Chris and I are finding ways to break up the work of getting ready to move. I was so happy that he was home all week to help get things organized. We still have a ways to go to be all buckled down and ready for the move in a couple of weeks but we are way ahead of where I thought we would be at this point which is a relief.
With that being said we have been trying to not over do. We are middle aged after all. The bodies need rest and Aleve at times. So one of our diversions was to grab some take out and go to East Park in Mason City for a picnic.
I had read an article in the local paper, The Globe Gazette, about a musical installation that I wanted to check out. The local Mason City Noon Lions Club purchased and installed this equipment near the Prairie Playground in memory of Henry T. Paine who was a longtime music educator in Mason City. He taught in the Mason City School District from 1943 to 1968 and was active in the Noon Lions Club as well before his move to Wisconsin. He died last year at the age of 95 and the musical instruments are a perfect tribute to a man who obviously had a huge impact on the area.
It took us awhile to track down where they were but once we got our bearings and realized they were close to the popular Prairie Playground we spied them. What a fun addition to this park! I loved being able to make music and can just imagine how these will be used in the future by children and adults alike. Chris and I tried to do a duet but holding a phone to record and playing at the same time did not work out too well. You get the idea.
Musical Installation in East Park from Beth Ann Chiles on Vimeo.
East Park is also home to the Cannonball 457 –a beautifully restored Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway steam locomotive built in 1912. It has been restored to reflect how it would have looked in the late 1920’s and is the last remaining of its type. A volunteer organization, Friends of the 457, is dedicated to preserving and maintaining the historical piece and is quite active in the community in gathering support and enthusiasm for the 457.
There is a Cannonball Days event yearly that brings in a lot of crowds and train enthusiasts which is a wonderful event. Currently they are continuing fundraising to restore and build up the area around the locomotive that is eroding and my friends at Natural Plus Nursery are doing a spectacular job.
The flowers all around the park were spectacular the day we visited.
The playground is a fun place for families to spend some time and I suspect if my kids had been young when we lived here this would have been a favorite spot.
It is fun to find all of the neat things that our town has to offer. Even if I am moving from here shortly I will still have a fond place in my heart for all of the great things to do and see in Mason City and the area. Thanks for the memories. 
33 Comments
Leave a commentExcellent musical interlude. Picnics in parks are always good places to be. Glad you are ahead of schedule.
Haha! I got off beat because I was trying to hold the phone. It really is a fun thing to have in the park and I think it will get a lot of use over the years.
What a great idea to add musical instruments to a park.
It really is and what a great tribute to a man who taught so many to love music. I think it is perfect.
Aw! thanks for the shout out!! We really have some great parks in the area!
We do indeed and they are free!!! That is the amazing thing. There is no need to spend a lot of money to have a nice day. Just pack a picnic and go enjoy nature. The work you guys are doing there is amazing. I didn’t get a very good picture of it but I did at least get your sign!
What I find fascinating is the pristine condition of everything in the park that you’ve shown. If that park were anywhere near Boston/New York/ Los Angeles etc. and wasn’t patrolled 24-7 it would be covered by graffiti and surrounded by litter and debris of all types. The small town pride of the Midwest is so inviting and I for one, am so taken by the sense of “Americana” that it portrays.
It is Americana at its best, Jake. It is a beautiful setting and this post only showed parts of it. There is an amazing bandshell area as well as other spots where there are shelters and smaller playgrounds. It is lush and beautiful right now because we have had an amazingly wet summer so far (it is raining again now as I type this) and the flowers are simply stunning. Sometimes the things that are part of our communities are not used but that is not the case with this park. Thanks for stopping by!
My pleasure as always. We here on the east coast are in need of a significant rainfall.
east park is a gem. Mason City has so many wonderful parks.
They really do have amazing parks and the great thing is that they are all used consistently.
I felt like I was on this walk through East Park! It’s always cool to see interactive music art pieces for the public to play with. Hope your packing and sorting keeps going smoothly.
Glad you felt like you were there. It is really a beautiful park. Chris told me to take today off from moving stuff so I am!!!
I think it is wonderful to have music in the park.as most children love music along with the other fun things;
You are right—the kids will love it!
How cool! I can’t wait to check this out. Dad an awesome job on his solo too!
It was supposed to be a duet but I got to giggling and got off beat. He is actually a very talented pianist. 🙂
That looks like such a fun place! The musical instruments are a great idea – and we LOVE old trains!
It really is a neat idea and the whole park is just a beautiful place. We always take our Mother’s Day picnic there. 🙂
The train is fabulous. There is such a great support for this locomotive as well—a whole group of people who are working to keep it restored and providing education and enjoyment for years to come.
I love the musical instruments!
They are the perfect addition to the park, that is for sure!
wow! what an amazing park!!!
It really is! I love all the great things that it has and the fact that it is used so much by the community.
Looks like fun!
We too are ahead of where I thought we’d be in getting ready for our move. Hubby leaves on Sat. Gah! I’m here until Sept.
Good luck! We need to share stories! How is the search for renters going?
We do! We’ve had some interest but no renters yet.
I can’t wait to take the girls to try the new instruments. We love East Park!
They will love it! It is kind of hidden from the parking lot but walk past the playground and the picnic shelter and there it is!
Nice play area. Love the musical instruments!
They are so fun. I think they will get a lot of use.
Love those xylophones!
They were a hit with us and I suspect all the area kids will be loving them.