Month: July 2025

Lately I have not done back-to-back posts, generally preferring bi-weekly updates. However, I will be in Colorado for a couple weeks and wanted to get a post published before I leave.

Topics this time include our local celebration, Elma Trail Days, and a trip north to attend my 55th class reunion. Read on!

Elma used to be a railroad town, with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad having a large roundhouse here that repaired locomotives and rolling stock. After the railroad left, in the early ’80s, the road bed was converted to a hiking / biking path that connects with others trails in the area. Trail Days celebrates the town’s role in using these trails and is held the weekend following the 4th of July.

A parade is the centerpiece, along with a free concert, vendors, and other local events. Here are a few photos of the types of entries one will see in an Iowa small-town parade.

Old tractors are common.

Agricultural equipment is often showcased.

Classic cars, such as this early Thunderbird, are common.

Hoses and mules are always included.

Water cannons and thrown candy are a staple.

This year’s parade was one of the better ones we have seen. One thing we miss, however, is the absence of bands or musical groups. They just don’t show up in Elma.

We watch the parade from our front porch, as the route comes down Main Street, right in front of our house. The weather was very good with cooler than average temperatures and a light breeze that helped keep the bugs at bay. I enjoyed the morning’s event; Pam was in-an-out watching Grayce.

The other news of the week centered around my 55th class reunion. Held in conjunction with the class of ’68 and ’69, there was not a massive turn out. My class of ’70 was only about 63 people and the other classes had similar populations.

Held near Medford, Wisconsin, I drove up and stayed overnight. Of my classmates, I recognized only a few and had to guess or be re-introduced to others. The conversations were similar: Where do you live now, what was your occupation, have you kept in touch with so-and-so?

The event lasted about 3 hours (3:00 – 6:00 PM) and I enjoyed touching bases with the guys and girls with whom I had gone through high school. I was sorry to learn that many of my old friends have passed away or have very serious health issues. We are all getting old.

While I have no photos to post of the event, I do have a couple photos of odd (unusual?) things I saw on the way there and back. Take a look.

Keeping with the chainsaw theme, here is a collection presented in an unusual way.

There were several more posts in the lineup that I could not fit into the camera’s field of view. Me, I would have tried to restore these relics instead of turning them into yard art, but whatever floats your boat!

Another place had some interesting yard art, including this piece.

I guess one needs something to do during those long and cold northern Wisconsin winters.

In a few days I will be heading out to Colorado for a couple weeks so my next post will be somewhat delayed. I will be meeting up with a few friends near Westcliffe (in south central Colorado) before returning to The Lot. There happen to be several ATV trails in that area, all new to me, and I am looking forward to the trip.

A brief note: I have created a new Gallery consisting of photos from various ATV trips taken in Colorado and Utah. Please check it out!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

One objective for returning to the Midwest to live was reconnecting with people known while living here previously. This July has certainly been active in that regard – my brother’s visit, the funeral of Himself’s aunt, and the aforementioned class reunion. Added to these — one of Himself’s college friends recently read this blog and made a connection that had lapsed for over a decade.

Rock on.

Today’s Humor:

There were two major stories of the last week: 4th of July and a funeral for my Aunt Gina. Expanded comments below.

The 4th of July is always a big event for us. This year we had guests consisting of Pam’s brother Craig and his wife Dianne (plus Sully, their dog) and Pam’s sister Becky. A good July lunch was consumed, consisting of boiled-in-beer bratwurst, potato salad, chips, fruit, lemonade, vegetable tray with dip, and rhubarb desert with ice cream topping.

We spend a few hours in good conversation, catching up with family news and events that had happened since our last meeting. We stayed indoors for the most part as temps were at the 88 degree level and it was quite humid. Not the hottest day of the year, but among the top 5 so far.

Sully and Grayce (the two dogs) had a good time playing with each other as Sully’s activity level is quite a bit higher than our older dogs. They played outside for a while and inside as well. I think Grayce enjoyed the visit as much as we did.

We enjoyed the visit, the company, and the good conversations around the table.

The other major event was the funeral of my Aunt Gina. She passed away at the age of 104. Of that family of 4, including my father, my Uncle Frank is the only one left, and he is 100. Due to rehabilitation efforts Uncle Frank was not able to attend, but some of his family was there.

it was interesting to reconnect with some of my cousins. Some I recognized, some I did not. It really hit home to me how old my generation is getting, however. Many of my cousins had their grandchildren in attendance, a generation I know almost nothing about.

The funeral was held in Withee, Wisconsin, at the same cemetery where my parents are buried. The Catholic mass was held in Chippewa Falls, west of Withee, in a quite nice (and air conditioned) church.

I had to get suits out of the closet and try them on to see if I had one that still fit. Luckily, one did, and a few others were donated to the resale shop here in town. Of my few remaining good shirts, Pam had to move a top button so I could fasten the shirt to put on a tie.

While it was a somber event, I still enjoyed getting out and reconnecting with some extended family. The day was long, on the road at around 8:00 A.M. and getting home just before 10:00 P.M., but I had chosen a couple routes not previously traveled and enjoyed seeing parts Minnesota and Wisconsin new to me.

I’ll post one photo of the event, taken at the cemetery just before internment.

As I mentioned, my parents are buried in the same cemetery:

Yes, my brother and I both had our last name legally changed to Fields before each of us was married. Dad used to tell us the original name translated into “field of flowers” or “field of violets” which is where the name Fields came from.

Around the yard, day lilies are blooming and new grass is coming in on the bare spot left after the sidewalk repair. Good to see it filling in. I will be heading to Colorado in a few weeks, meeting up with a few friends before taking some ATV rides and working a bit on The Lot. Looking forward to that trip. Also have a class reunion coming up in about a week, don’t know how many of my high school classmates (class of ’70) will show, looking forward to that as well.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

July 4th is THE holiday where Heart House really shows off, with bunting and flags. The relatives saw the place in its glory, with the lawn and plantings at their peak. NE Iowa delivered its trademark heat-plus-humidity summer combo.

Be cool and rock on.

Today’s Humor: