TIMEKEEPER'S GATE GUARD : The End. Follow Up and Closing Thoughts

Well this gig (job) is over and we had to pack up and leave. It is with mixed emotions that we do so. It has been really slow the last several weeks. We have been waiting for "fracturing" a process of clearing the line in preparation for "production." (getting the gas to flow). We had been told the company is behind in fracturing wells, due to lots of factors - money, lots of wells, weather (Alex) left a lot of mud and soggy ground. We never could get a straight answer - but most seem to think it would be 3-5 more weeks before fracturing occurred. So they decided to close all the gates (5 in total on this ranch).

Leaving Fasken Ranch and our gate

Bad part about it is that we had less than 24 hours notice. After sitting here since April 5, we had a lot to do to pack. Cleaning the dirt and organizing was the biggest. We also could not leave until the field manager picked up the generator, water tank and our time sheets. No idea when he would come. Once that was picked up we needed to leave within several hours

Our Gate: Goodbye.

Sage Bush In Bloom Outside our front door.

Well lots of people have asked a lot of questions about this job and the company. I will try to answer as factual and honest as I can. Of course, this is my opinion and observation and every one has a right to that and everyone will be different.

How did you get this job?

Answer: We are members of "Workampers.com". This quote is taken directly from their introduction page of www.workampers.com : "Workampers are adventurous individuals,couples and families who have chosen a wonderful lifestyle that combines ANY kind of part-time or full-time work with RV camping. If you work as an employee, operate a business, or donate your time as a volunteer, and you sleep in an RV (or on site housing), you are a Workamper!"

We review the daily listing of workamper jobs available and decide what we want to do. This is the first year we have worked for pay. This job came up on that list.

Why did you pick this job?

        Answer: Why not. Timekeeper's had been advertising for sometime and the pay seemed great. It      sounded interesting and we had not done it before.

What do you do?

      Answer: Our main and primary responsibility is to man the gate we are assigned to 24/7. We sign anyone who passes thru that gate in/out. Even the ranch foreman and manager signed in and out. It gives an accounting of who has come and gone. The gates are on ranches that an oil/gas company has to construct a rig for purposes of drilling and producing oil/gas. This includes all workers, vendors, and suppliers. They come 24 hours a day. There are breaks that no one comes. I generally worked during the night ( I could sleep as long as I respond quickly to the alarm at the gate and was there to open and close it) Art then did the day shift. If it was too busy I slept some during the day. We could do anything we wanted during the down time but someone had to be at the motor home all the time. Which meant only one of us could go to town. General we took turns. I mainly went into town with another one of the women at another gate.

Pros:

1. Great Pay
2. Timely Deposit
3. No daily schedule to adhere to
4. No boss to answer to
5. The crews become friends
6. Lots of wildlife and wild flowers
7. I learned a lot about gas drilling

Cons:

1.  Poor support for gate guards from management
2. Improper size equipment for larger motor homes. Generators can not handle 2 Ac's
3. Too far apart delivery of water and fuel for generator. Delivery only every 10 days. Septic dump every 2 weeks. That is a stretch for just about everyone.
4. Poor communication from management.
5. This company is mainly an "on call" company. They never know when or how many gate guards they will need. When they do, you only have a day or to get to the job site. So if you not in the immediate area, you generally can not accept.
6. Not able to determine how long a job will last. This is not really their fault since the drilling company does not communicate it to them. However, it seems to me that if there was communication from Timekeeper's to the drilling company that could change.

In my opinion, what will kill this company is the poor equipment and stingy attitudes of the company. I will let it go a that. Many morning we woke up and looked in the mirror and said three times - "This is a job, not a career." :)

Final Question: Would we do it again? Hm mm - Jury still out on that. This is our 3rd year workamping but it is our first year and this was our first job to do it for pay. We are doing another job this fall for pay and we will have to do some comparison before I answer that. We usually like to move on. Been there - done that is our motto. There is so much to try and see and do it seems a shame to do something more than once. But many people do

So long for now - headed to St Louis for Dr appts, and to clean out our locker. Yeah and get rid of that headache and payment. Then onward to Amazon for the fall.

While we were here we decided to try to make Prickly Pear Jelly. The plant is in full bloom and the ranch maner and owner said we could pick them. I asked Art to pick me a couple of pounds and he got carried away.

We then burned off the thorns

We then used my pressure cooker on the gas grill and continued to make jelly the regular way. Turned out pretty well. I can now say that I have made Prickly Pear Jelly from scratch. Not again. Been there done that!