Author: lewisotr

One Hell Of A Guy, If I do say so myself.
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Cec Loved New Toys

lewisotr

(As told by Kenny Lewis) Cec was the type that when he got something new he couldn’t wait to use it. He had bought a new Murray Mower at Walmart. It was late in the day and didn’t get much of a chance to use it by the time he got down to the Fishing Camp. He was up early the next morning and couldn’t wait to get started mowing. Most of us know for numerous reasons that it is a good idea to wait for the dew to dry off the grass before you start mowing. More especially if … Continue reading Cec Loved New Toys

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Another Strange Happening

lewisotr

When we were kids going to school in Jollyville, there were the Reeves boy’s that were the same age as Kenny and me. Donnie was Kenny’s age, while Danny and I were in the same grade. We often visited each other’s house and played together. Then the Reeves’s cousin Elvin Horner came to live with them. He was Kenny and Donnie’s age. The Reeves family moved and we lost touch with them. That was about 1963. By the mid 80’s I was awarded a contract to construct a development project in Round Rock. When we got started building it, I … Continue reading Another Strange Happening

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The Goat Shed Up On Possum Kingdom Lake

lewisotr

There was a time between our first two sons being born and we had a project laying a 24″ water line up in Stephens County. Housing was hard to find so while driving around the area, I found The Possum Kingdom Fishing Camp. This was a place that was very active in the summers but pretty well shut down during the winter. I found the owner and made a deal to rent the whole place. There was a little 2 bedroom house in the center of the property with one bedroom cabins surrounding it. This was in December of 1975. … Continue reading The Goat Shed Up On Possum Kingdom Lake

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Save Our Planet

lewisotr

I’m not sure how strongly I feel about Climate Change or Global Warming or whatever the buzz phrase of the month is. I am fairly sure we humans do harm to the planet. We foul the roadsides and waterways with trash so it’s no stretch of my imagination to think we are messing with the ozone layer. I’m doubtful that the California fires are President Trumps fault because he pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. I heard a scientist kind of guy on one of the Sunday News programs this morning say that by the year 2100 this country … Continue reading Save Our Planet

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Riding On The Back Of An Elephant

lewisotr

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying anything disparaging about the fairer sex in what I’m fixing to write but you tell me there aren’t differences is in the two sexes. A decade or so back we were over in Africa. One day we decide it would be a great idea to go on an elephant back tour through the wilds of Zimbabwe. We got on with me sitting behind my wife and the lady traveling with us got on another one sitting just in front of an Englishman. We weren’t out of sight of the starting point before I … Continue reading Riding On The Back Of An Elephant

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Octavius

lewisotr

Just off the northeast corner of the house, our house here in Bertram is a huge wind chime. It has a pleasant melodious quality about it when there is a light breeze blowing. As the wind picks up, it turns to a haunting sound. So much so, that I have a bungee cord that I wrap around it, as to make it immobile when the wind blowing too strongly. You see it’s just outside my bedroom window. A while back we had a house guest, a special young lady that is really into Medieval Times. She has a vast knowledge … Continue reading Octavius

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My Old Friend Horst

lewisotr

Horst was truly one of the nicest old fellows I ever met. He worked as a superintendent, building apartments. He may be the only man in that position I never had a head-butting with. There was something about the way he approached things, that I worked extra hard to be sure I pleased him. We first started working together in the mid 1990s. Our friendship grew over the next few years. Horst loved deer hunting. I started including him in any hunts we were going on, whether business or when I was taking my sons hunting. He had wonderful stories … Continue reading My Old Friend Horst

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The Thoughtfulness Of My Brother

lewisotr

One day my brother, Kenny, walked into my wood shop carrying a wooden saddle rack, that he had bought somewhere. He ask if I could carve a name and maybe put something fancy on it. The rack was fairly simple, made from pine, just plain looking. He told me the story of seeing a saddle hanging in the barn of an old cowboy friend of his. He ask about the saddle and got a complete history of it. The old cowboy had owned that saddle most of his adult life I believe. He told him who made the saddle and … Continue reading The Thoughtfulness Of My Brother

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Impersonating Kenny

lewisotr

For years Kenny and I sounded amazingly alike on the phone. We both have what I guess is a distinct Smithwick accent. I’m don’t know if Kenny ever took advantage of that. My wife admits to getting us confused a few times, but never has told me if any of those conversations ever went really hay-wire. On the other hand, I can’t even tell you how much confusion I caused or the fun I had becoming Kenny on the phone. Our Grannie Ruby was easy. All I’d have to say is “Grannie has Karen been by today?” With that, I’d … Continue reading Impersonating Kenny

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Funerals

lewisotr

I don’t want this to sound morbid, but I have attended so many funerals that I’ve almost developed a classifying system for them. There are the personal ones, that you have to attend. Those are family and very close friends. They are mostly sad affairs. Seldom are we ready to lose those people. While they are sad, there can be moments of joy mixed in. There are the ones that are children and there is never a way to put a happy face on that. Those are always sad, heart wrenching affairs. They haven’t got to experience nearly enough of … Continue reading Funerals