My Old Friend Fred

Fred was an old bachelor and had served his country in World War 2. He had traveled the state helping to build bridges in his younger days. When I got to know him he was in his late 70’s, maybe even early 80’s. I met Fred through Woody, my old accountant. Woody’s wife Lucy had a sister that lived in College Station Texas. Her name was Josie. Josie and Fred dated. Fred had retired and lived out on his sizable farm out east of Bryan near the little town of Kurten. He mostly just tended to his cows and would … Continue reading My Old Friend Fred

Showing Off Our New Set Of Unbreakable Dishes

Many years ago Madeline bought a new set of dishes. We hadn’t seen married all that long, but were beginning to have kids. It was Corel Ware. It was a good idea with the kids to get something that we wouldn’t be breaking every time we turned around. It was a good investment. My father in law came to visit. We were showing him the new dishes, when I flung one over in the floor to demonstrate how they were unbreakable. Well it just shattered into a thousand pieces . That’s when Madeline explained to me they weren’t unbreakable, they … Continue reading Showing Off Our New Set Of Unbreakable Dishes

Writing Letters To My Brother

I never was much of a writer when I was younger. But I told myself that I’d stay in touch with my brother, Kenny by writing him often while he was away in Vietnam and also when he was stationed in Germany. Telephone calls were not possible in Vietnam, and much too expensive when he got to Germany. I would write and tell him what all was going on in my life. I’d tell him about everything crazy happening in Smithwick. There always seemed like something Cec had gotten into that needed to be told. He wrote back to me … Continue reading Writing Letters To My Brother

How I Began My Woodworking Hobby

We have a very unique table. We got it from Madeline’s mom, Maxine, many years ago. It was a coffee table brought back from Venezuela by Maxine and Ted in the 60s. It’s not just a regular coffee table, it is huge. It’s made for a crosscut piece of Honduran Mahogany that is approx 3 1/2″ thick by 4’/ 5′ oval diameter. It’s a very impressive piece. The legs are made from branches of same type of tree that have been turned down on the end to make a dowel that fits into a drilled hole on the underside of … Continue reading How I Began My Woodworking Hobby

The Man – Goat Head – 2008

This story is one of the more puzzling things I have ever encountered. In about 2010, I pulled up to the Shell Station and dropped someone off that had been riding with me. I was on the side of the building at the back, with a clear view of the backend where the trash dumpster was located. I was just sitting there, reading an email after the other party had left. There was a red Hummer, an H3, drove up. A young man maybe in his early 30s got out and surveilled the area. I suppose he couldn’t tell that … Continue reading The Man – Goat Head – 2008

Men Never Stop To Ask For Directions ……….or at least that’s the reputation we have

Once when Madeline and I were newly married we decided to go to Six Flags in Arlington. I was somewhat familiar with the area so I figured I could drive right to our hotel without looking at a map. I admit that once we got close I became slightly disoriented. I may have driven in a circle for a moment. It was late and Madeline wanted me to stop and ask for directions, which wasn’t something I would have ever done. I had her busy looking at a roadmap while I drove. Finally, exasperated she said “pull in here and … Continue reading Men Never Stop To Ask For Directions ……….or at least that’s the reputation we have

Eat More Goat

That is if you can afford it. The popularity of eating goats has sure driven up the price. Something about eating goat meat that really appeals to me. It’s not the taste or the texture. It has more to do with nostalgia. At Smithwick Homecoming time, at those long sheet iron pits out under the liveoak trees at the site of the old Smithwick School House (now the Smithwick Community Center) waiting for one of the men to cut off a sample is where my love of goat meat started. Fresh and hot, right off the pit. The sop that … Continue reading Eat More Goat

The Dust Up At The Post Office

We were talking about the Post Office on here one time and it made me think of an incident that I got involved in a few years ago at the Bertram Post Office. I walked in one day to transact some business. I found myself behind a young lady being waited on by the Post Mistress herself. The gals mother was driving a truck cross country and found herself out in Ontario, Ca. broke down and in the need of funds. She had left a credit card here at home that she was in desperate need of.Daughter was trying to … Continue reading The Dust Up At The Post Office

Hunting at the Cinco Loma

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

Hidden Talents

I confess that I actually have very few true talents. But I do have the ability to think very fast on my feet. In situations like while driving and taking sudden evasive measures to avoid an accident. There is no real way to measure that knack. But I have narrowly escaped many more accidents than I have actually been involved in. I’m not sure that wiggling my ears is really a talent, but I’ve amused people, mostly kid passengers in adjacent cars at red lights and such. I find that I’m losing that ability with age. I guess I’ve lost … Continue reading Hidden Talents