Author: lewisotr

One Hell Of A Guy, If I do say so myself.
Kenny Lewis, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Mansfield Dam

lewisotr

Kenny had been away in the Army for several years and when he returned he came to work with us. We were working in Austin, several locations. He and I were coming down Red Bud Trail where it crosses the low bridge just below the Tom Miller Dam. Kenny, the passenger, was taking in all the sights of Austin, marveling at how things were growing in the little town where we had spent much of our early years. As we wound down the hill and headed across the bridge I looked up at the dam and said “Dang Kenny, isn’t … Continue reading The Mansfield Dam

Crazy Times, Old Dog - New Trick, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

How Could I Always Be So Lucky ?

lewisotr

I had to make a trip up to my North Texas Ranch yesterday. It appears the people that own the places all around me seem to be ganging up and deciding everything is always my fault. The wild hogs are terrorizing everyone and everything. On top of that coyotes are very prevalent and seem to have everyone in the area scared out of their wits. I’m not sure why it’s my fault, but I guess since I’m the largest landowner anywhere nearby, they think I’m the one that needs to take care of the problem. I ignored them for awhile … Continue reading How Could I Always Be So Lucky ?

Funny Happenings, My Family, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

All My Sons

lewisotr

I just saw a moving van and it reminded me of when Madeline was moving some her favorite pieces of furniture to our new place in Corpus. She was going to hire a company to transfer it. I asked her who was bringing it. She proudly proclaimed “All My Sons”. Puzzled, because we had decided that it was all the really good stuff (stuff that cost too much) and me moving it wasn’t going to work. We have a long history of severe damage every time I have ever moved anything. In my mind our sons learned everything they know … Continue reading All My Sons

Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Acupuncture

lewisotr

In between surgeries on the cervical portion of my spine, there have been three now, I went to an Acupuncturist in San Antonio hoping to get relief. Kenny had been to him several times and it hadn’t killed him, so I figured I was as tough as he is. I’m not sure if this feller was Chinese or Korean or something else from that part of the world. His name is Hou Chi Dung. As side note, he has a son the does it too, and he has an American first name, maybe it’s Jimmy and he changed his last … Continue reading Acupuncture

Aging, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

It Has Come That Time In My Life

lewisotr

As old age catches up to me, I find myself in almost constant pain. Not my whole body. Just my right hand. I thought perhaps it was carpal tunnel, but after looking up the symptoms of that condition, I decided it’s not that. It’s more of pain in the middle of my palm and my thumb. It has been bothering me for several months. Maybe even a couple of years.I know I don’t have any broken bones in my hand, but I think I need to go get a cast put on it if I ever expect it to heal. … Continue reading It Has Come That Time In My Life

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, The Construction Biz, The Early DaysLeave a comment

A 1980 Buick Riviera Was A Great Looking Car

lewisotr

I bought a new Riviera in the fall of 1979. I was going to use it mostly for road trips. It drove so good and looked even better, that I found it hard to park it and get back in a pickup. One day I picked up Kenny so we could make a run around town and see how everything looked. We did that pretty often back in those days. We drove through a subdivision we were building out on RM 2222, overlooking Lake Austin. All the utilities had been completed on that project and we dressing up the sub … Continue reading A 1980 Buick Riviera Was A Great Looking Car

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Hudson Hornet

lewisotr

I’ve told a story about the old couple, Minnie and Charlie Campbell showing up in Smithwick back in the 60s. Charlie was a Studebaker man. He always claimed he would never drive anything but a Studebaker. He and Minnie drove off one day and when they came back a few days later he had bought Minnie a car and it wasn’t a Studebaker. It was a very clean 1951 Hudson Hornet. The picture below shows what it looked like. He messed with it and never could make it run right so he parked it out under a tree and it … Continue reading The Hudson Hornet

Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, The Construction BizLeave a comment

The Banker Up In The Deer Stand In South Texas

lewisotr

Kenny had a nice deer lease about mid ways between Laredo and Freer for a few years in the 1980s. One weekend he took took several bankers and other businessmen from Austin for a hunt. I wasn’t there but my best guess is there was a lot of drinking going on. Early Saturday morning he had one of his cohorts take a one the bankers to the tallest stand on the place. After getting the hunter up in the stand, he drove off in a jeep with a high rack on it. Not paying attention the high rack caught one … Continue reading The Banker Up In The Deer Stand In South Texas

Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Never A Broken Bone

lewisotr

I’ve told about everything that has ever happened in my life. Almost. Every near miss and a few direct hits. Miraculously I’ve never had a broken bone. In my story about going for the Army draft physical I told about crushing my foot. There were no bone fractures. The bones had what Dr. Allen called radial cracks, I think. There were bones that had longitudinal cracks but nothing fractured, if that makes sense. He bandaged my foot but no cast. That was when I was 18 or 19. Then when I was in my 30s I started having a pain … Continue reading Never A Broken Bone

Marble Falls and the Area Around it., My Friends, Smithwick3 Comments

Charlie & Minnie Campbell – A Love Story

lewisotr

This is a story about an old couple that showed up in Smithwick when I was just a kid. When people said their name, they always left off the p and b. It was Charlie and Minnie Camel. Minnie and Charlie arrived in an old Studebaker car with everything they owned, including a couple of dogs. They never had children. They claimed they had no other close family. They just had each other. Minnie was from Oklahoma. She always said she was part Indian. While she had a round pie plate face, she did have real high cheek bones. A … Continue reading Charlie & Minnie Campbell – A Love Story