Drill Baby Drill

A lot changed while we were away. And after wading through oceans of laundry, drumming up the determination to start school again, and catching up to life in general.....I can post about it.

While on our way home, we received ominous news from home that the gas people were beginning to start work in our area. Three "gas well pads" (the prepared area of ground that they'll build the well on) had sprung up within 2-5 miles of us, and construction crews were turning our little neck of the woods into a happening place. We couldn't have prepared ourselves for what we found. The paved (albeit shabby) road that our little lane turns off of was completely changed. In an average day, you'd see a car about once every 10 minutes, though sometimes there wouldn't be one for an hour. Now, dump trucks lumber through at the rate of 50 an hour. They are traveling to the gas well sights to prepare the pads with rock and soil. Because of the heavy trucks, the road has been torn to pieces. The pavement literally heaved up underneath their tires, so they've brought in another construction crew, and more dump trucks, and are....turning the paved road into a dirt road. They dump a load of rocks, and then dirt on top of that, and then smooth it with a roller. So now the road is 3/4 dirt. lol....and they've only been at this 2 weeks!! (They'll repave the road at the end of all this though).

Yesterday morning at 7 AM they started in our field. They have backhoes and bulldozers out there, creating a 3 walled palisade of soil. Between them, and the trucks, and construction crew, it sounds like a work sight out there! I mean, okay, fine, it IS a work sight but...you get the point. When I wake up, the first thing I hear are the beeping of them backing up, and the whirring of engines. The first thing I see when I sit up is them out in the field. The mayhem continues until 6:30 or 7 in the evening...of course when they actually put the wells in it'll be 24/7. (or so I hear)

Mom and I (tried) to go for a walk this afternoon, and it was almost impossible. When we weren't jumping over mud puddles, we were jumping out of the way of trucks, and trying to stay balanced on the uneven road. We stopped to talk to the traffic-control-girl, and she said the other traffic lady at the opposite end of the road received a threat yesterday! Some one in a pick-up was like "you gas guys had better get out of here...or else! We people here can hold our own! We don't want you! We don't need you here! We'll stop you!!" Well, first of all, when was the last time my "community" came together on something to hold our own? Uh, uh...never. Second of all, I am very happy about this. My whole family is. In fact, one of our friends and his wife brought pizza up this evening because they are getting a well too, so they were like "lets throw a gas well party!!" Hahahahaha......I know, its silly :) but fun....Thirdly, it is kind of disconcerting (the threat). I mean, what would keep him from pulling a gun on her? Or any of them? Most of the gas people I've had contact with are nice so far. Aside for a few, they drive slow, and will wave as they go by.....

I CAN see where that crazy guy is coming from though. If you aren't getting paid for this, like we eventually will be (hopefully...I still can't believe that they WILL pay us, even though this is happening and its the law that they pay us) then its down right annoying. The noise. The traffic. The destroyed roads. The couple towns around here are packed with traffic and the hubbub. So yeah, I can see where he's coming from. But I hope the people around here won't stoop to cruelty.

I definitely won't though! I've been thinking that I'll march up and down the road with a sign that says "DRILL BABY DRILL!"