Author: lewisotr

One Hell Of A Guy, If I do say so myself.
Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

A Collection Of Carwash Mishaps

lewisotr

These are actual Carwash happenings, with the first one involving my oldest grandson and me. The other two stories, let me just say happened under everyday circumstances for the two involved. My Carwash Story I had just bought a new 1995 model Oldsmobile 98. A big fancy Olds. It was almost the size of a Abrams Army Tank. A recently remodeled Texaco station at Texas 29 and I-35 in Georgetown had just been reopened for business. Tyler, my first grandson was about 3 year old. He went with me as often as I could take him. We stopped to fill … Continue reading A Collection Of Carwash Mishaps

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, My Family, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

My First Swimming Lesson

lewisotr

Back in the “old days”, 1956 probably, we were all down at the river. We called it the river, even though it was a lake. That being Lake Travis at Smithwick. I would have been no more than 4 years old. At this time Uncle Owen Lewis had acquired several Lone Star Aluminum Fishing Boats that he rented out. That was a common thing to do in that day. There was a huge pecan tree that grew close to the river bank on Shop Branch in the big U curve just before the creek met the lake. That tree had … Continue reading My First Swimming Lesson

Amazing Things, Another Daily Happening, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Evolution of a State by Noah Smithwick

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I have always heard it said that this is one of the best, if not the best first hand account of the settling of Texas ever put into book form. I grew up with a 1st edition, 1900 copy of this book in our home. It had belonged to my grandfather, A.T. Lewis. I knew it was a book that had to remain in our family. I grew up in Smithwick Texas, with the old Smithwick Mill on the Colorado River being on part of our family property. That being the old homestead of Francis Porter Lewis and Florence Stinnett … Continue reading Evolution of a State by Noah Smithwick

Crazy Times, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

A Bad Cold Spell In The Winter Of 1973

lewisotr

It was about this time of year in 1973. Madeline & I had been married just a little more than a year. Austin was unusually cold and wet. The city was pretty much paralyzed for several days. Everything looked like a whole different place. I was like we were living in the movie Dr. Zhivago. We were living in a mobile home at Oakhill. We had pretty much everything we needed so we stayed inside for about 3 days. Finally we had stood it as long as we could and got out and made our way slipping and sliding down … Continue reading A Bad Cold Spell In The Winter Of 1973

Aging, Another Daily Happening, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

On Writing

lewisotr

I have a hard time sitting down and reading like I used to. There was a time that I could read for hours. Now I fall asleep much too easily. I can sit or lay in bed and write for hours and never even think about going to sleep. I guess it’s the active / passive thing. May just be how my brain is wired or cross-wired in my case. Reading is much too passive for me. This may be why I watch very little sports. I just don’t understand sitting watching someone else doing something. I want to just … Continue reading On Writing

Crazy Times, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Growing Pains

lewisotr

I’m not talking about the typical growing pains we sometime experience as people but this is about cities and communities. This can cause a big pain for the landowners which in general are just average people. I have seen all the small towns around Austin grapple with suburban sprawl. Almost every one of them have tried to imitate Austin with their ordinances. In fact I can’t think of any that haven’t. While it is incumbent on the city leaders to move to protect what’s within their purview, it always comes too fast and furious for the residents to become acclimated. … Continue reading Growing Pains

Aging, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

I ran across this old post about our very lengthy marriage.

lewisotr

When You Know You’ve Been Married Too Long (or maybe just the right amount of time) Madeline and I got away for the weekend. She has booked us a cabin on the Frio River. It’s wonderful, peaceful and very relaxing. Last night we ventured down the river a ways to the little town of Concan. We each had the special, a very ample serving of catfish and all the trimmings. We were stuffed, so when the girl ask if we cared to order dessert, we had read about Neal’s Dining Room cobblers, so we told her we’d each have one … Continue reading I ran across this old post about our very lengthy marriage.

Another Daily Happening, Kenny Lewis, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Smithwick Battle Royale

lewisotr

I’ve told many stories about how small I was as a kid and how it made me ripe for being picked on. No one was harder on me than my brother Kenny. But I’ll have to say that he was always the first to come to my defense, a brotherly thing. As I began to grow, it was only a natural progression that one day I would have to say enough is enough to being Kenny’s whipping boy. One day there would have to be a real head-buttin. It was just before Kenny left for the Army and I had … Continue reading The Smithwick Battle Royale