Ed and Lyn "The Sojourners": December 2014

We are back to gate guarding in Texas. We are planning on doing this until April. But our plans are always subject to change. Last year, because of electrical problems we quit on Christmas day. Our goal is to save for solar, pay off Jeep repairs, pay down the motor home and put some in savings. That is a long list, thus the reason for staying so long. This will be the longest period we have worked.

We came back to the same company we worked for last year. I called them on Friday, Oct. 3rd and they had a gate for us on Monday, Oct 6th. That was fast. We were planning on taking it easy for a week and doing some shuffleboard. Well, that didn't happen. But you can't turn down a job when it's available, because you don't know how soon another one will be offered. So here we are doing our thing.

We have been on 3 gates since than. The first one lasted 3 weeks, second one lasted 3 weeks, and here we are at our third one, which has been about 3 weeks. We did have 1 1/2 weeks off between the last 2 gates. It was nice to have the break. Before we have always thought, we are here to make money and we don't want any time off. But, the break makes the time on site easier. Especially since we plan on working all winter. So now we are looking forward to another break.

Our 1st site didn't have very much room to pull off, Ed got over
a little too far and we sank in the mud. After much praying, and some worrying,
we hooked up to the Jeep and I pulled while he backed up and we were
able to get the motor home out. Some of these sites don't give
you much room.

At our 2nd site we had a little more room, but than we had about 3 days of
rain, and we had a mess. We had about 5 days of dry weather before
we left so things were dry when we pulled out.

We hate the rain, but I know Texas needs it, so I try not to
complain about it.

This is the entry into the site now.

This is looking at it from our side.

So not much happens out here in the "pucker brush". That's what some of the gate guards call this stuff all around us. And sometimes when the trucks come rolling in or out, all you see is dust. When we get done, the motor home will need a good cleaning. I don't even try now because tomorrow everything will be covered in dust again. I do sweep the floor, which Ed says he doesn't know why I even do that. That's a man for you. He also doesn't know why I make the bed.

These are the animals we have encountered while here.

A bird we saw in Walmart. I guess he was shopping

Some of the biggest grasshoppers we have ever seen. Ed even sent
some to friends he was so impressed with them. Their comments
were: His sister said hers smelled, his nephew said the legs fell
off, and a friend said he thought it was a chicken and ate it. If you didn't
get one, don't feel bad, maybe next time.

This guy decided to adopt us. We didn't encourage him
we just wanted him to go home.

He hung out for a few days.

There is a few houses down the road. We were hoping that's where he
was from. After a few days, he left.

My first coyote, I thought it was a dog. He looks pretty well fed.

He was hanging out one morning, messing with our sensor. I
wasn't sure what to do and Ed was sleeping. The sensor kept
going off. When Ed got up the sensor was gone the wire was
chewed in 3 pieces. The bottom of the sensor is about 8 inches
long and metal. Can't believe he took off with it.

2 buzzards hanging out. Ed says "are we getting that old". lol

When they flew away, Ed caught them in flight. I thought it was a
neat picture.

This picture is for our friends Pam and Lacy. Especially Pam, because she thinks Ed should eat healthier. Ed said look at all the fruit I am eating. haha, I know, I know but he doesn't listen to me.