Views of a Farm Boy--Dedicated to promote Iowa agriculture and Iowa values--Robert Vaughn--Urbandale, Iowa  EMAIL:   vaughnrobert@me.com

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. (NIV) (Psalm 62: 11,12).

I didn't have a feature page this month, so each link consists of two short stories about Central Iowa.

My View for the Month:  These two parks are so different and so unique. Yet, I think each of them is a nice compliment to the Greater Des Moines area.

Left: Goats in the park. No mower needed--but pickings are getting slim.

(Right) Maybe here tomorrow? Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Left) Looking toward the beautiful new recreation trail bridge across Easter Lake.

PARK ONE: Easter Lake Park is a relatively new entry to the recreational scene in and around Greater Des Moines. It is located in the southeast part of the city. This area was apparently plagued with environmental problems until the Easter Lake Watershed Project officially began in 2013. What a difference the past 10 years have made! This beautiful park now offers great recreational trails, picnic shelters, fishing and much more. Of course, I have a a story here. Our son Trent, and our grandson Evan, spent a whole week riding the Central Iowa Recreation Trails this summer. They called it "Bike Camp". The Easter Lake Trail was their favorite destination. Now--I know why!

PARK TWO: I visited two parks this week. What a contrast! Cohen is a small park located at 1000 Scott Avenue in the southeast bottoms of Des Moines. This little old park is loaded with history. The beautiful fountain (left) was built in 1906 and moved to this location in 1980. It was originally a watering trough for horses and small animals. Some folks didn't have running water in their homes so the constantly running fountain served a real need. The park is under renovation and new features mingle with the old. The Sutu Wall and bouldering "rocks"  will be a first of their kind for Iowa. Yet there is more than fun and games here! The park has a unique basin that is designed to fill with stormwater to help control flooding in the area.