Category: Thoughts and Musings

Aging, Amazing Things, My Family, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

My Mother

lewisotr

Bonnie Gay would have been 93 next month, but she left us behind 35 years ago. She was only 57. Her sudden death on December 14, 1990 was one of the greatest shocks in my lifetime. It just didn’t seem like it was that time. She grew up poor, in a very large family. She was the 8th out of 11 children. Her oldest sibling was born in 1916 and the youngest was born in 1937. Her father died when she 9 years old. Bonnie went through the 8th grade at Smithwick Community School, then the 9th grade at Palm … Continue reading My Mother

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, On The Job, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The VW Bus Was Parked In A Bad Spot

lewisotr

I wasn’t long out of school, probably had just turned 18. One of my first jobs was driving a haul truck for Nelson Lewis. He had just landed a project in downtown Austin, laying a wastewater line up West Ave. It started down at 7th St and would continue up to about the 24th block on Rio Grande St. Right up in the the middle of UT. The first piece of equipment I hauled to the job was an old White-Oliver Rubber Tired Backhoe. It was a beast, 4 wheel drive and all. It didn’t travel real fast, so the … Continue reading The VW Bus Was Parked In A Bad Spot

Amazing Things, Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

My Wildest Trucking Story

lewisotr

I was driving a truck for Nelson Lewis hauling equipment around the state, in the later part of 1970. I was 18 years old. I was driving a 1967 GMC 9500 “B Cab”, I think it was. I don’t think the truck collectors/restoration folks are seeking out these beauties. I had worked on a job-site in Burnet all day, but needed to be in Port Lavaca the following morning. There was an Inley Excavator (or a Trackhoe as we called them) there that needed to go up to Lake Jackson, further up the coast toward Galveston. Having a chance to … Continue reading My Wildest Trucking Story

Crazy Times, No Place Like Bertram, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Back in the 90s – When a City Boy Moved to the Country

lewisotr

Not so very long after we bought our place here in Bertram, I went up to a local used tractor dealer and made a deal for a Poppin Johnny Tractor. It was well past being worn out, but I more wanted something to play around with and work on occasionally. It was a John Deere “G”. I had grown up around one like it and loved the sound of it starting up and then listening to its unique sound of that 2 cylinder engine. The fellow I bought it from had done a good job of giving it a new … Continue reading Back in the 90s – When a City Boy Moved to the Country

Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, My Friends, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

An LJ Henderson Memory

lewisotr

I was about 10 years old. LJ was drilling a well for us in Smithwick. He got me off to the side to ask me a few questions. “When your daddy goes fishing, what kind of bait does he use“?I was more than willing to tell him my daddy didn’t use, bait. He used a telephone to fish with. He got me to tell him exactly how it was done and how many fish they would get each time. About that time he reached in his pocket a flashed something, real fast, saying “you see this badge, I’m an undercover … Continue reading An LJ Henderson Memory

Amazing Things, Another Daily Happening, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

I Asked AI To Tell Me All About ADHD

lewisotr

In the following essay, I will attempt to tell you all about myself and a lifelong encounter I’ve had with ADHD. Of course when it first came up on my radar it was referred to as Attention-Deficit Disorder or ADD. I was already grown. But looking back over a lifetime I had so many of the symptoms. All the words in Bold are what AI told me in response to my original question, the title of this piece. My intention is to go through AI’s version and give my personal thoughts and experiences, all of which will be italicized. ADHD, … Continue reading I Asked AI To Tell Me All About ADHD

Amazing Things, Meeting New People, My Friends, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Let me tell you about Bill (originally told on Dec. 3, 2014)

lewisotr

Bill is a woodworker. Actually he is a woodturner, mainly. His works are beautiful. He lives in Bertram. It’s an amazing story of how we met. Madeline has a cousin in Houston that owns a bookstore that specializes in Murder … Continue reading Let me tell you about Bill (originally told on Dec. 3, 2014)

Aging, Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Connecting The Dots After 43 Years

lewisotr

I received a text from a fellow I know this morning. He sent me a picture of one of my business cards. It was a card from sometime prior to 1985. That is when I sold my office on Montopolis Drive and moved on with a new address. So that’s how I knew how old the card was. He found it taped to the wall in a house he had recently purchased. Out of curiosity I ask where the house was, thinking that I may know the person that lived there. As soon as he told me which house it … Continue reading Connecting The Dots After 43 Years