He has showed you O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV) (Micah 6:8)

VIEWS OF A FARM BOY

VFB 15 YEARS

DECEMBER--2020

RETURN TO HOMEPAGE>>>>

This month's edition marks the 15th anniversary of VIEWS OF A FARM BOY. I am recognizing this milestone by picking one picture for each year.

2006--Wouldn't you know it? A farm boy leads off with a farm story--a field demo at the Farm Progress Show. This great agriculture exhibit comes to Iowa every other year and I'm always there.

2007--The Old Thrashers Reunion is an annual Labor Day event at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. History for Iowa--memories for me! When I was growing up we still thrashed oats with a machine very much like this. It was more than harvest-- thrashing day was a social event. The neighboring farmers made this a work team and their wives all fixed a banquet type lunch. Please pass the fried chicken and mashed potatoes!

2008- Anderson-Erickson Dairy is located at 2420 East University, Des Moines, Iowa. This Iowa dairy was established in 1930. Here it is--90 years later and this family owned business is still a tribute to the Iowa dairy industry. Say "hello" to Annie and Eric as you drive by.

2009--I rode my bicycle across Iowa for 35 consecutive years. There is no better way to see our beautiful state. My favorite stops were not just the small towns, but also the farms along the way.

2010--Now, actually this was probably the highlight moment for each year's Ragbrai event. Here I am at the "finishing line"--after dipping my front wheel in the Mississippi River. It has been a great week--but I'm ready to get home to my family.

2011--For six years we spent a couple of months in Arizona. I loved hiking in the Superstition Mountains with my Canadian friend, Robin. He always told me to remember the golden rule--"Never hike out furthur than you know you can hike back." Very sound advice, but I think I could "sit on a cactus" and enjoy this beautiful scene all day!

2012--The former Younkers Building was my favorite example of architectural beauty in downtown Des Moines. It  was a sad day when this magnificent structure was destroyed by fire in 2014. However, the fire fighters, police and emergency responders did a great job of keeping the fire from spreading to adjacent structures. No lives were lost---so I guess that gives this story a happy ending.

2013-A beautiful day for a ride to the Iowa countryside! I thought I was alone when I stopped at this Iowa farm. But look! I see three friendly faces all greeting me with a smile. Yes!!!! This is rural Iowa.

2014--The Living History Farm is an Iowa treasure. Everything is no-till nowadays so the younger farmers wouldn't know anything about fall plowing. This "field demo" tells you a little about farm life in the 30's when I was a little Iowa farm kid.

2015--Look now--This beautiful eight story building will be imploded in just a few days (October 05, 2015). The boxy design of the old Riverfront YMCA made it a poor candidate to be converted to another use. The building will soon be gone--but so will the beautiful murals that adorned outside walls.

2016--You have been downtown with me (on VFB) many times throughout the years. We have also crossed a lot of bridges. This puts it together--A view of downtown Des Moines looking east as seen from this beautiful arched bridge north of Grays Lake.

2017--The Solheim Cup could very well be the premier sporting event to ever take place in the Des Moines area. The best of the best LPGA golfers, from all over the world, displayed their exceptional talents at the West Des Moines Golf and Country Club, August 14-17, 2017. Yes--I was there--all four days.

2018-- The Blank Park Zoo is located at 7402 SW 9th St., Des Moines, Iowa. I love all of the zoo animals, but on this trip, I spent a lot of time watching mother lion, Neema, and her three babies.

2019--These grain storage bins are located along the Raccoon River Valley Trail just north of Minburn, Iowa. I smile every time I ride by on my bicycle. Yes, I smile--because I think about our Iowa farmers and I am thankful this and other Iowa grain will help feed a very hungry world.

2020--You probably knew this was coming! I had to share with you one of my very favorite places in the world--the Iowa State Capitol (complex). This completes my 15th year anniversary edition of VIEWS OF A FARM BOY.

"VIEWS OF A FARM BOY--Dedicated to promote Iowa agriculture and Iowa values--Robert Vaughn--Urbandale, Iowa." This was my theme when I published my first edition of VFB. Here it is 15 years later and I hope I haven't strayed far from my roots. Throughout the years, we have traveled to many places on this journey of adventures. Also, I have featured many milestone and anniversary events. This month, on the 15th anniversary of VIEWS OF A FARM BOY, we look back on some of those memories. I would like to share them with the people I love--yes--that includes you!

2006

2007

2010

2009

2011

2012

2008

2014

2015

       

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2013