Tractor Talk Day 2
The Kaisand family is enjoying the recording-setting heat in style during the Great Iowa Tractor Ride. Our central location is Waterloo, Iowa. Our tractor is spending the night at the National Cattle Congress grounds with the other 525 tractors on the ride. Red, green, yellow, orange, gray...the colors of a tractor rainbow.
Jeff took the shuttle over to the tractors this morning so that the kids could sleep as long as possible. They didn't sleep in too late...but we did have breakfast in bed. Thank you to the nice cleaning crew that vacuumed up the blueberry muffin crumbs...and a lot of them!
Goldie, Henry (under blanket), and Virginia
Because no hotel stay is good without a swim in the pool, we took an early morning dip.
Virginia, Goldie (standing), and Henry
Off to Waverly we headed to watch the tractors arrive for our lunch break. The Bremer County Fairgrounds were the host to our group. There's always a little sitting and waiting.
I have to take my hats off to Molly Pins and her crew at WHO Radio. I love to plan events and understand that the behind the scenes work is hard work. Can you imagine trying to find a location for 525 tractors to roll in for lunch, park, eat, get back on the tractors and roll out in groups of about 90 tractors, some groups are smaller? Oh, yeah, and you have to find a way for them to get their on good roads with decent shoulders, not horrible traffic, and beautiful scenery. And, you want a spot about half way for a break with some porta potties, cookies, and cold water. Maybe it's the heat from today that's getting to me...but I'm thinking this could be a new reality TV series. Hands down, Molly Pins would win every time.
My husband Jeff leads group 3, averaging 12 mph on his John Deere 435 Detroit Diesel. Someone offered to buy it this morning because it's only one of 200 made. How much I asked? I got the look of "are you kidding me? This tractor can't be bought!" Just kidding honey, I know we're not going to sell this gem.
In the picture above Jeff has arrived at the spot on the edge of the fairgrounds in preparation for leaving after the lunch break. Click here to see a quick video of him (and the kids, too). Image 90 tractors lining up behind him, all eager to get back on the road, with about 3 hours of driving ahead of them. Click here to see the group taking off.
After a hot day, we cooled off in the pool. While Goldie hung back and really thought long and hard before she finally got in, her sister Virginia was a dare devil in the water.
Virginia
Jeff took the shuttle over to the tractors this morning so that the kids could sleep as long as possible. They didn't sleep in too late...but we did have breakfast in bed. Thank you to the nice cleaning crew that vacuumed up the blueberry muffin crumbs...and a lot of them!
Goldie, Henry (under blanket), and Virginia
Because no hotel stay is good without a swim in the pool, we took an early morning dip.
Virginia, Goldie (standing), and Henry
Off to Waverly we headed to watch the tractors arrive for our lunch break. The Bremer County Fairgrounds were the host to our group. There's always a little sitting and waiting.
I have to take my hats off to Molly Pins and her crew at WHO Radio. I love to plan events and understand that the behind the scenes work is hard work. Can you imagine trying to find a location for 525 tractors to roll in for lunch, park, eat, get back on the tractors and roll out in groups of about 90 tractors, some groups are smaller? Oh, yeah, and you have to find a way for them to get their on good roads with decent shoulders, not horrible traffic, and beautiful scenery. And, you want a spot about half way for a break with some porta potties, cookies, and cold water. Maybe it's the heat from today that's getting to me...but I'm thinking this could be a new reality TV series. Hands down, Molly Pins would win every time.
My husband Jeff leads group 3, averaging 12 mph on his John Deere 435 Detroit Diesel. Someone offered to buy it this morning because it's only one of 200 made. How much I asked? I got the look of "are you kidding me? This tractor can't be bought!" Just kidding honey, I know we're not going to sell this gem.
In the picture above Jeff has arrived at the spot on the edge of the fairgrounds in preparation for leaving after the lunch break. Click here to see a quick video of him (and the kids, too). Image 90 tractors lining up behind him, all eager to get back on the road, with about 3 hours of driving ahead of them. Click here to see the group taking off.
After a hot day, we cooled off in the pool. While Goldie hung back and really thought long and hard before she finally got in, her sister Virginia was a dare devil in the water.
Virginia
Heidi,
I've been "lurking" at your website for a long time. I grew up in Iowa and taught in Conrad and then Union(It turned to BCL-UW) for my first three years as a teacher. It sounds like you live in Central Iowa like I did. I started quilting soon after living in Union. I am now teaching in Seoul, Korea and still quilting... Your pictures and stories remind me of the many wonderful people I knew way back in the beginning of my life journey. It's always fun to watch what's going on in Iowa. Seeing those tractors reminds me of riding behind my grandpa on his John Deere. My own family will be heading back to Iowa in a few days for summer vacation and the pictures you post are making me ready to go fishing, check out the family farmland and eat some sweet corn!! Thanks for your wonderful posts....when my husband and I retire we look forward to the sweet simple life in Iowa. My kids call Iowa home instead of Seoul (even though they have lived most of their lives here in Korea) because Iowa is where their hearts are....... Enjoy your trek across Iowa!
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Heidi,
I'm so glad that you take such wonderful pictures! It's just like being there sometimes when you write and share your photos. My dad looovvved tractors and whenever possible visited thresher shows and parades to check them all out. Henry and the girls look like they have had such a great time. My kids grew up here in MN but loved visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Iowa. I got goosebumps when I read Heidi's comment and her last line that "Iowa is where their hearts are". That's the case for me for sure. I left Iowa when I was 19, but Iowa has never left me. I was fortunate to travel and have lived on the east, the west and the Gulf coast as well as Japan but "there is no place like home." Dorothy knew what she was talking about!!
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I enjoy sharing and I'm thrilled you enjoy reading!
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What fun Heidi!!! Hey, I have a question. Do stalks of corn only produce two ears to each stalk of corn? I guess that makes sense, and how they came to call it ears??? We have corn in our garden, and it appears that they are each getting only two ears???
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