Monday, August 6, 2012

"bigger than life character"

Arnie Deckwa is a "bigger than life character" who loves life and lives life to its fullest.  How refreshing it is to meet someone that doesn't fit the average mold.  Arnie Deckwa is that type of man as you will see while reading  "The Singing Salmon Man From Cornet Bay."  It is not only an interesting, fun and heartwarming book to read, it takes you on a ride that will cover all your emotions from laughter to tears, while keeping you captivated with its inspiring stories.

Arnie had a dream as a child and with tenacity and hard work he made it happen.  Each story and adventure in this book that Arnie Deckwa has lived are filled with excitement and laughter.  He claims that his twin passions are music and food.  Well, those might be two of his passions, however, I believe that Arnie's main passion is people.  His love for God is evident as he shows love to those around him along with compassion and a generous heart.  He has old fashioned values and does what he says he will.   

Everything Arnie puts his hand and mind to, he does with his whole heart, as you will see while reading "The Singing Salmon Man From Cornet Bay."   Arnie sees obstacles as opportunities and has developed character traits that have all the makings of success. I highly recommend reading this inspiring biography about Arnie Deckwa... you will walk away with a smile on your face, joy in your heart and it will restore your faith in mankind.

Colleen
Winthrop, WA.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

A pleasant reminder of times past

I have known Arnie Deckwa for a long time.  We were in high school during the same time frame in the late 1950's.  Because of that I had a vague knowledge of Arnie's history and his story.  So, when I was given his book, "The Singing Salmon Man From Cornet Bay,"  I set it aside, thinking that I would get to it when my current reading list had dwindled.

Three months and a couple of books later, I finally picked up Arnie's book and began reading.  I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Of course, the familiarity with the times and location was of immediate interest to me.  When Arnie speaks of Cornet Bay and Deception Pass and the people from this area I could easily relate to them as I have visited those sites often and know some of the individuals personally.  As I was reading, I found the book to be entertaining and a pleasant reminder of times past.  The book is essentially a series of short stories or excerpts from Arnie's experiences from childhood to the present, written with home spun appeal and humor.

The stories are held together by several re-occurring themes which flow through the book from its beginning right down to the last chapter.  A central theme would be "follow your dream."  Arnie knew what he wanted in life and he set out to realize that dream.  A similar theme found was, "never give up".  From the stories told it was apparent  that giving up would have been easy for most people as the opportunities to do so occurred often.  But that was not Arnie's style.  A third theme, the most important one to my way of thinking,  was an underlying faith and commitment to the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Time and again, the stories came back to the fact that the dreams and the persevering can only be meaningful and rewarding if they are structured within the framework of His presence in our lives.

I understand that a lot of material was cut from this book to keep it a reasonable length.  I'm waiting for the sequel.

Keith Fakkema

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Great Storytelling Book

If you want classic reading of great adventures read "The Singin' Salmon Man from Cornet Bay." This is a story about a classmate of mine who I remember as Arnie the singing accordion player. When we finish school and go on with our lives, we never know what lies ahead.

Well what a life Arnie had. I am sure that anyone can relate to one adventure or another that he experienced. It is a great storytelling book about this fun and very multi-talented man. A great story and a must read, besides it makes you hungry for more tales from Arnie.

Barbara Toskey Lobejko

Cowboy-Singer-Entrepreneur

As friendly and charming as Arnie himself, this book stands as a tribute to the pursuance of the American Dream.  Arnie "did it his way," with a determination that has been rewarded with success. The sweetness of life in the 40's and 50's (we were poor, we were at war, but we were happy) sets the stage for this cowboy-singer-entrepreneur.

Follow his rollicking bumps as he travels along finding himself in an interesting array of friendships, ultimately finding his best, the lovely Joanne and the continuance of their lives, demonstrating their skills and passions, definitely a slice of the American Pie.

Friend and fan, Sue Christensen.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Local Guy, Local Story - The Singin Salmon Man from Cornet Bay

Being new to the Skagit Valley area, I found I can learn about a new area by reading books written by local authors. Picking up and reading "The Singin' Salmon Man I ran into a local man who's life  was so interesting I couldn’t put it down. It starts out with a local guy fishing in the Deception Pass area  and  fast moves him into a national role finishing up by starting a fish based food business from of all places Nashville. Who could write about smoked salmon and the Grand Ole Opry in one sentence? Well Arnie can and does.

This is a fun fun informative book about a man who starts small and doesn't know when to stop. A great read well beyond a local guy with a local story.

Oliver Iversen
La Conner WA