Category: Crazy Times

Amazing Things, Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz2 Comments

Another Rock Blasting Story

lewisotr

During the first 15 years of my contracting career most trenches in rock were blasted, before good productive and dependable rock trenchers were developed. We had one crew that their primary job was drilling and shooting (term we used for blasting) rock. We were building a new subdivision right behind the Bannockburn Baptist Church, before it was built, on Brodie at McCarty Lane in southwest Austin. All was going real good on that project. Don the crew foreman and our ace blaster was short handed, so he hired an old hippie that happened by. The old hippie’s only job was … Continue reading Another Rock Blasting Story

Crazy Times, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Dynamite Headaches

lewisotr

I have talked extensively about blasting rock and handling explosives (or mishandling as the case may have been). As I’ve said before, my days in the blasting game came early in my life, mostly before I was 30 years old which was up until the early 1980’s. Most of what I learned about blasting rock was from Cecil Lewis or Burnet, Texas blasting legend LJ Henderson. Of course trial and error and being self taught was where I learned the most I suppose. Since there wasn’t a school to actually go to learn the trade, you start out loading a … Continue reading Dynamite Headaches

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Smithwick2 Comments

Cecil Lewis Smoked One Joint In His Whole Life

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Cec was well into his 60s and had never smoked marijuana. He is a man that had not lived a completely pure life, but for whatever reason smoking pot or doing drugs was something that had never appealed to him. He had a fellow living at his fishing camp that had enjoyed a long life of pot consumption. Virgil tempted Cec with a baggie of weed one day. Not knowing how he was going to react to it’s effects, he decided to take it with him and find a convenient time to smoke some without calling too much attention to … Continue reading Cecil Lewis Smoked One Joint In His Whole Life

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early Days1 Comment

The Adventures Of Driving Under-Powered Trucks

lewisotr

The 60s were a different time than now when it comes to the horse power of trucks. Today our trucks operate with 500 to 600 horsepower. Back then the common range was 180 to 250 HP. We still hauled equally heavy loads over the same roads as today. Trucks were used much longer and maintained must less than by today’s standards. It was common for when we were hauling a heavy dozer in hillier areas for me to go ahead in a pickup to assist. When we knew there was a grade too steep coming up, Kenny would pull over, … Continue reading The Adventures Of Driving Under-Powered Trucks

Aging, Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Meeting Up With A Legend

lewisotr

A funny yet strange encounter happened at a Roadside Rest Stop today. In my travels today I had to go up to a job we are doing out west of Waco. It’s up where SpaceX tests its rocket engines. After seeing everything I needed to, I left there and the same thing happened that always happens when I go up there. I had to make a pit stop when I got south of Salado at the very nice Highway Rest Stop. When I came out I noticed an older gentleman sitting in his pickup. He motioned for me to come … Continue reading Meeting Up With A Legend

Crazy Times, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

I Have A New Friend

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(This is a story written back in 2015) She is not really a new friend, I’ve known this lady for most of my life. But what was just a causal meeting from time to time has develop into a great fondness and friendship during the past few weeks. We were brought together by me calling her to invite her to our MFHS 45th class reunion. One thing lead to another, with me sending her a copy The Angora Chronicles book. You see, Mrs. Doris Phillips taught many Marble Falls students as well as others in places such as Mason, Bertram … Continue reading I Have A New Friend

Aging, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

So Here’s The Deal

lewisotr

It’s time I shoot straight with all you kind folks. I posted on my personal wall earlier tonight about a problem I’m having with carpal tunnel in both hands from typing on my iPhone too much. This is that other post: https://www.facebook.com/1525699623/posts/10225073004522025/?d=n Well here’s the deal. I’ve been working with my oldest Granddaughter, Holly Lewis to do a bunch of my stories digitally. Holly has a degree from Baylor in digital communications, so we are pretty sure that part could be accomplished. What I’m not so sure about is how this country bumpkin hick voice of mine would sound. I … Continue reading So Here’s The Deal

Amazing Things, Crazy TimesLeave a comment

Some Of The Craziest Things I’ve Even Seen Involving Fire

lewisotr

I was watching the PBS Program Nova tonight. It showed a guy cutting a metal baking pan using bacon for the fuel. He had fashioned a tube out of bacon and by sending oxygen though the tube it made a dandy, yet crude cutting instrument. It made me think back to other wild things I’ve seen using fire. Of course growing up, I was like many kids that got out and built fires, like camp fires but we weren’t camping. We just built fires to entertain ourselves. The following is a story about those campfires https://www.facebook.com/groups/729839877052650/permalink/2260462960656993/ Below is a story … Continue reading Some Of The Craziest Things I’ve Even Seen Involving Fire

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., My Friends, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

We Were A Couple Of Night Owls

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No one else that I know has his first car 50 years later. Much less all the paper work that came with it. If I could write about all the things that happened, just when it was the two of us in that Blue “68” Roadrunner, it would fill several books. Some things would be worth telling, yet others we may not want to admit. We drove the streets of Marble Falls and the roads all around Burnet County almost nightly for a few years, almost always in that Roadrunner. Many times our adventures wouldn’t start until we had each … Continue reading We Were A Couple Of Night Owls

Amazing Things, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

We Did Things Much Differently Back Then

lewisotr

I grew up around construction equipment and trucks. In the 60s when I was in high school Cecil Lewis ran a fleet of dump trucks. Among other things we had the contract to haul the blasted rock from the Pure Stone Quarry out south of Marble Falls back to the crusher in town. Even as young and as small as I was at 14 or 15, I commonly and single-handedly pulled transmissions and replaced clutches in those old dump trucks and did brake jobs. I knew how to do all that then. Now I have trouble putting a spare tire … Continue reading We Did Things Much Differently Back Then