Category: The Early Days

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Hudson Hornet

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I’ve told a story about the old couple, Minnie and Charlie Campbell showing up in Smithwick back in the 60s. Charlie was a Studebaker man. He always claimed he would never drive anything but a Studebaker. He and Minnie drove off one day and when they came back a few days later he had bought Minnie a car and it wasn’t a Studebaker. It was a very clean 1951 Hudson Hornet. The picture below shows what it looked like. He messed with it and never could make it run right so he parked it out under a tree and it … Continue reading The Hudson Hornet

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, The Early Days, The Jollyville Years1 Comment

Big Snakes

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A contribution by Kenny Lewis As Ronnie has mentioned, we lived on 65 acres of the roughest country that Bull Creek had to offer. Suitable for our little Angora goat herd, a few Shetlands, Tarbaby, a little Jersey cow named Crickett and Rattlesnakes. It never failed that when I got the urge to ride (which was usually daily) the horse I wanted to use was always in the back of the pasture. So, I took off with a halter in one hand and a small feed bucket in the other. Sure enough Shorty (a 31” paint Shetland) and Tarbaby were … Continue reading Big Snakes

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

While Building The South Austin Hospital – Early 1980s

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We had contracted to install the water, wastewater and storm drainage for the new hospital that was being built just west of South 1st on Ben White. We were getting down to the end of the project. Everything had worked out about as well as we could have hoped for. It was time to hook into the city’s 66″ water main that crossed Ben White and continued south on James Casey Drive. We were required to tap into this large main at night, since it was the major source of water for all of South Austin. We worked through the … Continue reading While Building The South Austin Hospital – Early 1980s

Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

Failing To Choose My Words Correctly

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One time I submitted the low bid on a project, a subdivision. It was for a fairly new MUD District, the Anderson Mill MUD. (That shows just how long I’ve been around perhaps – Anderson Mill was formed in the early to mid 1970’s) The next bid that was submitted was slightly higher, by a few thousand dollars. Even though my bid met every qualification, I was informed that the district was going to reject my bid in favor of the 2nd place bidder. While I was disappointed to say the least, I was new enough in business to not … Continue reading Failing To Choose My Words Correctly

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

My Wife Always Tells Me To Pace Myself

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This was a FaceBook post I originally made back at the end of 2014, just a few months after the inception of the AngoraChronicles. My problem is when I think of something I have to get busy with it then and there or I may never get it done. It’s that way with writing stories. When something pops in my head, I need to get it written or I may never think of it again. That may be the reason that in just a few months time I’ve written about everything that’s happened to me and around me in a … Continue reading My Wife Always Tells Me To Pace Myself

Aging, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Remembering The Turkey Bend Ladies

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My wife handed me a baby blanket the other day that was badly stained. She reminded me that Aunt Mamie Franck (we called her Aunt Mamie, but she wasn’t actually our aunt) hand made this little blanket when our first born son, Matthew was born. Matt will turn 47 this coming August 22, which is my birthday as well. I turned 22 years old the day he came into this world. Madeline trusts my ability to remove stains, and I can usually do it without completely destroying the stained item. I was curious of Aunt Mamie’s age when she made … Continue reading Remembering The Turkey Bend Ladies

Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Shirt and The Tractor

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I have this one shirt, out of a closet full, that I really like. It’s nothing fancy, but when I see it, it always sparks memories. Those memories go back to my grandfather, Theron Lewis. These were early memories, because he passed away when I was 6 years old, only a couple of months into my first grade year. He always wore blue work shirts to the cow lot to feed and milk. He wore those shirts to do carpentry work in when he was building a house for someone. But what I most remember is he wore one when … Continue reading The Shirt and The Tractor

Funny Happenings, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days2 Comments

Always Watch What You Say Around The Little Ones

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I did a job down in Hockley, Texas a long time ago. I was on that project when I heard that Elvis was dead. Funny how we remember those things. When I first started the project I needed someone in the office there onsite to help keep the pipe and other material ordering straight as well as keeping up with time and other office duties. An older fellow dropped by looking for an employment opportunity. He lived in the area and knew his way around. He was a strikingly handsome old fellow. He dressed nicely, but seemed like he constantly … Continue reading Always Watch What You Say Around The Little Ones

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake

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Early in my contracting career, G.K. became my accountant, sidekick and office guy. His marriage had failed due to his drinking and other circumstances, so he was free to move around the state doing projects with me. Something that I was able to easily do too. Madeline and I were fairly portable. We went to Huntsville, Houston and eventually we ended up in Brackenridge, Tx. We only had one child, a baby – Matthew, when in December 1976 an opportunity came along to go do the largest project I had ever undertaken. It was in Stephens County, Texas. It was … Continue reading Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake