Category: Smithwick

Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

We Played Beneath This Old Oak And We Climbed In It

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The Old Oak Tree at “The Little House”, my grandmothers house (we lived there until I turned 4) in Smithwick, Texas that we played under and climbed in when we were kids. There were always at least a half dozen well made toy trucks and equipment, all constructed from metal that made their home under this marvelous tree. The Old Crib and Pens down behind the house. It has weathered pretty well, considering it hasn’t been used or had any upkeep in more than 50 years. Considering it was several decades old when I was a kid.Walk away from any … Continue reading We Played Beneath This Old Oak And We Climbed In It

Amazing Things, My Family, Smithwick, The Jollyville Years, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Little Keepsake Box

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This little wooden box is one of the treasures that I hold close to my heart. It belonged to my Grandmother, Leona, that we affectionately called Maw-Maw. The initials L P was for Leona Purcell. I will be telling you more in a couple of days about my Maw-Maw, who was known as Aunt Nonie by many folks around the country. Why in a couple of days? May 6, 2021 will commemorate 112 year’s since her birth. Now back to the box. I remember that she always kept this box on her dresser. When I would ask her about it, … Continue reading The Little Keepsake Box

Funny Happenings, Kenny Lewis, My Family, SmithwickLeave a comment

Señor Kenny

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Back when Papa Ted (Madeline’s Dad – Ted Jordan) retired from a long career in the oil patch and came to live in Smithwick he took on the task of keeping our property at the lake mowed and trimmed. He did a great job as long as his health allowed for it. In the very beginning he showed up one day and there was a well tanned fellow with a big bushy black mustache and a nice sombrero there at the lake. Figuring it was some of the hired help, Ted lined him out. He told him how the fallen … Continue reading Señor Kenny

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

GTE Telephone Switching Building

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This story was originally written back in 2015. So another 6 years have come and gone with this saga. Back in 1977 GTE was updating the phone lines down Smithwick way. They made a deal with us to lease a small plot of ground to put an switching building on. The property where this building is located is on a 7 AC tract that I had owned for several years. Cec made the deal and I told him to just cash the check when it came in, which was easy enough for him to do back in those days. The … Continue reading GTE Telephone Switching Building

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, SmithwickLeave a comment

Cecil Lewis Had A Dark Side

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Cec got crosswise with the phone company. He didn’t like the way they did what they wanted, when they wanted. The phones never worked right. The phones hummed, crackled or didn’t work at all. When he couldn’t get any satisfaction out of them on an issue it made him mad. So he went up the highway, I think by the Bowles Place where the big phone cable came out of the ground and went overhead where it had been to rocky to trench. He took a hypodermic needle (probably the one he shot my toes up with to cut out … Continue reading Cecil Lewis Had A Dark Side

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, SmithwickLeave a comment

Cec and the Hellion

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For some odd reason our Dad liked almost anything miniature. The smaller the tractor the better. He even liked small cars and pickups. He had a little miniature horse he kept around for a long time. Of course he had a little yelping dog he carried around everywhere. But when I think about it, Bonnie Gay wasn’t very big either and he kept her around for a long time. One day he called Kenny and me to make sure we were coming up for the weekend. He had something he wanted us to see and try out. When we got … Continue reading Cec and the Hellion

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

Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Salt Cedar Switch

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I scarcely ever see a salt cedar tree anymore. As a small child there was one growing off the edge of the sleeping porch at my grandparents house. In fact that’s about the only one I ever remember. I saw one a while back down along the river by the lower end of The Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend. It made me remember why I was so well behaved as a youngun. Just the threat of “Ronnie Gene do I need to go cut a switch off that salt cedar” would get me in line. I’m doubtful that there … Continue reading The Salt Cedar Switch

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

The Adventures Of Driving Under-Powered Trucks

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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