I was driving down the road, headed to a doctors appointment, minding my own business.

The phone rang. Being one to comply with laws and to look out for the safety of others, I carefully took note of my surroundings. I wasn’t in a school zone and traffic was fairly light, being after the big rush of everyone to getting to work and the kids to school, it seemed the coast was clear for me to take this call from a number I didn’t recognize. “Hello this is Douglas West with Medicare. Is this Ronald Lewis” (said in a oriental accent that always sounds more like Ruan’ald Wuwis). “No it’s not. I’m his son, Montel … Continue reading I was driving down the road, headed to a doctors appointment, minding my own business.

The Unsuspecting Fellow Called:

“Mr. Lewis, this is Sam Jones calling from Medicare”. (said with a middle eastern accent) He told me he is authorized to send me a heart monitor, free of charge from Medicare. “Hold on young man, I’m here at the Austin Heart Hospital, where they are getting ready to put me in a new heart, you know a heart transplant. You know what that is?” (all said in the most poorly sickly sounding voice I could muster) He said he did know. So I told him to hold while I got the nurse to come talk to him. He acted … Continue reading The Unsuspecting Fellow Called:

I Feel Like My Life Is One Big Bundle Of Surprises

Yes I’m always surprised at what pops up around every corner, or so it seems. Some of those unexpected “surprises” are not good but most of the time they are something to enjoy. Having this forum I get to share much of this, the good and the bad with many of my friends. I would love to tell you something that happened a couple of days ago. It involves one person that many in Marble Falls knows and that I’ve call a friend for well over a half century, probably around 55 years. This fellow is a few years older … Continue reading I Feel Like My Life Is One Big Bundle Of Surprises

Sometimes It Pays To Procrastinate

This is one of those stories that happen and you ask yourself, what just happened? Last night a lady asked me if I had one of the Centennial Edition of Marble Falls History, published by The Highlander, that I may be willing to part with. It is a great record of the Marble Falls so many of us hold so dear to our hearts. I told this lady, whom I supposed would be using it to do research for a book she is writing, that I would look and see, but I was pretty sure I had a copy I’d … Continue reading Sometimes It Pays To Procrastinate

Let Me Tell You About Delbert and Nancy Boultinghouse

(My Mother’s Parents) This is a compilation of stories I wrote some time ago about my mother’s parents and what life was like back in the 20s and 30s in Smithwick, Texas. Much, if not all of their married life Nancy and Delbert was spent in Smithwick. Nancy was a member of the Martin Family from Burnet. I believe Delbert was raised primarily in Smithwick. My Maternal Grandparents marriage license. Oscar Delbert Boultinghouse & Nancy Ella Martin married on Jan. 15, 1915. After they married in 1915, they lived on what has always been known to me as the Old … Continue reading Let Me Tell You About Delbert and Nancy Boultinghouse

I Was A Kid With Few Talents

In fact I think I could only do approximately two unusual things. One of those I tried out while sitting in the barber chair this morning. Now mind you it wasn’t the first time I’d tried a barber out on this but in memory it’s the first time I ever got a real reaction. As this young gal started to clip the ear hair, I started my ear wiggling routine. Of course I could see her look in the mirror, so as she’d get close with the clipper, I’d let my big ole ears start moving back and forth. She … Continue reading I Was A Kid With Few Talents

My Brother Is Not A Drug Lord (from 2015)

A good many years ago I rolled up at my brothers house in the middle of the morning on a weekday, unannounced. I knew he was at home, but had no idea what I was walking into. Knowing he was home along, I started to just walk on in, but the door was locked. I knocked and he came and unbolted the door and let me in. Okay, Just so you know I called him before I wrote this to see if he minded me writing about it – “I don’t give a damn. I ended up having to put … Continue reading My Brother Is Not A Drug Lord (from 2015)

Cecil Lewis and the Spare Tire Rack

Back in “68” Cec bought a new 1/2 Ford Pickup down at Truck City Ford on Ben White Blvd in Austin. There was a brand new thing that he couldn’t do without. Back in those days pickups never came with a rear bumper from the factory. They were all installed by the dealer and most of the time in this area they were supplied by D&D Bumper in Seguin, Tx. The dealership name would be imprinted in it, so when you bought a bumper you paid for the privilege of advertising where you bought your truck everywhere you went. This … Continue reading Cecil Lewis and the Spare Tire Rack

I Really Didn’t Want To Go To The Army

I was 19 years old and had a low draft number. We got on a bus in Lampasas early in the morning for a trip up to Abilene for our physical, some time in the spring of 1972. I had many reasons that made me think I wasn’t cut out for Military Life. First off I had been hearing back from my brother about how miserable life was in Vietnam. Secondly I had been watching the television news at night and they were saying what a terrible situation we were in over there and how there didn’t seem to be … Continue reading I Really Didn’t Want To Go To The Army

Bump Gates

Probably Nothing Banged Up More Pickups Than The Bump Gate. Being a Hill Country Boy, I never got much practice using a Bump Gate. They are mostly something from West and South Texas. I’ve heard of lots of calamities with city slickers and Yankees trying to use them. Either running into them at full speed to not going through them fast enough. Not to even talk about pulling to long a trailer through one. I think it’s probably something you need to watch a pro operate them a few times before you decide to do it yourself. I guess they … Continue reading Bump Gates