Category: Crazy Times

Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Cec’s Pry Bar

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One More Today From Kenny Lewis Ronnie and I had our share of mishaps growing up and for that reason, were known by the men of the community as being rather reckless. Among those men was one of Dad’s closest friends, Brown Parker. He always said that “Cec could have been a millionaire had he knocked the two of us in the head when we were pups”. Daddy owned a pry bar that had previously been a truck axle. It was at least six feet long and 1 ½” in diameter. Brown always swore that it was the only thing … Continue reading Cec’s Pry Bar

Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis2 Comments

Hunting at the Cinco Loma

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(Another very fine story from Kenny Lewis) Back in the 90’s we searched various ranches for the best hunts available in South Texas. We had gotten to know Dusty Davis who owned the Cinco Loma Ranch between Batesville and La Pryor. It was not a large ranch (2500 acres), but with high quality deer. This ranch was along Highway 57 on the way to Eagle Pass and surrounded on 3 sides by a large ranch called the West Wind. Larry Martin owned it and was a very successful business man from Houston who had sold his Waste Company for Millions … Continue reading Hunting at the Cinco Loma

Crazy Times, My Friends, The Construction BizLeave a comment

There Are Times You Have To Take The Bull By The Horns And Then Hope For A Miracle

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I have a friend, I’ll call him John. We had worked doing the same type of construction for many years. He had worked for a couple of my competitors, but each were friendly competitors, so we have been in various joint venture arraignments throughout the years. Somewhere along the way, due to a divorce or perhaps it was the cause of the divorce, John developed a serious cocaine habit. He came to me in the need of employment. His habit had caused him to be fired from his last job. Not realizing that cocaine addiction couldn’t be cured with compassion … Continue reading There Are Times You Have To Take The Bull By The Horns And Then Hope For A Miracle

Crazy Times, My FriendsLeave a comment

Some People Are Much More Private Than Others

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While I’m an open book and most likely going tell you everything about myself. Much of the time I’m probably going to tell you more than you need to know and for sure tell you more than you want to hear. I’ve got a friend, a very good friend that I spend a lot of time with. He is an open book, as am I so very little fails to get said when we are together. I’m pretty much a braggart, especially when I comes to my grandchildren, to which I won’t apologize for. They mean everything to me and … Continue reading Some People Are Much More Private Than Others

Crazy Times, On The JobLeave a comment

Helicopter Hog Hunting

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The wild hog problem is one that without witnessing it you cannot imagine the damage to the land, fences and property that these out of control creatures create. So to help control this problem, helicopters with shooters armed with shotguns, loaded with buckshot are used. The shooters hangout of windows of small 2 person helicopters with the pilot carefully positioning you over a herd of ferrel hogs, allowing you to blast away killing as many as possible before they take up refuse in the brush. My brother Kenny, and avid hunter had a relationship with a huge south Texas ranch … Continue reading Helicopter Hog Hunting

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, On The Job, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Young Detectives

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Our dad was working for an old time contractor by the name of Holland Page, installing a new wastewater system all around the town of Gatesville. The year was probably 1963. That summer we went there part of the time to spend with him. He had an apartment rented. They had a guy working previously that was trying to make an insurance claim for a back injury that supposedly happened on the job. Cec, my dad, knew that wasn’t possible because “the guy had been too lazy to pickup anything“. After talking to various people around town, this fellow had … Continue reading The Young Detectives

Crazy TimesLeave a comment

My Mother In Law Has Been A Bad Influence On Me A Couple Of Times

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I have professed that I have chosen to drink very little alcohol in my “adult life”. I think I’ve even said that it’s doubtful that any of my son’s have ever even seen me embarrass myself, at least from being drunk. Back in the early 80s when we were building the Guadalupe State Park there was a special occasion, maybe our anniversary, where Madeline and I were going to rendezvous out at the German American Restaurant at Buchanan Dam. I think she dropped the boys off at Smithwick before she got there. Maxine was managing the bar there at the … Continue reading My Mother In Law Has Been A Bad Influence On Me A Couple Of Times

Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Motorcycle Cop

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I was just a kid, maybe 17 years old. Nelson Lewis had a big Cadillac Sedan and wanted me to take it and drop it off in downtown Austin for him. I was barreling up Trinity Street, a few blocks east of Congress Avenue. Just as I approached 3rd street, there was a motorcycle cop turning from 3rd and was going to head north on Trinity, the same way I was going. I saw him keep edging out in the intersection, like he expected me to stop and let him go ahead of me. I didn’t see any flashing lights, … Continue reading The Motorcycle Cop

Crazy Times, My FriendsLeave a comment

Watch Out What You Ask A Friend To Do

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My friend John, of “Rosalinda” fame (a prior story), was married to an extremely nice gal. Much too nice for his shenanigans. She was small, attractive with long blonde hair. She had been a school teacher but had recently become a real estate agent. John, knew that I had the ability to find out vehicle ownership with the tap of a few computer keys, just by knowing a license plate number. From that within just a few seconds I could see if that person has a criminal record, and other valuable information as well. He asked me if I’d mind … Continue reading Watch Out What You Ask A Friend To Do

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, On The Job, The Construction BizLeave a comment

Rosalinda

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John has been good friend of mine for a very long time. After the following story we have remained friends, which is surprising. This took place back in the late 1980s. We were working on a big project in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. It was a really tough job in one of the roughest areas of one the most crime ridden cities at that time. Everything was a disaster. We had to keep a sense of humor about it, keep the mood light or we couldn’t have endured. We both lived back in Austin so frequently flew on … Continue reading Rosalinda