Category: Thoughts and Musings

Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

I Remember When I Enjoyed Reading The Readers Digest

lewisotr

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 ?

lewisotr

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 ?

Aging, Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings7 Comments

It Set There All Day

lewisotr

When Kenny had a ranch in Mexico and was going back and forth a lot, so he bought a helicopter. He also used it to look at projects around the state. It was pretty handy. I had a lease agreement with him, so when I’d need to get around to take care of business it was at my disposal. To make sure I was as cool as my brother I built a helipad at my house. The pilot would fly in, grab me and we could leave Bertram and be in Arlington, Tx in an hour and twenty minutes. One … Continue reading It Set There All Day

Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings5 Comments

Sam From Sales

lewisotr

We were talking a day or so back about Radio Personalities and the chemistry some have together. I found this (and many more) YouTube clips of an afternoon skit that Hal Jay (the in-studio DJ) and Dick Siegel (helicopter pilot flying around doing traffic reports) and one of the news guys that would pose as Sam From Sales. At an appointed time, “Sam” would come in and spend a few minutes telling a story about something going in his life. In the background you could always hear the whirrrr of Dick’s helicopter, and the almost constant distinctive laughs of both … Continue reading Sam From Sales

Aging, Amazing Things, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., My Friends, Thoughts and Musings17 Comments

Let Me Tell You About John And About Friendship

lewisotr

John and I had many parallels in our lives. We both arrived in Marble Falls the same year, in the 8th grade. We both graduated five years later, in May of 1970, as did each of our future wives. All four of us were merely 19 years old when we married; both couples have been married every since. John went to college and I went straight on to work after high school. Very soon we each were in business. Therefore, neither of us really worked for anyone after just a short time, spending our whole lives in business for ourselves. … Continue reading Let Me Tell You About John And About Friendship

Amazing Things, Thoughts and Musings7 Comments

The Fox and the Ravens

lewisotr

A few days ago I was enjoying a nice spring afternoon sitting on the front porch swing. Sudden I heard the sounds of what appeared to be a couple of Ravens. They were close by. When I got up to go see what all the commotion was about, I saw them sitting in a live oak tree just outside of the yard. Not the actual bird, but one like it. The sounds of the common raven Just then I saw Oliver the Cat sticking his head through the net wire pasture fence that runs along the east side of the … Continue reading The Fox and the Ravens

Aging, Funny Happenings, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

I live in a perpetural world of confusion

lewisotr

As we were sitting on the front porch this afternoon, with son Mike and Gail, the subject of the importance of electricity came up. I just made the comment “if we think people were upset not being able to buy toliet paper just wait until all the electric power goes off !” Mike says hey y’all should watch this TV Show that he and Gail are just starting to rewatch – The Last Man on Earth. Since we are looking for something entertaining I said we would try it out. Not wanting to commit to something misrable, I decided to … Continue reading I live in a perpetural world of confusion

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

May Day Celebrations

lewisotr

I had all but forgotten an annual celebration that we did back when I was a kid in elementary school. The May Day Celebration and the May Pole Dance. It may still be something that is recognized and I’ve just missed out on it. Or did the separation of church and state put a lid on it? We didn’t erect a maypole back at Pond Springs School in Jollyville. We just used the flagpole. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maypole http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day Continue reading May Day Celebrations

The Early Days, The History of Texas, Thoughts and Musings3 Comments

A Little Bit About Cattle Auctions

lewisotr

I was once researching livestock auctions and when the actual concept of a ring with auctioneers started. While there were some used in the 50s (maybe as early as the 40s) it appears that it mostly became a widespread way of selling cattle and other stock in the early 60s. Prior to that, the Livestock Commission was mostly a place to bring sellers and buyers to a central location where they would get together and strike a deal. Then the house would weigh and facilitate the transaction and collect their fee. If anyone has knowledge about or if you actually … Continue reading A Little Bit About Cattle Auctions

Amazing Things, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Early Boyhood Memories

lewisotr

The Old Oak Tree at my grandmothers house along the highway in Smithwick (we lived in that house until I turned 4) that we played under and climbed in when we were kids. There were always at least a half dozen well made toy trucks and equipment, all constructed from metal that made their home under this marvelous tree. The Old Crib and Pens down behind the house. It is very weathered, considering it hasn’t been used or had any upkeep in more than 50 years. It was several decades old when I was a kid, for it to still … Continue reading Early Boyhood Memories