Category: On The Job

Meeting New People, On The Job, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Two Drifters

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Back in the days when we were doing the Guadalupe River State Park in 1981-1982 we had a lot of characters that worked on that project. One day a couple of guys walked up with backpacks on and ask for a job. They were probably about 20 years old. We had a bunk trailer onsite that had about 8 or 10 bunks in it. We let them move in. Summer and winter the guys mostly cooked out on a campfire or on a BBQ pit. They all would sit around the fire and tell stories and drink beer until all … Continue reading The Two Drifters

Crazy Times, On The Job, The Early DaysLeave a comment

We Weren’t Made To Feel Welcome In Victoria, Texas

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Back in the late 70’s things were going pretty well for us in the construction business, but had slowed a bit. As things often happen, a miracle job fell out of the sky. A Burnet County fellow, Fritz Heine had gone off to Houston and was doing well contracting with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. I knew of Fritz but mostly just by name. He was a generation ahead of me, about my Dads age. He had a son named Henry that had finished his senior year of school in Marble Falls, then he came and worked for a year or … Continue reading We Weren’t Made To Feel Welcome In Victoria, Texas

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, On The JobLeave a comment

With All The Rain We’ve Had……..It Can Always Be Worse.

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I think back on how wet it’s been and how devastating all the rains can be on the construction business. I will recall a couple of my biggest weather related nightmares that were a result of heavy rains. The Memorial Day Flood in Austin back in 1981 found us building Jester Blvd off of RM 2222. We were getting close to the end of it. We had been more than a year doing that project and we were days from being ready pave the roads. One single night 11 inches of rain fell on top of Jester Mountain. In just … Continue reading With All The Rain We’ve Had……..It Can Always Be Worse.

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, On The JobLeave a comment

“Hey Bossman”

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As hard as it is growing up in this world for teens now, it has to be so much harder for the black youth, especially in any of the large urban areas. I often think back to a half dozen black kids I befriended in the Oak Cliff in the early 90’s while doing a job there. I’ve written before about them, Freddy, Herman, Terry and the others names escape me just now. I would load them up in my suburban, after checking with their mother, grandmother or other guardian, (always a female – never remember even one of them … Continue reading “Hey Bossman”

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, On The JobLeave a comment

He Bit My Thumb

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There are a few things in life that really don’t mix. Being really tough and drinking too much are a good example of this. Cecil Lewis was tough guy and he drank a way more than he should have. Back in 80 – 81 I had contracted to build a new state park and campground area down on the Guadalupe River near the little community of Bergheim not far from Boerne, Texas. When I needed him my dad would help me out on projects. On this job he mostly drove a water truck driver. He never drank while on the … Continue reading He Bit My Thumb

Crazy Times, On The JobLeave a comment

A “Trip” to Mackinac Island Michigan …..back when I was young enough to actually run a foot race

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Several Utility Contractors formed the Texas Utility Contractors Association back in the mid 1980’s. We were a branch of The National Utility Contractors Association. We traveled to far away places to have our board meetings so we could mix pleasure with business and visit nice places around the country. We would make at least one trip to Washington DC each year also to make our desires be known to the elected officials there. One of those meeting was in Mackinac Island, Michigan one summer, probably about 1987. If you never been there, it’s a really beautiful place. Except this time … Continue reading A “Trip” to Mackinac Island Michigan …..back when I was young enough to actually run a foot race

On The Job, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Mr. Lawson Gibbs

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Mr. Lawson Gibbs was such a nice man. He was the head of the Water Department in Burnet for many years and was in that position when I worked all over town replacing water lines in the 1971 and 1972. The pipe we used back then was AC (asbestos cement) and was very fragile. Sometimes the pipe would break after being put in service as settling would occur. Most of the time in the middle of the night, it seemed. Madeline and I rented a room at the Arrowhead Motel. (That’s a whole other story) Many times I got a … Continue reading Mr. Lawson Gibbs

Meeting New People, On The Job, The Early DaysLeave a comment

John Charles Savignac Hall

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Charlie Was Always Welcome In Our Office When you are in the construction business, having visits from salesmen are part of the deal. Most salesmen find a way to show up when you are the busiest and then overstay their welcome. Not all, but many. When Charlie showed up, I was more than happy to shove things to the side and set and visit. He was that kind of guy. He worked for Waukesha Pearce Industries, out of their San Antonio office, but stationed in Austin. We first met in the early 1970’s. He sold about the best brand of … Continue reading John Charles Savignac Hall

On The Job, The Early Days2 Comments

LJ Henderson – The Best Blaster In The Country

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LJ lived in Burnet. He and my Dad were friends for most of their lives. They entered the service at the same time. There is a story of them hitchhiking back home to Burnet Co. at some point. Either during the service or when they got out. It was a true Cecil Lewis adventure, as I remember it. I always wanted to visit LJ and get him to recall it for me. I missed that opportunity. LJ passed away before I got around to asking him about it. Many of my stories are rooted in the things that I learned … Continue reading LJ Henderson – The Best Blaster In The Country

Amazing Things, My Friends, On The JobLeave a comment

My Old Friend Horst

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Horst was truly one of the nicest old fellows I ever met. He worked as a superintendent, building apartments. He may be the only man in that position I never had a head-butting with. There was something about the way he approached things, that I worked extra hard to be sure I pleased him. We first started working together in the mid 1990s. Our friendship grew over the next few years. Horst loved deer hunting. I started including him in any hunts we were going on, whether business or when I was taking my sons hunting. He had wonderful stories … Continue reading My Old Friend Horst