Black Gold, Texas Tea. Oil, that is.

Black Gold. Texas Tea. Oil, that is.

It’s a good thing I’ve become a teetotaler because Texas is full of tea… but it’s black tea. As in oil. My drink of choice happens to be tea made from leaves. But I’d be happy to have a property full of Texas tea. (Unless it’s the Lipton all Texas restaurants serve exclusively – I don’t care for that stuff. Blech.)

What you get from your first barrel of oil from you oil well. Apparently a sought after item. Well, duh!

What you get from your first barrel of oil from your oil well. Apparently a sought after item. Well, duh. You have no idea what I had to do to get this bottle.

A brief (probably inaccurate) education of Texas Black Gold

(followed by lots of pictures for my Playboy-style, pics-only readers)

The Eagle Ford Shale, which runs diagonally through Texas, is one of the highest oil producing formations in the US and possibly the world. It’s also been right under my rear end for most of the time I’ve been in south Texas. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean I get any of the oil and gas royalties.

In case you missed it, a couple years ago I toured a massive oil drilling operation. (Reading that post is not a prerequisite for the following, but any little bit could help. Besides, I look kinda cute in the overalls and hardhat… better than I expected, anyway.)

Most folks new to Texas see a pumpjack (pictures below) and think it’s an oil well drill. Pumpjacks are what oil and gas operators put on the well to pump out the oil after it’s been drilled. Drills for large wells are only there for about three weeks, and then they pull up, moving the whole massive operation by large flatbed trucks to another spot. Gas wells usually have a bunch of pipes instead of a pumpjack.

Texas is lousy with pumpjacks. By design, they’re metal and very industrial-looking and not at all attractive to have in your yard. Some towns, like Luling (pop. 5,400), paint and decorate them. When I first visited Luling (the town with the Watermelon Watertower, and got a terse comment from a resident – too funny!) a couple years ago, the pumpjacks were in serious need of a coat of paint, and not ready for even my lousy blog photos. Since then, someone gave them some love and now they’re looking pretty good. They also got a nice, new mural.

(This concludes the written portion of the brief education of Texas oil. The remainder is in pictures. You’re welcome.)

The new 3D mural: Welcome to Luling!

Oilfield stuff at a small city park: Not a pumpjack. This is a old-style oil well drill.

Old-style drill – up close-ish.

Old-style drill – much closer.

Oilfield stuff at a small city park – I have no idea what this is. Probably not a pumpjack, either.

Old-style cabin, also in the park with the oil stuff. I read the plaque, but don't remember what it said.

Old-style cabin, also in the park with the old-style oil stuff. I read the plaque, but don’t remember what it said. Don’t worry – I took a picture of that, too.

Old-style cabin, different angle, with water well (probably empty). The plaque is next.

Here's the plaque that tells about the cabin. I didn't read it, but got you this photo so you could. I'm thoughtful that way.

Here’s the plaque that tells about the cabin. I didn’t read it, but I got you this photo so you could. I’m thoughtful that way.

And now, the Pumpjacks…

This is a plain, unadorned pumpjack. “Not in my yard!”

Football player pumpjack

Eagle pumpjack

Yellow bath duckies pumpjack

Shamu the Killer Whale pumpjack

Monarch butterfly pumpjack. I love monarchs. This is one of my two favorite pumpjacks.

Cow jumping over the moon pumpjack. Cute. This is the other of my two favorite pumpjacks.

Now you know all I do about Black Gold. Texas tea.

Comments

Black Gold, Texas Tea. Oil, that is. — 4 Comments

Dave B. on January 11, 2015 at 6:17 pm said:

Hi,
I just wanted to leave a quick note to let you know how much I’ve appreciated your blog over the past year or so. I’m getting ready to retire from the military and will hit the road myself this April in an RV I recently purchased. I’ve been doing a ton of research and can’t even begin to count the number of blogs I’ve visited. Your blog is one that has really helped me realize that I’m, indeed, not crazy to want a life that is simple yet exciting and filled with exploration! Or….just crazy enough 🙂

Can’t wait to get out there and see all of those pumpjacks, balls of twine, and all of those other wonderful little finds the world has to offer!

Thanks!
Dave
- Kernut on January 23, 2015 at 4:20 pm said:
  
  Hi Dave!
  
  Welcome to my little corner of the web! Thank you! I hope my ramblings have contributed to your impending departure from the stick-and-brick life in some small way, if not at least been entertaining. Yeah, I think you have to be just a little bit bonkers to choose this lifestyle, but I love it and have no desire to change it!
  
  Do let me know if you’re ever in my neck of the woods!
  
  Safe travels!
  - Dave B. on March 1, 2015 at 12:11 pm said:
    
    Hi…I’ve been catching up on your blog and I’m glad that you are doing well…and hope you have a speedy recovery! Really liked you post on unsolicited advice…went through a tough spot myself recently and had to deal with a very similar situation with one person in particular. While she meant well…
    
    Seven weeks and counting ’till I hit the road…the waiting is the hard part but nothing I can do to speed it up. Will definitely pass through Texas at some point….lucky to have friends in both the Dallas and Austin areas that I’m looking forward to catching up with at some point.
    
    By the way, the new blog format you are using looks great! I’m still trying to figure out how to use WordPress. It is definitely a work in progress. I’ve gotten as far as getting an account…
    Dave
    - Kernut on March 2, 2015 at 2:14 pm said:
      
      Howdy! Woohoo! Only seven weeks!! Don’t know where you’re starting from, but I think you’ll like Texas. I’m not far from Austin, but who knows where I’ll be in a couple months.
      
      Thanks for the feedback on the new blog format! Just switched form an old one I’d had for too long. Needed a change, kinda like rearranging the furniture in the living room.
      
      I use WordPress.ORG (not .com) and run the Weaver II theme with a boatload of plugins. Weaver II is great, but takes a bit of knowledge about programming. Although, I just set someone up on it and she’s been figuring it out pretty well so far. Check out http://MarketingSquirrel.com for some simple beginning blogging tips, and some links to great resources for bloggers.
      
      If you’re single (can’t be married or otherwise attached), check out RV-singles Yahoo group (it’s free). Lots of great folks there, very helpful, and meetup around the country.
      
      Safe travels and enjoy the ride!!