Category: Thoughts and Musings

Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings4 Comments

The Schefflera Plant Incident

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Madeline had a plant she always kept right outside the front door in a huge pot. She took such great care of it. She would have me bring it in during part of the year. She always monitored my coming and going with it to be sure I didn’t knock any leaves off of it. She was very particular about that Schefflera. It was about 4 feet tall, therefore it required a large pot which was really heavy. She said something to me one day that I didn’t take real kindly to and rushed out the front door. I know … Continue reading The Schefflera Plant Incident

Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

A Sure Sign I’m Aging

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I bet many of you on here with us for the past almost 6 years have noticed that I have told the same story several times. Well that’s a fact. I know how that’s partially an old folks thing, telling the same story more than once. At least I haven’t got to where I tell the same story several times in the same day. But there’s one thing you may want to keep in mind. I may be repeating myself, but I always tell them the same way. So that lends credence to them being true. It’s hard to remember … Continue reading A Sure Sign I’m Aging

Kenny Lewis, Thoughts and Musings, Uncategorized1 Comment

The Women Only Bank

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One day in the 80s Kenny was driving and I was the passenger. That’s generally the way we have always have traveled. Who needs to listen to a bunch of belly-aching about my driving. Not me. So I didn’t have to watch the road and see what he was about the crash into, I decided to read the newspaper. There was a story that I found intriguing. It was about this new bank they were opening in Austin and they were only going to have women customers. Relating the story to Kenny got him all stirred up. “This Women’s Lib … Continue reading The Women Only Bank

Cecil Lewis, Thoughts and Musings3 Comments

Cecil Lewis, The One And Only

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When I’ve tell stories about my Dad, I’m always hopeful that I don’t give the impression that Cecil Lewis was only an outlaw or something. He was, but what can I say, he was Cecil Lewis. Truly a one of a kind. If he liked you he’d do anything for you, if he didn’t like you, he’d still do anything for you. He was liked by most people, respected by many but people knew to give him a wide berth. I owe much of my success to him. Not only in the things he taught me to do, but in … Continue reading Cecil Lewis, The One And Only

Crazy Times, My Sons, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

A Nice Sunday Afternoon Motorcycle Ride

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A few years ago we were doing a project in Brownsville, Texas, a seven hour trip to the south. Being a nice Sunday I decided to ride my Goldwing down. Madeline was coming down later so she was pulling the trailer so I could haul it back home later that week. Ron Jr. was working on that job so he was already down there. He had a motorcycle so I suggested he ride up to Corpus so we could meet for lunch then ride back together. After having lunch we headed out for the 3 hour trip to the valley. … Continue reading A Nice Sunday Afternoon Motorcycle Ride

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

What Didn’t Kill Us, Made Us Stronger

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Was online texting back and forth this morning with my little sister/cousin Jan Beaver. We grew up to be parents that jerked our kids up and hauled them to the doctor every time they had a snotty nose. I guess we were making up for the lack of us going to the doctor when we were kids. Jan told of climbing up on the cabinet next to the stove top where Bonnie Gay was making Mustang Grape Jelly and turned the pan over, spilling it all over her arms. She grabbed her up and ran cold water on it and … Continue reading What Didn’t Kill Us, Made Us Stronger

The Early Days, The Jollyville Years, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Texas Freemason Magazines

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I would have been 11 or 12 years old. We still lived down on the creek, out of Jollyville. I was left at home alone, which was unusual for my family to do when I was that age. I guess they didn’t know if there would be a house to come back to if they left me there by myself. I was prone to experiment with stuff, as that was when Chemistry Sets were popular. But on this Saturday there was no testing of stuff going on. I remember it being a very cold day, one where stepping out on … Continue reading The Texas Freemason Magazines

Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

I Remember When I Enjoyed Reading The Readers Digest

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I went for years reading it every month. There wasn’t a section of it that I didn’t enjoy. We even maintained a subscription to it for many years. That poor little magazine seems to have dwindled to almost nothing. I bought it a few times after they changed the format, downsized it and made it awful. Did the publisher of that magazine ruin it on purpose or what. You could say that the talent just isn’t around that can be hired. But really so much of it was stuff sent to them. Good stories, good jokes. But as for becoming … Continue reading I Remember When I Enjoyed Reading The Readers Digest

Thoughts and Musings5 Comments

Can We Have A Real Frank Discussion Here Today ?

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The following story is one I told very early on, when this group was started. It was a valuable lesson I learned once and it applies now in the age of social media. After you read the story, I have a few more words for you. A 2 Minute Talk That Has Lasted For 40 Years. Udo was of German descent. He had a coarseness about him, but an incredible refinement as well. He adapted to the situation he was in at the moment. When he retired after a long career in the excavation business, he sold me his office … Continue reading Can We Have A Real Frank Discussion Here Today ?

Amazing Things, Old Dog - New Trick, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Story Of How A Little Ol’ Utility Contractor From Bertram, Texas Came To Own Two Giant Excavators

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When we first acquired these machines in the later part of 2007, they were bought for a particular project, that was in some fairly hard limestone. We had approximately 6 to 7 miles of very deep wastewater to lay. We didn’t have our own deep trenchers that it would take to dig the depths we were going to need. We would generally subcontract that portion of the work out. We had equipped our two 385 Cats out with Leading Edge buckets (the very strange buckets at the bottom of the page) and had been having great success excavating rock with … Continue reading The Story Of How A Little Ol’ Utility Contractor From Bertram, Texas Came To Own Two Giant Excavators