Category: Thoughts and Musings

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

The Styrofoam Cup Incident

lewisotr

Back in 1977 I was finishing up a project out west of Houston and had another one going down in Crystal City, Texas. I spent a while on the Houston job that morning lining out the guys there. Paul was the one I was leaving in charge. We drank several cups of coffee. I pulled out about mid morning for south Texas, a good long 5 hour drive. It started to rain and it was a cold wintery day. I got over onto I-10 and was heading to San Antonio. Somewhere along the way it occurred to me in a … Continue reading The Styrofoam Cup Incident

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

Taking The Bait or Not

lewisotr

This was written around 5 years ago. I stumbled across it earlier so I thought I’d repeat it now, as we are approaching our 50th year of marriage which is next month. When You Know You’ve Been Married Too Long (or maybe just the right amount of time) Madeline and I got away for the weekend. She has booked us a cabin on the Frio River. It’s wonderful, peaceful and very relaxing. Last night we ventured down the river a ways to the little town of Concan. We each had the special, a very ample serving of catfish and all … Continue reading Taking The Bait or Not

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, My Friends, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Drilling A Water Well

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Cec talked LJ Henderson into bringing a track drill, normally used to drill holes for blasting rock, down to Smithwick to drill a water well. That wasn’t the conventional way to drill a water well, but Cecil Lewis and LJ Henderson weren’t your conventional guys either. After going down close to 100′, they hit water. When drilling with a track drill, the operator would stand right next to the hole being drilled,so all of the dust and rock cuttings being blown from the hole come out and cover the driller. Very few jobs could be dirtier. When the drill bit … Continue reading Drilling A Water Well

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

The Runaway Tractor

lewisotr

We always had a problem with trucks, cars and machinery taking off and rolling away when we parked it at our house. Most of the time it worked out without being a real disaster. We didn’t live on top of a hill exactly, but the ground wasn’t level either. Which was good and bad. Bad if the brakes weren’t set good, but good when the battery was down on a vehicle and you needed to roll it to get it started. Once I started to town, forgot something and came back. Forgetting to set the parking brake and in a … Continue reading The Runaway Tractor

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, My Friends, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

The 58 Ford Pickup Takes A Roll Or Two

lewisotr

It’s funny the ideas that young boys can have! Living about 9 miles out of Marble Falls meant a drive home every night on a very crooked stretch of paved country road. It’s common knowledge that deer feed at night by the moon. So on a moonlit night there were more deer along the roadway. We were convinced that on nights when the moon was really bright that driving home without headlights provided an overall better chance of not hitting a deer. With headlights off you could see the silhouette of the deer along beside and in the road. The … Continue reading The 58 Ford Pickup Takes A Roll Or Two

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, Thoughts and Musings3 Comments

The PreCast Concrete Venture That Exposed Me To A Ponzi Scheme

lewisotr

The year was 1991. I had spent 20 years digging ditches and I thought enough is enough. The economy was in the crapper. The great real estate boom of the 80s was over and all the big water and wastewater lines had been constructed to the far reaches of the city and beyond in Austin. The future didn’t look so swell for our business. I needed a break. I thought it was time for some new scenery, so to speak. I had two groups of employees by that time. The old and the new. It was time for the old … Continue reading The PreCast Concrete Venture That Exposed Me To A Ponzi Scheme

Amazing Things, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

It Was A Day, Not So Unlike Today – October 6, 1971

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I got off work up in Burnet where I’d been shooting dynamite all day, so we could lay sanitary sewer lines all around town. I had to make sure I didn’t run the track drill any that day, because I couldn’t afford to get as dirty as doing that would get me. Big Jimmy Palmer stayed up ahead drilling. I hit the road to Austin as soon as I could. I wasn’t as clean as I needed to be, but I knew I could shower at my sweethearts place before our big date night. But no way I’d be able … Continue reading It Was A Day, Not So Unlike Today – October 6, 1971

Thoughts and Musings12 Comments

The Killdozer – Haven’t Many Of Us Been This Fed Up Government.

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When we were on the train from Denver to Moab, Utah last week (September 2021), our guide was telling the story of this happening, as we passed by Granby, Colorado. I remembered it happening, very well. Today is a special day. June 4th 2018 marks the 14th anniversary of the Killdozer’s rampage through Granby Colorado. Sit down kids and let me tell you a tale, about a reasonable man driven to do unreasonable things. Marvin Heemeyer was a man who owned a muffler shop in Granby Colorado. The city council ordained to approve the construction of a concrete factory in … Continue reading The Killdozer – Haven’t Many Of Us Been This Fed Up Government.

Thoughts and Musings3 Comments

Being Lucky Is Much Better Than Being Smart, Sometimes

lewisotr

When riding the train from Denver to Moab, Utah a few days ago the little speck on a mountainside appeared. Our docent on the train told us the story of some teenagers, 4 of them that were around 15 years old went for a joy ride, unauthorized by the parent of one of them. The Oldsmobile Station Wagon was stopped by a law enforcement officer. Discovering that none of the kids had a drivers license, he made the decision to let them go, but insisted that one of the gals would have to drive. As they headed on their way, … Continue reading Being Lucky Is Much Better Than Being Smart, Sometimes