El Kahir Band Plays Maifest 2014

Musicians from the El Kahir Shrine play to the parade crowd gathered for Maifest earlier this month in Amana, Iowa. Annually the Shriners parade clowns, small cars, and a special float supporting a small army of red jacketed members.  

While not sporting a snappy fez, these band members provided a tight sound as if they have been playing together for a long time.

Clear Creek Amana Marching Band - Eyes Wide Open at Maifest

At Maifest 2014, the Clear Creek Amana Marching Band paraded the entire length (and back) of main Amana. Many locals have commented that the band's presence at the annual parade is a highlight and validates the occasion. The marchers may be small in number, but they certainly liven up the parade route with Sousa music. What else would you expect from the heartland of America?

Long Line of Union Pacific Locomotives

A peek through Marshalltown, Iowa's Center Street viaduct fence reveals a very long line of Union Pacific locomotives. For years locomotives have been maintained in this yard - even before the Lincoln Highway passed through. And for years residents have been waiting for trains to pass at railroad crossings throughout the city. In the mid-1990s the city rerouted some streets to utilize a new bridge across these tracks. Last year an abandoned line which entered the city from the northwest was removed and a bike trail may take its place. This stretch of linked locomotives may be a way to transport the engines to their next destination but I don't know for sure. Hopefully a knowledgeable reader can explain what this train chain is all about.

Memorial's Decoration Day - Iowa Veterans Home

Observance of Memorial Day began as Decoration Day in the South following the Civil War. Today this granite statue of that conflict stands in series of tributes to the Spanish American War and World War I at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa. To all who served, thank you.