Category: Smithwick

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Wild Rides

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Kenny and I had would take the engine off of a push type lawn mower and then tie a rope on it. The object was to sit in the little hole in the middle and with a horse pulling it we would get in a big open field and start circling to see how long the rider could stay on. It’s amazing how much dirt and dust can be stirred up doing this. The bad part (actually there were many bad parts) to doing this was the only real way to hang on was to grab under the bottom lip … Continue reading Wild Rides

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, SmithwickLeave a comment

The Fruit Basket

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Growing up in Smithwick, I knew just about everyone that ever came through there.After getting out of school and getting married, I left for Austin and would get back up there every few weeks. But things were changing faster than I could keep up with. The 227 acres that Kenny and I grew up on started being sold off in small tracts. While it’s no secret we didn’t really like it that Cec was selling it off, it wasn’t our choice. He had inherited the property from his Dad in 1958, when our Grandfather, Theron, passed away. But it appeared … Continue reading The Fruit Basket

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

J.P. and the Tires

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I’ve told a story about the snake victim that was working up in the wrecking yard. The junk yard is what we called it, was a 5 acre abandoned field up the hill and out of sight of our house. It was on our land, but was operated by Hugh Hampton. He would bring wrecked cars in and strip them down for usable car parts then scrap the remaining pieces. One day a “63” or it may have been a “64” Chevy Impala was brought in that had been in a wreck and was pretty much totaled. It had belong … Continue reading J.P. and the Tires

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

The Rattlesnake Bite Victim

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Cec allowed an old fellow from Marble Falls to establish a wrecking yard on a little patch of ground on our property. Old Man Hugh Hampton was as nice of a fellow as I ever met, and a very hard worker. He was honest as the day was long. (Whatever that saying is suppose to mean) Hugh had a fellow working for him up in the junk yard pulling usable parts off of cars. It was in the summertime, because Kenny and I were both at the house. I’m betting we had stopped by to grab a bite to eat. … Continue reading The Rattlesnake Bite Victim

Cecil Lewis, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Four Wrecks All Happened Within Minutes

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It was the Friday afternoon of opening weekend of deer season, in 1968. The calamities started when Kenny, in a Ford Falcon, pulled out from the Gulf Station in Marble Falls. He and his squeeze at the time, Karen, were going to head northbound. I think Kenny was paying more attention to the redhead sitting next to him than he was to the heavy traffic, as he got t-boned by a Houston attorney that was up to go hunting. The attorneys car was a brand new Oldmobile 98 with 250 miles on it. No one was hurt seriously, but both … Continue reading Four Wrecks All Happened Within Minutes

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Wooden Pallets

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After graduation several of us gathered at the Scott Place down at Doublehorn. Winfield had been out of high school for a year and was home after finishing his first year at LSU. His folks were away, so it was an ideal place for a party. Knowing I had stuff to do the next day I had the presence of mind to leave the party before daylight and head to Smithwick. I was scheduled to go to San Antonio and pick up a load. I was over on the Eastside of San Antonio by mid morning sitting at a huge … Continue reading The Wooden Pallets

Cecil Lewis, SmithwickLeave a comment

Cec And The Spare Tire Rack

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Back in 1968 Cec bought a new 1/2 Ford Pickup down at Truck City Ford on Ben White Blvd in Austin. Back in those days pickups hardly ever came with a rear bumper from the factory. They were all installed by the dealer and most of the time in this area they were supplied by D&D Bumper in Seguin, Tx. The dealership name would be imprinted in it, so when you bought a bumper you paid for the privilege of advertising where you bought your truck everywhere you went. There was a brand new thing that he couldn’t do without. … Continue reading Cec And The Spare Tire Rack

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Head-Plant In The Mud

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I was about 17 years old. Lake Travis was really low like it is now. We had a bulldozer and a Cat 12 Motorgrader down along the bottom land, cleaning up and leveling out so when the lake came back up it would……….,,,,,..no we knew it wouldn’t stay smooth but Cec had a good idea. Something to keep me busy. My helper was, David Jordan, my one day in the future brother in law. If I remember correctly it was a fairly uneventful day, that is until I started out on top with motorgrader. Just when I got to the … Continue reading Head-Plant In The Mud

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