April 22 Daily Umbrella: Most Beautiful Bulldog; bird-watching; why don't astronauts like gravity?

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Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Good morning to you!

Bird-watching. Yes, bird-watching. I never thought the day would come. But, it has, and I am enjoying it. And with National Go Birding Day just around the corner (April 26), the timing to come out of the cage seemed right.

A few years back, my wife and I would frequently go camping. We would arise in the early morning with a cup of hot coffee, sit outside quietly, and marvel at the array of birds and their activity. We cautiously told some close friends about our fascination, and they admitted they are also hooked and suggested we buy a book about Iowa birds. So, we did. We dug through boxes and found some old binoculars as well. When our adult children learned of this, they pointed out that we now are truly old. They seem to be right.

Of course, like you, I have been around birds my entire life. As a child, I would also quietly watch the birds as they flew about. Gathering nature’s debris for their nests. Plucking earthworms from the wet soil. And waking me up with their playful chirping. Few things bring back more peaceful memories than the cooing of those two mourning doves outside my bedroom window. They were nature’s alarm clock.

As pleasant as those birds were, I never felt motivated to truly “bird-watch.” That was for the nerds, I rationalized. After all, I saw Jane Hathaway on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and I was not going to be searching for the yellow-bellied sapsucker.

Meanwhile, I recently started watching “The Residence” on Netflix, a wonderful whodunnit series about a murder in the White House with a detective who has a passion for bird-watching. The parallels to Cordelia Cupp’s detective work are entertaining enough, but I found myself intrigued by her feathered finds.

Then, in the midst of writing this column, I received an email from one of those statistics-of-the-day groups looking for free PR stating that Iowa is the worst state for bird-watching. Seriously. Well, I won’t be donning a tan uniform and a brimmed hat anytime soon, but, despite our state’s awful rankings, I am enjoying the sights of robins and blue jays and cardinals and finches. They represent a change of seasons, a resurgence of life and a simple playfulness we could all use a bit more of.

As my mother got older, I would see her talking to the birds outside her home. I was tempted to tease her about it, but I could see how those birds brought her peace and happiness. She wasn’t too pleased with the squirrel that continually emptied the birdfeeders, though, but she learned how to turn its attention to a feeder she made out of corn cobs that spun on a wheel. And then Mom began talking to the squirrel, too. Amazingly enough, the squirrel seemed to chirp back at her.

I am not yet talking to the birds and squirrels, but those days may be coming soon, and that’s just fine by me. Until then, you may find me in the early hours with a cup of hot coffee in my hand, reading my bird book, and listening to the mourning doves.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

FROM KCCI: 80-pound pup crowned Drake's 2025 Most Beautiful Bulldog. The newest Drake University Beautiful Bulldog has been crowned. The pageant is the annual kick-off to the Drake Relays and on Monday, 30 bulldogs from across the state — and even from as far away as Virginia — lined up at the Knapp Center to see who would take the crown. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Des Moines shooting leaves one seriously injured. One person was seriously injured in a shooting Monday evening. At around 6:10 p.m. DMPD officers responded to a report of a shooting at a residence in the 1600 block of East University Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene they found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. DMPD said the victim was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Iowa man sentenced to 50 years for shooting man in face, attempting to burn dead body. A Keokuk County man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after he shot another man and attempted to burn his remains to conceal the evidence. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

After morning storms, temperatures warm today. Scattered storms on Wednesday become more numerous Thursday.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

Pollen tracker

Tree pollen: High

Grass pollen: Low

Ragweed pollen: None

The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®

Best Ankeny Store

1. Mint Piercing Studio

2. Real Deals

3. Tanique

See all of the results

Tuesday touts
As if the daily lunch $10 specials, with salad, rice, beans and two entrees are not a good enough tout, these tacos, carnitas and pastor can be ordered for $1.50 each on Tuesdays at Los Laureles, the OG of Michoacan-Jalisco-Zacatecas style cuisine. On East Grand since 1993 and open till 3 a.m. on weekends.

Gateway Market will celebrate its 18th anniversary with a 13-hour 20% off sale today on everything on the shelves.

Deals today
• Jethro's Tuesday special is two pounds of bone-in smoked wings for the price of one.

• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) runs a Tuesday special hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy and drink for $13.50 till Memorial Day.

• Irina's Steak and Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers live lobsters at half price on Tuesdays.

• Opa! (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a buffet featuring fried shrimp, manicotti, chicken piccata, chicken meatballs, garlic knots, pasta alfredo, lamb and chicken, pizza, and all-you-can-eat dessert for $22.99 tonight till 8 p.m.

• "Is It an Egg" returns to GoodSons (2813 Beaver, Des Moines) tonight 6.30 p.m.

• Kids meals are half price till 2 p.m. today at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale).

• Taco Tuesday brings serious discounts to Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines), La Familia (1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines), all Taco John's, The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines), all Abelardo's, all Fernando’s, Malo (900 Mulberry St., Des Moines), Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines), Los Laureles (1518 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines), Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) and Faustino’s (4944 Franklin Ave., Des Moines).

• Today is beef and noodles day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave. West Des Moines).

• Django (1420 Locust St., Des Moines) has happy hour all night Tuesdays. That means super deals on oysters, shrimp, duck frites, poutine, charcuterie, cheese boards, beers, wine and classic martinis.

• Sully's (806 First St., West Des Moines) has a burger basket special for $12 today.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) hosts a Tuesday Burger & Beer special - ½ pound burger, chips and dip, with a tap beer of choice, $15.

• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a tenderloin Tuesday special with fries for $10.

• Curbin Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor Dr., Ankeny) offers cheeseburgers and fries for $7.99 on Tuesdays.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

WALKS OF LIFE
A special bond — Local grandparents share why living close to their grandkids is so important.

Compiled from the Iowa Living magazines

These days, kids often grow up, move away and start families and careers far from where they grew up. Dinners with the extended family is now regulated to the holidays, when those who are able make the trip “back home.” But there is something about grandkids that brings about another family shift. Many young families decide their kids would benefit from having family close by, and many grandparents find retirement is the perfect time for making a move closer to family.

Featured home for sale

Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.

$279,800

308 18th Place
West Des Moines, IA 50265

Comfort, charm and character come together in this beautifully maintained one-and-a-half story home nestled on a quiet street in old West Des Moines. This established neighborhood features mature trees and is just blocks away from everyday conveniences at nearby Normandy Center and is also close to area schools and parks. Inside the home, natural light fills each room through newer Pella windows providing convenience and energy efficiency. ...

See the listing here.

See more homes for sale

SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

5970 MORNING STAR COURT, PLEASANT HILL
SALE DATE: 2024-12-19
SALE PRICE: $6,789,000
SELLER: GRISHAM FAMILY III LLC
BUYER: 5970 MORNING LLC
ACRES: 2.426
SQUARE FEET: 5,620

More transactions

Featured in the current
issue of Adel Living magazine

Meet Traci Haxton
Makes journey from elementary education to middle school

By Lindsey Giardino

Spring 2023 brought many new beginnings for Traci Haxton and her family, one of which was taking a leap of faith and moving to Adel from the Quad Cities area.

That fall, Haxton, an educator of 27 years, became a substitute teacher across the district in part because she wanted to ensure her values aligned with her future school community.

This past fall, she took an official role at ADM Middle School as an eighth-grade literacy teacher. In her previous school districts, she served as a classroom teacher for grades K-5, an instructional coach and a reading interventionist. It was this extensive experience in elementary education that gave her the confidence to embrace a new challenge in middle school education. ...

FROM ESPN.COM: NCAA proposes new rules to allow direct payments to players. The NCAA Division I Board of Directors on Monday proposed deleting 153 longstanding rules from its handbook, a move that will allow schools to share financial benefits directly with players -- an expected step towards a new era of amateurism in college athletics, but one that remains contingent upon the approval of the House settlement. ... READ MORE

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Brock Purdy, 49ers making 'some progress' toward lucrative multi-year extension. Entering the offseason, the biggest to-do for the San Francisco 49ers was figuring out a long-term extension for young quarterback Brock Purdy, who still has a year left on his rookie deal. Both sides have expressed interest in getting it done, and it seems the angle is keeping Purdy in the Bay for the foreseeable future...but an agreement has yet to be reached, almost three months after the Super Bowl. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: John Korir follows in brother's footsteps, Sharon Lokedi breaks record to win Boston Marathon. The 2025 Boston Marathon has a new winner on the men's side. John Korir won the event Monday with a time of 2:04:45. ... READ MORE

1945: Hitler admits defeat. On April 22, 1945, Adolf Hitler, learning from one of his generals that no German defense was offered to the Russian assault at Eberswalde, admits to all in his underground bunker that the war is lost and that suicide is his only recourse. ... READ MORE

1978: Bob Marley headlines One Love Peace Concert. On April 22nd, 1978, international reggae superstar Bob Marley headlines the One Love Peace Concert at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. The lineup included 16 reggae acts (including Marley) with a common goal: to restore peace to the Caribbean island nation, a former British colony then roiling with political strife. ... READ MORE

2004: Pat Tillman killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Pat Tillman, who gave up his pro football career to enlist in the U.S. Army after the terrorist attacks of September 11, is killed by friendly fire while serving in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. The news that Tillman, age 27, was mistakenly gunned down by his fellow Rangers, rather than enemy forces, was initially covered up by the U.S. military. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

Happy birthday, Paula Williams, Brady Lorenz, Ben Lorenz and Robert Fisher!

These celebrities were born on this date: Machine Gun Kelly, Amber Heard, Violet McGraw, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jack Nicholson, Marshawn Lynch, Sherri Shepherd, Jekalyn Carr

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to the last riddle: What do you get when you cross a donkey with a motorcycle? A Yam-Hee-Haw! - Gail Tomlinson. Other answers from William Snyder.

Today's riddle: Why don't astronauts like gravity?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Grimes/Dallas Center, North Polk or Adel Living magazines, contact:

Dan Juffer
Senior Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 303
Mobile: 515-371-2290
dan.juffer@dmcityview.com

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