Sunday, I had the great fortune of working the 22nd Annual Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade! This year, I was standing on a street corner...GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER! I was drawing semi tractor-trailers into the parking lot, where we were helping them to offload, then send them into town to register for the event and park those tractors.
Some 415-430 tractors-from vintage to newer-and their owner/drivers descended on Bellevue, Iowa, and instantly doubled the population of the community. What struck me was one set of three tractors. In the front was a couple, roughly my age, ready with a big wave and smile. The second tractor had a couple aged roughly 75-80, and the wave was the country, one-fingered wave (and not that kind). The final tractor looked to be a younger married couple, early to mid-20's, and they were focused on what was happening in front of them, probably to make sure they didn't crash!
What was so of note? Each tractor had a nameplate, including their location. What I was looking at was three generations of this family on Tractorcade, ostensibly, the first mass event they had the opportunity to be involved in since the beginning of the pandemic.
Smiles everywhere! Old friends meeting again and people making new friends in the bread basket of America. Tractors from all over the country and their people have gathered. Bring your family to see them along the route! It's a perfect day trip to Jackson County and the surrounding environs.