Stacks of Tires

At a local 1/2 mile racetrack called the Hawkeye Downs Speedway, there are several artifacts in storage from past seasons. Stacked with discarded race tires you can find the maintenance facility's stockpile of used or damaged tires.

Perhaps the intended purpose for keeping this amount of rubber on hand is to maintain a supply for various short term needs. Whatever the case, today the tires contain frozen water inside the form, reminding us that winter is still here officially for 10 more days.

WMT's Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade 2013 - Day 3 Finish

Day three of WMT's Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade 2013 concluded at noon today after a trip from Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids to nearby Swisher, Shueyville and Ely. This was the third loop in three days of riding from Hawkeye Downs to various locations nearby. Interesting note to self: On day 3 the Tractorcade runs a short route as to be back to the starting point by noonish. Above is the second to last group of tractors heading for home base. 

Ron and Jamie Ginkens of Chariton, Iowa load their 1963 Farmall on a flatbed trailer for the 140 mile trip home. After tying down the tractor Ron and Jamie made their way to the Tractorcade luncheon on the Hawkeye Downs property.

Ron told me this was the last production model for the 560 which actually sold into 1964. A decade later he bought this Farmall as his working tractor. Now, after refurbishing the tractor he parades the 50 year old machinery any place he can.

Some 530 tractors and riders made their way around eastern Iowa for three days. The weather was perfect with only today's potential for severe weather developing. Many farmers left the grounds as soon as they returned from the loop today to get ahead of the weather. But the balance of the riders and their supporters came in for a brat and hamburger lunch. Many will see each other in other regional tractorcades this summer. Radio station sisters WMT (Cedar Rapids) and WHO (Des Moines) both sent announcers to the site for live updates and interviews. Check it out next time when Tractorcade rolls near you. Sunday staging photos here.

WMT's Tractorcade 2013 Ready to Roll on Monday Morning

Radio station WMT (600 AM) annual Tractorcade is ready to roll. The procession of new and vintage tractors staged this evening at Hawkeye Downs in preparation of running three routes in three days. 

Staging for the three day event was made convenient on the Hawkeye Downs property and nearby hotels. Each day will find the drivers covering a different route in eastern, Iowa but returning to Cedar Rapids by evening using a hub & spoke logistics plan.

If you encounter a column of these slow moving tractors be sure to slow down or pull over over and watch them. You'll see a wide range of tractor brands from several decades. I saw a hand crank Oliver from the 1940s and late model John Deeres on the track, both shined and ready to go.

Update: Day 3 photos here.

Ready to Run

At first this looks like a line of trucks ready for their next long distance haul. But the numbering scheme and flame artwork tell another story. These are racing trucks parked for the off season. I haven't seen trucks race in person but maybe the roar from Hawkeye Downs' half mile track will lure me there.

When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It

The old saying, attributed to baseball great Yogi Berra, about taking the fork in the road comes into play quite often. Sometimes you make a judgement based solely on instincts, other times its random (see previous post on chaos.)

At this 42N location the decisions come fast. From one spot looking north in the top photo your choices will lead you to town (left) or to warehouse areas (right.) Looking south in the bottom photo your choices are left to a dead end storage or to the right to a grain processor.

There is another road saying to consider when you are deciding which fork to take. From Robert Frost's 1916 poem "The Road Not Taken" the final lines read:

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —I took the 'one less traveled' by, And that has made all the difference." Know that.

Chaos in the Wires

Like order and direction? Then don't look behind Hawkeye Downs' chaos garbage pile in 42N country. Actually its an area where various constructions materials are collected and sorted before being recycled. Hawkeye Downs consists of an ASA raceway, camping facilities and exhibition buildings. Are these tangled wires randomly placed or chaotically bundled? Probably just a clump of disorder -- for the moment. Know that.