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The Evolution of the Excavator Buckets We Use to Dig Ditches

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When I first started in the underground utility business, almost 50 years ago, excavator buckets were all flat bottom, mostly lighter weight buckets made for digging in dirt. We dug rock with them by day and welded on them by night. Standard Weight Bucket A Heavy Class Flat Mouth Bucket For some of our harder digging we started welding ripper teeth pockets on the back of our heavier buckets. The ripper shanks were used to contact with rock by curling the bucket inward and dragging the ripper into ledgey rock and even in blasted rock. They worked well most of the … Continue reading The Evolution of the Excavator Buckets We Use to Dig Ditches

Crazy Times, Kenny LewisLeave a comment

Making A Trip Down I-35 With Kenny Lewis

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I made a lame attempt at telling this story just after it happened. I don’t think I did justice to it, possible for fear that something might come along a bite my brother in the rear end and I didn’t need to be on a witness stand trying to explain myself. But since a couple of years or more has passed, I’m going to make another run at it. Kenny asked if I’d like to ride with him up south of Dallas to look at a piece of machinery that he was contemplating buying. I thought we would enjoy the … Continue reading Making A Trip Down I-35 With Kenny Lewis

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

Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, Kenny Lewis, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days3 Comments

Tumbleweed Hill

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Kenny had only been out of the Army for a short time. He was working for the company. I had a 1976 Chevy 4 Wheel Drive Pickup that I handed down to him. We had a project installing a new waterline that extended from near Mesa Dr, along Far West Blvd. The line would end near FM 2222 and Bull Creek Rd. This was Kenny’s project to oversee. We were for the first time living a role reversal, where I was his boss. I made an early morning drive by to check the progress and didn’t see Kenny anywhere, even … Continue reading Tumbleweed Hill

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early Days4 Comments

Ingrown Toenails

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As a teenager I was plagued with ingrown toenails. They came and went. One day as I complained about the pain, probably using it as an excuse to get out of work, my dad had heard enough. “Come here boy, I am gonna fix those toes of your” As I set in the kitchen floor, he brought out a syringe that we had recently used while castrating hogs. It had the largest and coarsest needle you can even imagine. He had the same medicine we had used for deadening the hogs. He loaded that syringe full of it and as … Continue reading Ingrown Toenails

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

Meeting New PeopleLeave a comment

Mr. Bob Coffee – Sculptor Extraordinaire

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I was at a funeral in Smithwick this morning of Marvin Turner. While standing around visiting afterwards I sauntered over where Kenny was conversing with a group of gentlemen that were all neighbors with he and Marvin down on Cow Creek. After Kenny introduced me all around, a kindly gentleman, the most senior of the group said “you are the fellow that wrote that book, The Angora Chronicles, aren’t you”? Of course I immediately took credit for it. He said he has just finished reading it. He asked if there were other editions. I feigned at how busy I am, … Continue reading Mr. Bob Coffee – Sculptor Extraordinaire

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 ?