Dirt and Dust

Its hot here or has been in the Santa Rosa area, about 2 hrs east of Albaquerque. Of course today we're not doing much. I'm not sure whats going on currently, like there is a code of secrecy but I know whats happened the last few days. We got out to the site north of Cuervo(means "crow"), NM in the red dirt, cactus and warm wind and started drilling. The first 30 feet we drilled was so messy. Dirt flying everywhere. Everything on me had a red dirt tint. We dug the first 30 feet to put the casing pipe in then we could begin to use pressure to blow out the dirt deeper in the ground with water and 350 pounds per sq inch of air pressure. We got to about 500 feet and the bit got plugged so we pulled all the drill pipe and cleaned the bit. The ground is hard here so its moving a bit slowly...even more slowly when I'm sitting at the computer updating this and not working. Overall I've found the first drilling interesting. You have to watch yourself and others at all times but it is interesting work.
Today...umm...well I guess we might not be working. I really don't know. Thats the code of secrecy I was talking about. Don't know why or when or if. Ask my boss you say...well I would but I don't know where he is/was. So for now I guess we may not be working today and I don't think we will work on Sunday. According to the little bit of nothing that I know I could very well be completely wrong. HA! So for now I'm not getting dirty but am collecting dust sitting around. I'm sure we'll find something just not sure what. Maybe we can run to Albaquerque?
I have really enjoyed working with Alberto and Tavo. They are fun guys. Both in their mid-upper thirties and are from Mexico. Tavo is single with a daughter(lives with mother) ad Alberto is married and has a couple kids. Tavo doesn't speak much english but still manages to make me laugh no less than Alberto. They're characters. They're good guys. Fun to work with.
We talk about languages...I'm currently teaching Alberto a little swahili and he teaches me spanish. Tavo is always saying "Don Chakaron"...ALWAYS! He sometimes is like a parrot...Don Chakaron...Don Chakaron...It never fails to make me laugh. I wish I could explain the story behind Don Chakaron.
We talk about imigration, Africa, where they are from in Mexico, food, what we don't know about work, our plans for the near future(2 or 3yrs), family, some about beliefs, weather, sports with Tavo, and you know a little this and that. Good times. I really hope to continue to get to know them better. Tavo is a good cook I guess and maybe soemtime next week he offered to cook when we get back to Pinedale. Sounds like a good time.
Well gotta run...boss just showed up.
Until Dukey Drops Again......Much Love........

Rough landing

We arrived in Santa Rosa, NM tonight around 8pm(MDT). It was a interesting trip. We took the company plane from Pinedale, WY on a stormy cloudy day and flew to Hanksville, UT to pick up one of our guys. The Hanksville airport is something out of a crazy murder movie. Its desert. Hot. Desolate. There is one plane off to the side of the long wide scorching hot black top runway. No buildings but an old adobe outhouse and some antennas for air traffic. I was told half the lights on the runway don't work at night. I don't know just sounded like a murder plot where no one would hear you scream or find the body. Ha!
I rode co-pilot on the 10 passenger plane to Hanksville but gave up my seat after the turbulence and activity of the small plane had me using the barf bag. Just for good measure I had to do it again a few minutes after we got off the ground from Hanksville. Not my idea of a good trip but thank God we made safely.
After a quick stop in Farmington, NM for fuel we landed in Santa Rosa. Tomorrow we go out to the drill site and get to work.
Until Dukey Drops Again....Much Love......

Vamanos...to NM

Well about 11am this morning(not long ago) I got a call and I'm to meet at the Pinedale airport at 2pm. It looks like that quick I'm headed to New Mexico for work. Where? I have no clue. New Mexico I guess. =) I've been working here for about a 10 or 12 days and minimal information seems to be the norm. Its nuts. How long? Maybe a week...but honestly don't know. I hear its hot down there. Its been warm here but not hot. Maybe 85ish...betting 100 is more like it down there.
Last night I got to my place at 12:30am...after midnight. We put in 17hrs I think. I went with some guys and we drilled a hole not too far from where I live...on an area called Warbonnet. Anyway that was interesting. A virgin drilling experience. I still don't have a clue REALLY of whats going on but I'll catch on. I spent the majority of the time moving dirt with the Backhoe/Forklift/Tractor away from the drilling rig we were using called the Rat-hole.
I'd better go pack....I'll update my War, Solitude, Pink post later...I obviously didn't finish it.

Until Dukey Drops Again...........Much Love.....

War, Solitude and Pink

I'll deal with the first topic...War. I've officially declared war on my own household and the mice that are attempting to occupy it. I noticed there was a problem...well knew there was but noticed the degree of the problem one evening when I got out of the shower and there was a mouse running across the floor toward the small hole in the wall behind the toilet. I bought some mouse traps and in 36 hours I have now caught 6 mice in the traps designed just for them. I caught 4 the first night alone. Sorry I have no pics of the slain and fallen mice. I'm not fond of the diseased little critters that the deaf cat who supposedly knows sign language is failing to catch and consume.
Pink: For those who enjoy the color pink there have been several pink sunsets lately. One of them pictured here where the mountains were turned pink due to the sunset being reflected off the snow and the storm hanging over. Made a really pretty sunset even for a non-pink fan. =) Here is also another sunset pic that I took recent that was rather colorful. The water from the river running high because of melting snow make for a nice mirror. Just enjoying and sharing the beautiful creation.
Solitude: Something I have much of right now and I find it can be peaceful, relaxing, refreshing, lonely at times, beautiful and reflective. I've enjoyed some very nice bike rides out here. Out here with the Pronghorn Antelope and cattle. Well lets not for get the mice. But their not really in that refreshing and tranquil category. The thing I like about solitude is often times you can find yourself looking around and the bigness of God and creation. It can be stunning and overwhelming yet energizing and brilliant. I drove northwest of Pinedale the other day and got to see the Wind River Mountains up close. Majestic solitude. I wish I had my camera. Silver and blue mountain lakes and snow covered peaks mixed with fresh greens of spring busting out of the ground and covering the aspens with color.
Well I must go...
Until Dukey Drops Again........Much Love......

Settling In & Exploring

So I'm working on getting situated here in Wyoming. I thought I would be living in or very near Pinedale but it turns out I'm about 30min south in this sweet little place. Its about 15-20min from the tiny town of Boulder, WY. Its great. Its a bunkhouse kinda place but its just me living in it. As you can see its a cabin style kind of set up...like I'm waiting for the guys to come over and hang out before we go fishing or camping only its where I'll be living.
Actually on the end that you cannot see there is a little saloon...seriously...its hilarious. Its called the Lost Dog Saloon. I'll give you a chance to see what you're missing out on.
Its not far from the Wind River Mountians. I am looking forward to doing some hiking in the Wind Rivers this summer. Its very likely my camera will document as much of the mountians as I can. I am really ready to go out tomorrow and get after it. I mean after all thats why I came up here...to play and do it well...ok maybe not.

From my porch I have a pretty good view of the mountians although I sit in the valley a bit(phone sevice is absent at my place...have to walk up the hill) because I'm right next to the Boulder River. Right next to as in a few minutes down the road.
















It provides some nice scenery also and I hear its fishable so I'll be sure to test that out and see whether its true or not. When I was taking these pics I did see a beaver cruisin' around in the river slappin' his tail on the surface of the river. Apparently he was having a good time of which I can appreciate.

The scenery is amazing. The place is a blessing to get to see this gorgeous creation. I know its early but wow I'm looking around thinking God this is awesome. What an undeserving blessing to get to enjoy such beauty each day! The place I'm staying is great. I'm excited.

In my front yard there are both cattle just across the cattle guard and also pronghorn antelope. I've heard there's been moose very near so we'll see who comes to visit.

Lets not forget Sadie the cow dog. She's great. Real on the chill. Nice dog. Not one of those dogs that follow you around and you can't escape them jumping on you, barking at you or rolling around at your feet so you can trip. Today I was calling her poop dog though because some how she had manure all over her. She seemed to not care much though. I guess it was like some good hair gel or something...

Liz, the lady who lives in the main house on the ranch property, is a riot! One of the more entertaining people I've ever met. When I first met her she gave me a hug and promptly told me that if the shade is pulled on the window across the way I should not peek in the window or I might be traumatized for life as she likes to relax is the big spa tub and watch TV that is directly on the other side of the shade. She told stories of selling poop(cow poop) on Ebay, how she looks forward to seeing pictures of Africa and a few other crazy things. She should be fun to run into when I am at my place. She is quite a colorful character!

Alan her nephew lives in a 5th wheel RV next to my place...so we're neighbors. He's a nice guy. He's from Arkansas and has a family back there but they didn't want to come up so I guess he's doin his thing here makin' some paper for the fam.

This last week I attended a safety meeting for BP and it appears monday and tuesday I could be doing very similar activites only for Shell and BP again just at a different site. I'll also be working toward getting my CDL in the next several weeks to drive the Semi's and drilling equipment so we'll see how that goes. I also found out that I work 10 days on and 5 off. One 10 day stretch I work noon to midnight and then the next 10 day stretch midnight to noon. I won't likely start doing that until July.


I don't have internet at where I am staying so I don't know how often I will be able to get on here but I will try. You can look me up on Facebook if you'd like...I'll have some pictures there for sure.
Well thats the news for now...


Until Dukey Drops Again.........Much Love.........

Transition Time:Pinedale, WY

A year has gone by at TMP and oddly enough that year is all I will have at TMP. It was not an easy decision but I think the right. There a many things that I don't know about but there are a few I do. Those few I do are the ones I am going with and trusting God for direction.
So I am headed to Pinedale, WY to work for a drilling company. Here are a few pics of Pinedale. More later....Until then.....Much Love....

Happy New Year!

Hey everyone I just wanted to get on here and drop a little note to let you know I AM ALIVE! I know its been a few days since I posted on here but I'm still kickin'.
Happy New Year to everyone! I hope we are all ready for something fresh and new in the coming year.
Above are some sequential pictures from when I took the RA's from TMP (www.tmp-m.org) out to Blackhawk, CO and when went white water rafting. We had a great time getting to hang out before the students started rolling in and filling the dorms. I'm sure you're wondering if anyone fell out of the raft and we actually managed to keep everyone in. Even in the second picture where our raft got a little elevation. We all were piled in the back of the raft but we were all in.
I'm now starting my second semester as the dorm coordinator for the boys dorm which has 42 students(high school) from all over the world. I've learned plenty and know that theres much more to. As I'm sure you've already thought each day is a new challenge and is rarely monotonous. I'm not a fan of the over abundance of paperwork I'll assure you that. That is hands down the worst part of the job. Its great however to have the opportunity to shape the lives of these boys from Nepal, Taiwan, China, Korea, Mexico and the USA. Its also fun to help guide and encourage the 7 RA's that work here. They all have rough days like the rest of us and the few days a week they are on duty they get 40 high school boys to care for. Today they all seem really crazy! I don't know what the deal is...wow!
Well I guess I should get back to work. My goal: 1Cor. 10:13
Until Dukey Drops Again............Much Love......

Ever wonder why?

Sometimes you hit a spot along the road and you find yourself sounding like Paul. You're askin' Why do I do what I do when I know what I shouldn't do? Its so stupid. Its honest but stupid. Why is it that we do what we know we shouldn't do? That thought is spellbinding. The struggle can be seemingly paralyzing sometimes. Why when we know what to do and what we should do yet we do something totally against that. When you find yourself at this spot you wonder can I do what I am supposed to do? You will win a few small skirmishes and you get bumrushed and lose a battle. It frustrating. Its true. We're not stupid people. We just sometimes forget who we are in Christ and what we are against and allow ourselves to make choices that don't benefit us physically, spiritually or emotionally.

Maybe we become apathetic? Maybe we are scarred of the pain?

Maybe we are scared to look at ourselves in the mirror objectively and see the real, the dirt and the stains?

Maybe we think that we, on our own, can do it. We don't want to admit that we're not selfsufficient despite our desire to be. I know I don't want to be dependent. That says I'm weak...not strong, right. I'm capable. So I'm told to believe. But that only gets you so far.
I'm a survivor I tell myself. I will come out on top. I will not be dominated. I will not let a situation dictate my attitude and outlook. I refuse to.
I've been in some situations where my own and/or a persons life was possibly in question and there was a team of us. We were a mess. I wasn't going to be a mess. I couldn't. Maybe theres times to be that way and then theres times where its not so good when you're almost like pretending its going to change on its own when you wake up tomorrow. Maybe its a male pride thing. I don't know.

Sometimes it may not even be the case of doing something wrong but not doing as it has been asked of you. Its like when you were little and your parents told you to after you get home from school you need to have your room cleaned,vacuumed and dusted before they get home from work. Well what do you do but you get home from school and think I have plenty of time so you go play some streetball with some buddies. Before you know it is 5:30 and mom gets home at 6. So you race home and run to your room, grab a shovel and start throwing things under your bed and slopping things into your closet. Mom walks in and you think my room is clean just as she asked. Maybe not the way she had in mind but nonetheless its clean. Its kind of like in Deuteronomy 2:24-37 where God instructs clearly the plan of action. Even though the course of action is clear a path of lesser resistance is chosen(v.25-29). They say please be nice to us and we will buy food from you if you allow us to pass through. Verse 24-25 says go engage these people in battle God has given their land into your hands. God has begun to put the terror and fear of you in them. Not that its in opposition of God's will but its just not direct obedience that was instructed. God says I will deliver so now get steppin'. Their actions are in the general direction of what God's will is for them but not in complete and total obedience. How often do we do that? We say(whether in words or actions), "I know God that you told me this but that sounds too hard or crazy so I'll go this direction...still in the direction of your will just not 100% they way you told me to do it." My room will be looking clean just as you told me but not the way that you told me to do it.
We will never know what God has intended for us if we are not able to know him and follow him.

Until Dukey Drops Again....Much Love........