Welcome to another edition of the mailbag where you will find some of the comments, questions and ideas sent recently by readers of this newsletter or our publications. They are edited for space and clarity.

“Hi, Shane. Of the 675 albums I own (Album art, July 2, 2025), I was able to narrow down to the top 10: Blue Oyster Cult (their first self-titled album); Captain Beyond (‘Sufficiently Breathless’); Cheap Trick (‘In Color’); Jefferson Airplane (‘Long John Silver’, makes into a cigar box); Harvey Mandel (‘Shangrenade’); Rolling Stones (‘Sticky Fingers’); Santana (‘Abraxas’); The Who (‘Sell Out’); Yes (‘Yessongs’) and finally, not necessarily the album cover but the name...a band from Morocco called Les Variations with their album ‘Moroccan Roll.’ I also have a Black Oak Arkansas album that included a deed of ownership of 1 square inch of land in Arkansas.” - James

Some good choices, James. - Shane

“Was always partial to ‘Glass Houses’ by Billy Joel (Album art, July 2, 2025).” - Patty

And for good reason. That’s another classic cover. - Shane

“You forgot ‘Hotel California’ by the Eagles, ‘Tres Hombres’ by ZZ Top and ‘Margaritaville’ by Jimmy Buffet. (Album art, July 2, 2025)” - Rich

“Hotel California” cover did have something mystical about it. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. - Shane

“How about ‘Sweet Baby James’ by James Taylor, ‘Tapestry’ by Carole King, ‘The Captain and Me’ by The Doobie Brothers, and a bunch of Jimmy Buffett covers (Album art, July 2, 2025)?” - Rex

OK, Rex, Jimmy Buffett had some cool covers. I will give you that. And I had not seen The Doobie Brothers bridge to nowhere cover until you mentioned it, and it rocks. But the other two? Those are the second and third most boring album covers I have ever seen. - Shane

“I often want to comment on your page as most of what you write hits home (Album art, July 2, 2025). But you omitted a favorite album cover of mine: ‘Paradise Theater’ by Styx. Actually, the entire album cover — inside and out as well as the laser-etched vinyl album — is a collector's item, and the album had hit after hit. Thanks for helping me wake up every morning with your column!” - Rhonda

Good addition, Rhonda. And, clearly, this is due to “too much time on my hands.” - Shane

Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.

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

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

Debut Des Moines screening sold out. Second screening added this Saturday
Beth Howard - Iowa's Pie Lady - brings her documentary "Pieowa" to the capital city and a special additional screening at the Varsity Cinema. Critics are giving advance praise to this film, and it promises to be a delicious immersion into Iowa's pie-loving cult.
Added screening will be Saturday, July 12 at 4 p.m. Click on Varsity Cinema  for tickets and to view a screener.

Des Moines Playhouse. The big summer musical is the award-winning Broadway hit, “Waitress.” July 11-27.
Bonus preview: Interview with lead actors Hannah Zepeda (as Jenna) and Alex Schaeffer (as Dr. Pomatter).

Iowa Stage Theatre Company – Shakespeare on the Lawn at Salisbury House & Gardens. “The Comedy of Errors.” July 16-19. 

Iowa's Poet Laureate presents in Des Moines
Nos Books (1163 24th St., Des Moines Drake neighborhood) hosts Vince Gotera tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. This celebrated poet is the Poet Laureate of Iowa, Former Editor of North American Review, Former Editor of Star*Line, and
Professor Emeritus of English, Department of Languages & Literatures at University of Northern Iowa.

Best Downtown Bar

1. The Stuffed Olive 

2. Johnny’s Hall of Fame

3. Hello, Marjorie

CIVIC SKINNY
Park positive. Good tippers. Big trees. A $300K median home price. And Iowa… works?

By CITYVIEW staff

Park place. Des Moines continues to be a solid destination for those looking to live within walking distance to a park. According to Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit that helps create parks and protect public land, 75% of Des Moines residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park. The national average of the 100 most populous cities is 76%, while the national average for all urban cities and towns in the U.S. is 57%. It also says 13% of Des Moines land is used for parks. The national median is 15%.

ParkServe, a park mapping service used by TPL, says Des Moines has 201 total parks and 7,465 total park acres. The website’s interactive map shows how many acres TPL has preserved and how many projects they have completed in the state. North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa are the only states to have zero in both categories. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, considering the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has helped protect more than 200,000 acres of Iowa’s landscape. …

DREAM YARDS
Residents share how they make the best of their outdoor spaces.

By Rachel Harrington

Give 10 people the blank slate of a spacious yard, and you are likely to see those yards evolve into 10 different visions. Some will be a fenced-in oasis for dogs and kids to run, roll and play. Others will have pools and fire pits for summer fun. Others will feature makeshift ballfields, sledding hills, playgrounds, ponds. And some will provide a scenic setting for enjoying sunrises and sunsets. Whatever the vision, area residents share how their outdoor spaces have become their dream yards.

Breathing space
Fred Stoeffler has lived in his Winterset home on Court Street since 1988. His wife, Linda, joined him in the home around 1990. Linda says Fred has always maintained a nice yard, but that when she came to the home, it was quite overgrown with flowers and bushes that had graced the 100-year-old home’s landscape for many years. Slowly, they have changed the look of their yard.

“I’m the management, and Fred is the labor,” she jokes. “I come up with the ideas, and he implements them.”

Fred continues to maintain a beautiful and lush green yard to complement his wife’s flower beds around their home. ...

The price of regular unleaded gasoline dropped 6 cents from last week's price and is currently averaging $2.93 across Iowa according to AAA. Prices are down 36 cents from a year ago. The national average on Wednesday was $3.16, down 1 cents from last week’s price.

Retail diesel prices in Iowa dropped 5 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.52. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.27 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 18 cents lower than the national average of $3.70.

Natural gas prices were down 31 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.16 MMbtu.

Cheapest gas in the metro. www.gasbuddy.com

Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Altoona (102 Eighth St. S.W.) - $2.56

Sam's Club in Ankeny (4625 S.E. Delaware Ave.) - $2.66

Murphy USA in Altoona (3405 Eighth St. S.W.) - $2.68

These celebrities were born on this date:  Mavis Staples, Arlo Guthrie, Béla Fleck, Fiona Shaw, Mason Thames, Sofía Vergara, Isabela Merced, Jessica Simpson, Antonio Brown, Phyllis Smith

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

The answer to the last riddle: Why did the pine tree get in trouble? IT WAS KNOTTY!  Because he kept "needling" everybody! -Dan Rogers. Because it was  being too sharp! - Gail Tomlinson. And, It refused to get "spruced" up for a photo for the family tree! - Carolyn Rogers.

Today's riddle: Why do trees make the worst frenemies?

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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