road like they were dancing in the wind.  I was so glad when it was my turn to retire into the clean air conditioning of my trailer and take a shower.  Rich does nite duty till 6 or 7 am.

This morning I had to sweep our carpet of all the sand that had settled.  The tables were just full.  The neighbors black car looks like it was caught in a blizzard…..lol…..Then this afternoon a road grater started going up and down the gravel road.

The sand had blown so bad they had to plow it……

Then the water truck came and even went down our lane and back.  It made a  huge difference….for now……but……….It is almost dry already…

This morning I was just sitting and out of the corner of my eye I seen movement.  Their was a “Roadrunner”.  Rich seen him come close the other morning.  He came right up in front of my chair and crossed over to the sand.  He would run…stop, look….run, stop, tail would go up.   He was awesome to see and didn’t even act scared of me.

He ran over to the truck and stopped and then crossed the road.

Their is so much wildlife here.  One nite Rich and I were sitting out about 10pm, and I seen a movement out of the corner of my eye.  My first thought was….OMG…Illegal….but then we seen a deer.  He walked behind the RV and later crossed the road.  Rich has seen a number of deer during his nite duty.  But the one that kind of concerns me is a skunk.   He has been coming over in the evenings and eating bugs by the lights.  He runs around and plays…..Well Rich said the other nite he through a stick at him to chase him away.  The skunk lifted his tail and ran….Well If I was their, I would have ran tooooooo…….the other way when I seen the tail raise…..lol….If he comes around again, I will get his picture, but it might be from through the window.   lol

In the mornings the black birds come out first and eat the bugs on the ground and road.  They come in flocks and walk the roads looking.  Then the little scissortail birds come out and take over.

Now this is the coolest little moth I’ve  ever seen….He has 2 long antenna and a big thing on his back that makes him look like a unicorn.   He was attached to the sunscreen for ever……..  But here is the cutest little thing it seen out here yet…………

Meet one of my neighbors…..Kathy and her pet “Peaches”  She is a 6 year old Dachshund puppy.   Cute and Loveable as can be…….I will tell you more about the neighbors next time…..Can’t tell you everything NOW………CAN I????

Day One and Two are done and here I sit outside at 7 am. outside. Its 72 degrees and almost feels chilly after having 101 degrees in the late afternoon.  The temp here is at its coolest around 6 and 7 am.  Its the warmest around 5 and 6 in the evening.  The heat stays longer as the sandy ground is so heated up during the day, it takes time to cool.  The landscape here is pure desert….lol….Huge cactus, taller than me.  Course that’s not saying much…lol

Tumbleweed grass and lots and lots of sand.  The cactus is very dense.  Chris our field manager told us to beware of the grass areas.  If you need to venture toward them, look for snakes….and I mean RATTLERS……OH No….Hope I never see one.  Don’t worry about the other bugs….Scorpions, Tarantulas, they stay away from activity and people…..Thank Goodness.  I made Rich buy steel wool to plug up all the holes going from our hookups.  That would be horrible to find a critter when you opened up a bay door.

On day one, Chris showed up before 6 am. at the Pilot Truck stop just as he said.  He gave us instructions on what would happen and were we were going.  Rich unhooked the pickup as it would be easier to drive separate.  He would have to park in a small area when we got their.  So we took off in the dark, for the 16 mile jaunt to our gate site. We are in a good area.  First we had to go through someone else’s gate to get to ours.

Then on down the horrible road to ours.  We are parked about 50 ft. from another couple.  The gates are side by side, but the oil fields are 2 different property owners.

There was no traffic yet, so Rich started setting up as Chris gave me all the details and went over the log sheets with us.   So easy.  Then Chris moved our generator with the light pole attached over to our rig.  The gasoline tank is behind it as we have to make sure the generator is filled.  Then Rich hooked up the RV and got our electric and AC running.  Later that day the guy came a delivered our 200 gallon septic tank…..So we are all Good…

We also have a water tank hooked up.  He also gave us all the info for getting our license.  We will be getting a Level 2 security license, good for anywhere in the state of Texas……Cool…..It is a manual with an open book test of 50 questions.   Well we got that done yesterday.  Then I registered online for the fingerprinting.  Thank goodness I have internet and my printer.  All necessary items for doing this. Rich will drive 50 miles to Uvalde this Friday for fingerprinting.  I will have to go next week as someone has to stay at the gate.  When all is done Chris will be back and collect everything and we will get our license and a……. PAY RAISE……Yessssss…..Its all about money ya know……

So finally Chris left and some traffic began.  Not much.   We are at a site which is called a rework site.  The well is already functioning but they are going in and drill deeper into the rock and stone level and then decide if they are going to frack.  From what I understand, their can be more oil trapped with in that level or below.  By fracking, they are forcing sand and water into the area to brake it apart and extrude the rest of the oil.  They said this gate could be 4 to 6 weeks but could be longer.  Just a wait and see…….We like the UNKOWN….

This is our well site at a distance.  Its a long lane and then the well which is pumping.  There are storage tanks and a gas burn off stack…But hardly any activity.  Maybe 8 trucks today.  They came with 2 semis with flatbeds and took out a crane and boom.  Also several company trucks came and went.  Day 2 was the same.   At nite nothing.  So I sleep at nite, in bed, and Rich sleeps in his recliner, ready to bolt out the door if a truck comes.  Chris brought sensors that go off.   But nothing…..What a way to make easy money.

So first day we noticed a helicopter in the distance.  It was circling low and I mean really low.  It almost looked like it landed several times.  But it kept making different passes.  It came closer and closer.

Finally it was over us.  Then the Border Patrol trucks started coming.  several went down the other roads.  Some were just SUVS and some had enclosed boxes in the back.

Then came Border Patrol Truck pulling a horse trailor.  They went down several roads and then the neighbors road and then finally our road.  Chris said, when they come, just let them do what they want.   So sure, we just watched the show.  I guess they seen some illegals but they didn’t catch them.  They ended up on some other property.  So that went on for over 4 hours.  ….. First day fun……lol…

After that we just watched the birds.  They are cute little things.  They sit on the fence across from us and look for bugs to eat. When they fly, their tail feathers separate into a V.

Here they are just starring at us…..lol…..You can just imagine what they are thinking……lol….Finally Rich put up our sunscreen on day 2…..Now the crickets climb up the screen.  They birds fly and catch them to eat.

The funny part is when the cricket is on the inside and the bird is on the outside…..haha…they are confused…..You can see the forked tail.   lol.

So far this is our entertainment.  Here is our guardsite all set up.

A view from down the road toward our gate and the neighbors.

This is our sign at the gate…..We are employed by Capital Wells Service

…….So my birthday has come………and gone……….I’m now a legal RETIRED person…..living off all your taxes….lol…and thanks for providing me with health care too…..Obama Care Sucks…..Tina usually buys and delivers flowers to work……lol….Not This Year???……Why Not…….FTD By Air Drop??…..Oh Well, I quess Ill just enjoy the Cactus….lol… Who would have ever thought I’d have my 65th birthday in the desert oil fields of Texas……lol…

The nites have already shown us some beautiful sunsets,

But my favorite is this site……..Our Neighbors Flag Pole next to their tower light

….”.WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SITE”……

Yesterday we had done all our shopping to get prepared, but I still needed to get a haircut.  It was driving me crazy.  We left the motor home in the truck stop and went to Campers World and did some shopping.  Then on to Walmart.  Rich dropped me off and he continued to Lowes.  They don’t have just a trim at Walmart, you must pay for shampoo, conditioner and massage of the head whether you get it or not.  The girl was pretty good and it cost $15.50 plus tip.  Rich picked me up and back to the RV we went.  We left New Braunfels and headed south for Carrizo Springs.  It was a 3 hour ride.  We filled up with diesel before we left @ $2.11 a gallon.  What a steal.  Last year when we left, we filled in Illinois, @ 3.69 a gallon.  Such a difference.  The farther south we went, the more desolate it got.  We arrived and drove through town and parked at the Pilot Truck Stop…..Its really a nice size town.  The temperature was 98 degrees when we arrived.

Finally Chris the field manager called.  He said change of plans………..we were being delayed by 24 hours, so not till Wed…………grrrrrrr….that means we sit here using our own diesel to run the generator.   But what can you do…….Then the phone rings again……….Chris again…..He apologized but they changed their mind again….lol…We were back on for tomorrow morning…..So we decided to prepare……

When Rich was at Lowes, he bought Reflective Insulated Foil…..48″ x 25’…..He cut it to fit the windows.  By putting this on all the windows, it really helps with keeping the interior cool.  We have found many of the gate guarders do this.  Sitting in the dessert like we are going to do with 100 degree heat, you need a nice cool dark home to crawl into at the end of your shift…..lol….So now here we sit, so far I have a decent phone signal, and internet.  Hopefully I will still have it at the gate.  Rich tried the tv antenna, and NO TV CHANNELS came in…..We have On the Go Dish, but never had it hooked up.  We tried one time but we were to illiterate to figure it out.  So I don’t know what Rich will do?  I guess watch the same DVDS for the next month or so…..lol…..I can read or do lots of things for entertainment.  Tomorrow morning Chris will come and take us 16 miles to our gate…….Hopefully its not all gravel roads driving their, and hopefully its not at the ends of the earth…lol….

It has been about a year since I started this blog.  I have been very happy with the response I have gotten from family friends and even strangers.  I have quite a following now on my site.  It has accomplished everything I had hoped.  It has been informative to everyone of what we were doing.  I have also included some family facts and history.  It has just been full of fun stories.   So last spring, I started to think.  I have written all of this, but what happens when I quite paying for my domain address.  Everything would go away.  I started researching and found a company that prints blogs.  The name is Blog2Print.  You sign your blog account on to their website.  You have a choice of covers, and setting the format and a few other things.  You set your range of dates for your book and “Magic”………..In a half hour, you can format your book and check it out on line.  Then order and it is sent to you in less that 2 weeks.

I have now printed 2 books……….This is the first Vol 1     Aug 2015 – Dec 2014………..144 pages

This is the second I just received………Vol 2      Jan 1 – June 2015………..194 pages

This is what the interior looks like.  It is printed just as the blogs are written.  I was so thrilled to have this done, cause now all these stories will live on.  I intend to print these books every 6 months.  Someday the kids or grandkids will sit back and read them again and I think they will enjoy them more and more with time.

So at the end of the day, Kitty is still sleeping on the floor.  He has really adapted to this style of living.  He is so comfortable.  I think the motor rocks him to sleep like a baby.  What more could a cat want.   Food and Fresh water all the time, treats everytime he asks, nice cool air to sleep in.  Potty close by, and he sleeps in a nice soft King size bed by his Dad at nite…………….

Why is that……I’m the one that feeds Him……..

Now I bet you are wondering what I mean….For the SECOND TIME….lol….Last Tue. was Aug. 18 and the date we had decided to leave.  I will tell you later and leave you in suspense for now….

This summer has been a very strange one.  We didn’t sell the house after all, so we started living in it when we returned last May.  The kitchen filled up with dishes and things.  Clothes came back in, and then …………Tammy decided to move in and leave Spring Valley.  Of course we all thought that would be a good idea.  The kids would change schools and go to Putnam County School system.  Cassidy was really happy, which surprised me.  Even Cameron decided to go to Putnam Co. High.  Tammy immediately looked for a new job closer and with in days she found a new job at Lacon Nursing Home.  She also found a wonderful sitter for Carly. It all happened really fast.  So that meant we had to move our stuff back out.  So as Tammy moved in…………we moved out………but the one good thing, we didn’t have to move all of it.  So now she is the KEEPER OF THE LEFT OVERS…..lol….ITS CALLED COLLECTIBLES…….STUFF…..So finally about 3 weeks ago, we were back to living in the MH.  It was really so nice to move back in……”Cozy”…..  Kitty even is happy.  Look, he was watching Batman on the dash…..lol….

The last days Rich had lots to do.  He has motorcycles that he wanted to take out to Scotts.  His custom chopper that he built in 2011,which is his Pride and Joy and a 1979 FLH Harley.

His other Harley, 1970 Sporster,  would be staying in the basement for now.  You just don’t want a Harley in the house with a 3 year old.   Not a good combination.  Rich and Cameron took the bikes to Scotts.   Cameron had never ridden them before, but grandpa asked and he was sure HAPPY to help out…..Of Course…What Teenage boy wouldn’t want to ride a Harley.

So the 2 of them, rode out of the driveway and out to Scotts which is about 4 or 5 miles.  So now they are safe and sound.  School also started last week.  Miley is in 1st grade and Austin is in 4 year old preschool.

They were all excited to go.  And of course Dexter has to be in all pictures…..I swear he poses for them.  Cassidy started 6 th grade and Cameron is a Junior.  Both came home with Chrome books.  We were all rather impressed.  Its a nice small computer with a super bag.  The computer is installed in the case, and you don’t take it out to use it.  Just unzip.  Very nice set up.  How things have changed.  All homework and assignments are now done on computer.  Homework is Emailed.  Finally the day came,……. Last Tue. …

.Rich had worked on the back brakes during the summer.  Had the wheels of and did all the repairs.  So in getting ready to leave, he did his pretrip on the MH.  Filled all the fluids………That morning we did our final packing.  Said our good byes……Tammy and the kids waited while we drove out the drive and around the block past the house.  She was heading to town after we left.

We stopped in front and the kids ran up and came inside to give grandpa one last hug.  Then we all waved and drove up the street.

We were traveling along about half an hour and started to smell something burning.  Of course we were in construction so had to drive several miles to an off ramp.  I really thought the truck brakes had locked up because we hadn’t put it in neutral.  But here the front brake on the MH on the drivers side wasn’t releasing and had actually started on fire.  Wow.  Rich turned around and went back towards home. …….  What did I do?…….   I got the fire extinguisher out, and held it all the way home.   lol…

Now in the meantime…..Tammy had posted all those pictures she took of us leaving on Facebook.   All you wonderful people were liking the post and wishing us well, and here we are back in the drive way, looking like this…..

Now even Tammy was gone as she had went to town.   Rich took off the tires and the brakes after it cooled down.  He knew he had to buy new brakes as they were fried and calipers.  Next it was figuring out why they wouldn’t release……His good buddy Bob went trough everything and checked…..Nothing wrong…..Next day….More thinking overnite….Our good neighbor Ryan comes over and helps….still nothing really….a trip to Princeton is now in order to talk to a mechanic shop that works on this type of equipment….ideas, but still nothing concrete…..well after some more thinking over nite….another coffee shop discussion uptown, it was figured out.   Rich did his pretrip and filled all liquids…..EVEN BRAKE FLUID…..Your NOT suppose to do that.   It needs room inside for when you push the brake, the pistons move.  His brakes had locked up and couldn’t release.   DUHHHHHHH……….So last Thur……WE LEFT AGAIN……..lol…..

But the blessing in disguise was we really needed 2 new tires on the front.  Tina says that things always happen for a reason.  I’m sure the reason was,….we needed new tires…..So a new set of brakes and calipers and 2 new tires later, we were good to go…..

Our first stop was Branson.

Checked in to a really nice campground.  They take many discounts.  Passport America is great.  Our cost $23 a nite for full hookups…..48 channels on cable and free wifi…..Great Deal….

Extremely clean, with large modern restrooms, showers and Laundromat.  Great Pool and shaded lots…..Not far from the strip…..I highly recommend it.

Right after we got all settled we received a call.  Our plans have been, for the last year, to try gate guarding in the oil fields.  I had contacted a company this summer and we filled out the paper work.  We were expecting to arrive south of San Antonio later next week.  So now they have a gate for us already for Monday………OHHHH NO….Its Friday afternoon and they want us over a thousand miles away by Monday?…..I just payed for 2 nites……What to do……lol…..We told them we would be their early Tue morning….So we packed up the next morning and left for Texas.   Now when anyone asks……Who did you see in Branson…..I will say ……………..NOBODY…………Silly isn’t it….lol..

So here we are on Sunday in New Braunfels Texas……We are about 3 hours away.  We visited our niece Misty, and husband Mark and kids today.   We spent Thanksgiving with them last year here at Golden Corral….lol…Today we went to Walmart and stocked up all the things we will need.

For those of you who don’t know what this is I will explain it.  In the oil fields, the companys want a guard at the gates entering the wells they are drilling in or fracking.  The guard is responsible to log  the liscence plate and names of all who enter or exit the gate.  You are required to have an RV to live in.  They supply a generator for power, a water tank for water, and a tank to dump waste from your RV tanks.  Everything you need to live except food.  In return you and your spouse are covering this gate 24 hours a day.  So we have to work out sifts.  One needs to sleep too……lol…….And the best part is…………You get paid a fabulous wage for this service…….Gotta give this a try……

Now the kinda scary part is where this gate is……….Carrizo Springs Texas…..In looking at the map….It is just north of Larado…..a very desolate area, not that far from the border…..So are we the Guniea Pigs?…..lol….Does nobody else want it?……Maybe this is initiation…..Along with maybe………. rattlers,…… tarantellas, ……and maybe even some illegals ……Hahaha…..Time will Tell…….

STAY TUNED……….Tomorrow we head to our new Job………”GATE GUARDING IN SOUTHERN TEXAS”..………..Its only going to be 100 degrees all week……lol…..

Here in this little town of McNabb, Pop. around 350, give or take,  lol,  their is one little bar on the corner.  When we first moved here in 1978, it was called “Bob and Lorene’s”.   This building is probably one of the oldest buildings in town.  They have traced it back to the early 1920,s.  It was a bank, hardware store, many many different business were operated through the years.  Soon after we moved to town, Bob and Lorene sold it to Kathy.  It’s name then changed to “Kathy’s”.  All these years it has been operating with Kathy at the helm.  The favorite place for all the locals and the farmers to go and get a beer, or at lunch time, she would have a daily special and sandwiches on the grill.  You could even play a little pool. A few years after Kathy bought the bar, she married Bob Mekely.   Bob worked for the Village for many years part time as a maintenance man.  But it was really fulltime as the job really consumed him.  He mowed the grass in the park, and drove the snow plow truck in the winter.  Many a morning he would be out before 5 to plow the city streets so we could all make it to work.  Several years ago, the city installed the new sewer system.  Bob was not only responsible for the pump house, which meant stopping in twice a day, checking for leaks and taking water samples, but now also for the new sewer system.  He worked 7 days a week and sometimes, during the night.  His phone was hooked to the alarm system at the pump house.  Several winters back, Bob had a Heart Attack.  He passed away instantly as he was driving the snow plow early one morning.  He glided into a yard and left this world behind the wheel.  So sad.  He has been so missed, not only as the bar owner, but also as the town maintenance.  It has taken 3 men to replace him.  So Kathy was left alone to run the bar.  A year ago Kathy started talking about selling.  Several people were interested and so was Scott.  Finally this year the deal was done.

Scott and Brandy bought Kathy’s bar and apartment renaming it    “ONE PAW’Z PUB”   They officially took over April 1 2015.  Scott has been so excited.  Him and Brandy are changing the bar from a sleepy little bar to a bar that not only the town will enjoy but also a Biker Bar.  A place to stop on Poker Runs, or just a nice stop on your bike on a beautiful day.

They are keeping weekday noon lunch’s with Brandy being the friendly cook and bartender, but adding entertainment maybe once a month and very soon Karaoke.  Scott built a stage and also built some new tables.  He built these awesome new tables in their basement at home.  He found a Putnam County historical book and cut out articles and pictures of town.

He layed them out on one of the tables and coated the tables in the heavy plastic.  So so cool.   He did other tables also with different themes…..Some more biker and some….well not so nice….lol….Meant for the ” Adult ” crowd.  lol.

The finished look.  He also added 2 more TVs on the back wall, a new digital jukebox and electronic darts.  Then he ordered his new sign……

Now everyone knows Scottie.   NOBODY lets him on a ladder.   lol.   He is accident prone.   So his friends Ben, John and others climbed on the ladders and installed the new sign.  Now we all also know that Scottie does things in a “BIG” way.   lol.

He has painted his box on his truck with his new logo…..” ONE PAW’Z PUB”…….

Several weeks ago, they held their OPEN HOUSE on a Saturday nite.   It was a fun evening.  He brought his truck to town and extended the box up and parked by the tracks and hung a white flag on it to attract Attention….lol…Brandy hired a band that they had play for her birthday party last year, and it was a great success.

Many of the local town people came.  Even many of the business people.  They have had almost the total support of the village.  It was grand seeing everyone having fun, all the way up to closing time.   It was a Party evening.

Kathy came for awhile, she enjoyed it, but soon retreated to her new house several blocks away…..Her new life of peace and quite….lol….no more drinkers and partiers….

Now their new plans are to bring in Gaming Machines.   He is tearing out the Kathy’s apartment next door and opening it up to the bar.  It is quit a process, to get the Gaming machines.  The state has many rules on the placement of the machines as well as the paper work itself.  So they are hoping it will be done by the end of the year or sooner.  Gaming machines are big business these days.  They bring in a nice little tidy sum of money to the owner.  Most of the work is being done by Scotts good friend Ben.   They have been friends since kindergarten. Here they are at Scotts Birthday Party.  We went to Peoria, and this cabin was at the Zoo park area.  These were all neighbor kids.  Scott, Ben and his sister, Mindy, Cortney…..

It is so cool to see these kids who started out so so small.  They have grown into such productive adults and family men.  Ben and his wife Tracy have just had a new baby this year.  He also has a step daughter that is a “new” teenager…..lol…almost drivers license time…lol…..Ben is now a carpenter by trade.  He learned it from his father.  So so talented.  Its amazing, as their was a time that we all worried that both these boys lives were on the way to DOOM and GLOOM…..and look at them now.  Both WELL RESPECTED in the community.

So if your ever in the area of McNabb……that would be in Illinois….lol….COME ON BY….Stop and have a Drink.  Play a little Pool.  So if your standing at his corner….look in all 4 directions….If you see cornfields all Directions….Your in the Right Place….lol..

………..“ONE PAW’Z PUB”……….

Brandy is usually their…..Its her 2nd home now…lol…Scott is usually their most evenings when he is done with his day job….”Trucking”….During the week, if your their around noon, you can stop and have their daily special or a sandwich…..Tell them Scotts Mom and Dad sent you….lol..

Never the less….Its just a good place to just Stop, …….Have a Cold One,…… Meet Brandy, The Best Bartender in Town, ……..Visit with the Town Folk….. Farmers during the Day…..Partiers at Nite……Have a Few Laughs…..lol…

I Bet You Can Catch a Little Gossip TOOooooo…..

Last Monday was Mileys Kindergarten Graduation.  Wow .  Where have the years gone.   First Grade, here we come…….We met at Tina’s at 12;15 and went over to the school together.  Tina, Ed, and Austin, Aunt Beth, Rich and I and Gino.  Miley attends Kindergarten at the Granville Primary School, and the Graduation was held across the street in the Auditorium at the High School.  As we parked the cars, all the little Graduates were walking across the street to the High School.  I don’t think I have been in this school since Scott Graduated, back in 2001.  Well nothing really changed.  It still looks the same, just new faces.

Austin and Dad, waiting for Graduation to begin

We found our seats in the auditorium as many more parents and grandparents came filing in.  As I sat their, I remembered the days when Tammy and Tina were going to school here.  Tammy helped and attended lots of the Theater Productions here and spent many hours in this Auditorium.  Scott also graduated Kindergarten on this same stage.  Finally it began, all the little kids filed out onto the stage.

Some were shy, some were looking for their parents, some were just waving wildly at everyone.  They were so excited.  Kindergarten was comprised of 3 class’s.  They sang some really cute songs, some with alphabet letters, ….The last one was “The Eye of the Tiger”.   They were so into it….GREAT JOB…The time came for the presentation of the Diplomas.

Each teacher handed out her own.  Each child had answered the question….What do you want to do when you grow up……So Miley was introduced as the “Future Tumbling Coach”…lol…. some were so cute…..There were teachers, doctors, hairdressers, and moms….even a future robot…..lol…but one of the cutest was, ……”A fixer of anything broken”…..lol…Finally it was over.  The kids met up with us out in the lobby.

Austin gave Miley a Pink and Red Rose.  I gave her a yellow rose and balloon.   She started getting really shy and didn’t want her picture taken, but finally success…..lol…..

We took her picture with her teacher, Mrs. Serafini, and with her favorite friend Paige.  Finally we left the school and headed into Spring Valley.  Tina had left a cake and balloons at the Gold Mine Restaurant, where Connie works.  So we had a little party.

Everyone came, and eat dinner. Miley got new birthstone earrings from her mom and dad.   So Ed put them in.  …lol…Finally it was time to leave.

Here is some more cute photos of Miley, Mom, Dad, Austin, and of course we must not forget DEXTER…lol…

Tonight is the last nite before Gino goes home…..We have done so many things that I have not even touched on.

We went to Galesburg to see our other brother  (my full brother).

Went back to Springdale Cemetery in Peoria.  We spent 2 more hours their…lol….Love that Cemetery…

Went down to Magnolia and found old Cumberland Cemetery and I showed Gino, our dads old fishing area at the Big Sandy Creek, right near the Cemetery.

This is such a beautiful secluded spot……Great spot for partying and parking….lol….lol…How would I know?…..We did so many things while Gino was here, many things i’ve never mentioned …….and lots of stuff left for next year….So train leaves tomorrow…..

Guess Who else is going…….

“ME………For a Week……lol….Another Vacation…..Wow….