I had to go up the top of the grain elevator in Gruver at 7:30 this morning to replace a switch that failed last night. We have five radios up there for wireless internet.

I was going to go up at 10 pm and replace it, but as I was getting ready to go (had my coat, gloves, and wool cap on and a flashlight and a new switch and the pickup keys in my hands), the lights started flickering. I didn't want to be up there all night if the power went out so I waited until dawn.

wear a safety rope

I hated getting on top of our elevator here in Spearman. Its a long ways up there and 10 times colder. Take some rope.

I had to go up again a few minutes ago. It was much colder than this morning.

I know this won't impress you guys, but it was actually 18 degrees here North of Houston this morning. We have some acreage on a creek and there is alot of moisture in the air. It was cold outside. For the first time in a long time, I am not missing the Panhandle. But that will pass.

Last Wed/Thurs I was in the derrick on a drilling rig between Perryton and Canadian. My gloves were wet and immediately froze to anything I touched. It was damn cold that night.

I've never enjoyed Winter but I've spent the two coldest nights of the year on well sites and have survived. It's not too bad, I guess.



Double Talkin' Jive...

In March of 2001, I spent 10 days in Fairbanks, Ak. I even got to go up in the Artic Circle. There was only one day that it got above zero degrees while I was there.

The coldest day that I spent that month was the Saturday before I left for Alaska. It was 36 degrees in Childress and I was freezing because there was moisture in the air and the wind was blowing 40 mph.

There is something about the Panhandle and cold weather.

My coldest day ever was in high school. We had a blizzard one day and since they let out school, I spent the entire next day on horseback looking for cattle.

Some of you around Spearman may know of the grain elevators in Waka... I worked on them in the summer of '62 for Butler Steel Buildings. On several occasions we had several tornados all around us whilst working on the top roof placing purlins and such... At that height we could see for 10-15 miles. But, they still come up too fast to get down off the roof so we tied down to the top auger and held on and watched them skip all around us... Exciting!!

AAAAAg