Category: The Early Days

Aging, Amazing Things, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Our Very First Furniture Purchase

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Shortly after Madeline and I married we went to WF & JF Barnes Lumber Company and purchased this little cedar chest. It has made most of our moves during the past 51 plus years. Then on our first anniversary I bought her a new Singer Sewing Machine in a nice wood cabinet. It was purchased at the Singer Store on the lower level at Highland Mall in Austin. That was a brand new mall at that time. (I read a few days ago that it’s been shut down completely now) On one move, up to Waxahachie in about 1991 after … Continue reading Our Very First Furniture Purchase

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Watch And The Dice Game

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Back in the mid 60s our Dad, Cecil, leased our place out for deer hunting. I only remember him doing it for a few years. Several of the guys were connected through marriage. I think they mostly came out of Austin. Richard Ward and Bill Hayden I remember for sure. There were several others, maybe a half dozen in all. One other fellow, Harrison was his name. He was a really large guy as I remember. He had a business out on North Lamar just south of US 183. It was a craft supply place, I think. I remember us … Continue reading The Watch And The Dice Game

Kenny Lewis, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Back When We Were Kids

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I often look back on my young life and growing up as the little brother. There were just the two of us, Kenny and me. We did almost everything together. That doesn’t mean we liked all the same things. Kenny was always an animal person and still is. He broke horses, had dogs that he trained to work goats and cattle. We both were involved in breaking horses, starting with Shetlands at a very young age, he was about 10 years old and I was 2 1/2 years younger. Of course that was his passion and I came along as … Continue reading Back When We Were Kids

Aging, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, My Friends, Smithwick, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

George and the Misunderstanding

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One day back in the late 1970s Cecil, our dad, called and asked if we could do a favor for George. George is Smithwick’s own George Despain. They both knew we did a lot business with Holt Caterpillar. “Would we put a set of dozer tracks on our account, so George could get the best deal possible”? George would give Cec a check for the bill. We readily agreed to it. Wasn’t any skin off of us. George got his tracks all was great. Kenny nor I gave it much thought, figuring that Cec gave the check to the other … Continue reading George and the Misunderstanding

Crazy Times, The Construction Biz, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Chief The Stuttering Mexican

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Back in the days, the 1970s and into the 1980s when blasting was necessary on almost every project, we would have to hire outside “blasting contractors” to supplement our forces. We had done this for a big subdivision we were building and this guy was well into a project and he hadn’t shown up for a couple of days. I would stop by and it was evident his crew was without leadership and therefore without direction. So I ask where their boss was. No one knew but they were beginning to get concerned because payday was coming up and he … Continue reading Chief The Stuttering Mexican

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

Things Are So Much Different Now Than They Were 50 Years Ago

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When I was a teenager, you could get a gun pulled on you and not end up dead. During a two year time frame, my junior and senior years, I was on the receiving end of a handgun four times. Each circumstance was way different from the others. But back then people knew how to point a gun at you and not pull the trigger. Now when someone shows you thier gun, there is a good chance they are going to shoot you. In fact out of those four incidents, there was only one time that a gun even discharged. … Continue reading Things Are So Much Different Now Than They Were 50 Years Ago

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The Construction Biz, The Early DaysLeave a comment

More On Blasting Rock In Marble Falls

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We encountered many people through the years with crazy notions about their house being destroyed by blasting. Some truly believe their house would fall down around them and others believe money will start falling from the sky. We had a situation many years ago when installing waterlines for a new development out on Mormon Mills Road in Marble Falls. There was a local banker, we had never done business with, but our Dad had a long relationship with him. He lived up that direction. I always considered the guy a shyster, but what did I know. Kenny and I encountered … Continue reading More On Blasting Rock In Marble Falls

Another Daily Happening, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Back When Our Dad Would Light Into Both Of Us, Just To Be Sure All Bases Were Covered

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Back in our early school years down at Jollyville, we rode the bus back and forth to school. A family, The Koepecke’s, had moved in not too far out of Jollyville. It was a place that is now part of the Balcones Country Club. This family were poor, you could tell. Kind of looked like they came in there straight out of the Grapes of Wrath movie. We got home from getting off the bus one afternoon and headed straight for the horse pen. About then the Koepecke’s old rattle trap station wagon came up the driveway. Kenny and I … Continue reading Back When Our Dad Would Light Into Both Of Us, Just To Be Sure All Bases Were Covered

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

The Sailfish

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Madeline and I had traveled to Acapulco, Mexico for a getaway in the late 1970’s. It was enjoyable and we wanted to go back. So we convinced my parents, Bonnie and Cecil, to go with us. It wasn’t an easy decision to make. One never knew how well Cecil Lewis would travel and adapt to various situations away from Smithwick. Once we got there we wanted to make the most of the trip and do something memorable for them. We lined up a parasailing ride for Bonnie Gay. She was extremely proud that she had tried it. Madeline took pictures, … Continue reading The Sailfish