An Arkies Musings

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 28, 2023, issue of The Polk CountyPulse The public address system on our train car crackled to life, and a scratchy voice announced, "nächste station, Murnau." "That's our station," I said to my wife and sister as I got out of my seat and started getting our luggage. Each one of us had a suitcase and a backpack. I grabbed my wife's and my sister's luggage and gave it to them. They headed for the train doors while the car was still moving. When the train came to a halt, I was grabbing my luggage off the overhead rack. With my suitcase in one hand and my backpack in the other, I rushed down the steps from the train car to the doors. My wife and sister stepped onto the train platform as I ran for the door. There was one man between my travel companions and me. I stepped toward the door but was suddenly jerked back as the straps of my backpack caught on the railing beside the two steps down to the door. I turned a...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 21, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse. A light rain fell as Sergio drove the bus from Munich to Schloss Linderhof. I watched out the window as the Alps came into view. I had heard about the Alps all my life, but seeing them was a magical moment. The palace is nestled in a valley at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. The views as we drove there were magnificent. Schloss Linderhof was the favorite home of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He built the palace on the site of his father's old cottage and finished it in 1878. King Ludwig was intimately involved in the design and building of Linderhof, sometimes to the extreme irritation of his architects and artisans. He lived at Linderhof for over seven years. Ludwig was a recluse, often refusing to see to matters of state. He dined alone. Ludwig installed a "magic table" that could be lowered and raised to and from the kitchen. His servants cooked and served meals without ever coming ...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 14, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse. When my granddaughter was young, she would ask to listen to "those southern stories" when she rode with me. She was referring to a podcast called Tales from the South that I liked to listen to. The podcast features true stories written and told by the Southerners who lived them, in front of a live audience. One of her favorite stories was "Rainbow Cheerios" by Paul Strack. When she asked if we could listen to southern stories, she often added, "Can we listen to the Rainbow Cheerios story?"  Paul starts his story by saying, "Cool – You have Rainbow Cheerios!" He explains that on the night of April 26, 2011, tornadoes hit the Mayflower, Arkansas, area. His 13-year-old daughter learned that the tornado destroyed her friend's house. He asked the family, "What can we do to help?" The family needed someplace for their teenage daughters Rachael and Taylo...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 7, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse. The older Chevy van pulled into my driveway as I installed a windshield. The van's owner, Tom, climbed out of the van and came over to talk with me. He had a problem with the windshield and wanted to see what we could do. We discussed the issue and scheduled a time to work on the van. Tom was very friendly, and we visited for a few minutes after scheduling the work. As we talked, Tom told me he had spent thirty years as a conductor on the Southern Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads. When he spoke about his job as a conductor, it was apparent that he loved it. When he was ready to leave, I told Tom I had a gift for him. I gave him a copy of my latest book. The book's cover features a photo by Whitley Lind Photography of a Kansas City Southern train traveling on the tracks at the Mena depot just before sundown. I thought that he would like the photo, and he did. As he left, Tom thanked me a...