This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for May 13, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.           About 75 or 80 years ago, when I was a kid, it was not uncommon to see buildings made of logs, especially barns and storage buildings, but even a few houses. And you saw quite […]

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for May 6, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.           There are stories or legends about strange sounds being emitted from a number of rivers in the United States, but it seems to me the largest number of rivers emitting mysterious sounds are in Texas.

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for April 29, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.           In small, rural communities in Texas, it was kind of uppity to own a birdbath, — after all, birds could doggone well bathe and drink in the horse trough! Well, not only did my mother

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for April 22, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.           Frogmore Cottage was a wedding gift to Prince Harry and his bride from Queen Elizabeth. “Frogmore Cottage” always struck me as a rather undignified name for a royal dwelling at Windsor. Since, for several reasons,

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for April 15, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.             My wife and I have been Leon Hale fans ever since we used to read his much-loved column in the Houston Post. Mr. Hale, whom I never met in person, wrote his newspaper column in

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for April 8, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.             Back in the old days in the small rural Texas town where I grew up, appropriately named “Dime Box,” you could buy “hot guts” and a slice of bread at one of the beer joints.

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for April 1, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.             As a retired pastor, I miss being an active part of Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Tonight is Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, a very important worship time for many Christians, including Lutherans. The next

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for March 25, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.             Can three lines say it all?             Not everybody agrees with what makes up good writing. Years ago, when I taught English, the motto I shared with students was, “Don’t say in twelve words what

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for March 18, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.             Springtime triggers memories of my parents who were excellent gardeners. If they were still alive, they would not like my referring to them as “excellent gardeners”; they would think calling them “gardeners” was too “highfalutin,”

This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for March 4, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.             Since two of my newspaper columns, one about accordion music and polka bands and the other one mentioning New Braunfels accordionist, Isaak Klaus, I have received overwhelmingly positive responses, including phone calls, from my readers.