MAKE PLANS TO BE AT  THE WEST POINT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JULY 4TH CELEBRATION!!” SOME OF THE SATURDAY EVENTS INCLUDE:

--A FUN-RUN AT 8AM..

--SAND VOLLEYBALL AT 9:30AM

--GETTING GREAT FOOD...

         BOWMANS’  FUNNEL CAKES..

         J-D’s KETTLE CORN’...

        COTTON CANDY...

        SOFT DRINKS AND MORE!!!

--A HORSE-SHOE TOURNEY AT 12:30..

--CHILDRENS’ ACTIVITIES AT 4PM...

--BEEF AND PORK SANDWICHES WILL BE SERVED STARTING AT 4:30

--A DANCE AT 5PM AT THE DINKLAGE BUILDING

--A WATERMELON FEED AT 5PM

--BINGO...AT 5PM

--AT 7PM..THE ‘WALK-STARS QUILT ‘RAFFLE DRAWING’...

--THE ‘FATHER-SON BASEBALL GAME’ AT 7PM

--A ‘MELODRAMA’ IN THE WEST POINT COMMUNITY THEATRE AT 7:30PM

--THE BAND ‘DEJA VU’  PLAYS AT 9PM....

..AT DUSK....THE WEST POINT VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MANY OTHERS WILL PRESENT THE SPECTACULAR ‘WEST POINT FIREWORKS DISPLAY!!” IT’LL BE NELIGH PARK. BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIR..A BLANKET AND A RADIO!!! LISTEN TO THE PATRIOTIC MUSIC ON 107.9  "THE BULL" WHICH GOES ALONG WITH THE FIREWORKS!! WEST POINT CELEBRATES AMERICA...ON SATURDAY , JULY 4TH !!!!”

My parade observations, by KJ Ziegenbein


I USED TO BE A FARMER. I COULD GO BACK. IT WOULDN’T BE THE SAME…


So, I decided to drive a mile south of home and catch this parade, (now in its 5th year), heading west of Ashland on the county line road that Saturday morning. While watching and waving at the parade of tractors going by me, a list of sporadic thoughts entered my mind. I wrote them down in hopes that I could share them with others who may feel some of the sensations that I felt, even though they may not have seen the parade at any point along its 180 some mile long drive. The following are some of my thoughts, in no particular order. Remember, the parade is going by me.


The business like quick hand wave


The overtly friendly, extended, prolonged wave and the smiles to go with them


The “old” smell of the engines, fuel and oil


The old engineering, some brands better than others, some better than today’s


The sounds of the gear trains and tires in road gear


Drivers standing, or sitting; their backs must become sore


Buddy seats, 3 point mounted coolers, and even a wagon in tow; what a good idea for a parade


Some freshly painted, some historically rusty


Proud to be a farmer; “if the country only realized what we really contribute”


From the 1980’s and almost broke, the tractor parades in Washington DC, to doing pretty well today


Unusual tractors to commonly seen models; all were prideful driven and displayed


Mirrors on the mufflers, weird but a good idea for parades


Large tractors, small tractors, such a disparity


Flags dress up the tractors very patriotically


Correct restorations, to incorrect; to none at all; they all made the parade memorable


Umbrellas and shade canopies, some tied down in front for increased wind resistance


Unusually quiet tractors, to noisy models


Dim, 6 volt lights, simple switches contrast the halogen lights of today


Customized to plain, cabs without air conditioning or sound deadening: all miserable firsts


Most do wave back, but some don’t wave at all


Cell phones being used on old tractors; quite a contrast never imagined before


Old fender radios to headsets


Old power houses to lightweights


Smooth running engines to Johnny poppers that were lugged down a little too far


Pride; proud to be a Farmer and an American


Some right out of the field, some restored


“Relaxed dignity” spews from both the tractors and their operators


A Ferguson being driven by a Ferguson


Families of drivers, young and old


45 minutes just to pass by


Low airplanes even looking at the parade at 100 mph


Memorial tractors and extended memories


New SMV signs and faded SMV signs, most on tractors that never knew an SMV sign originally


~181 tractors in this parade


Toting spare front tires on some tractors; some had support pickups following along


A grease rag placed just so, to catch an intermittent drip; that would never do today


A single hydraulic hose for a loader looks so lonely, but it’s all that was needed: simpler times


Owner’s name signs on each tractor, very nicely done and informative


Nebraska’s state motto used to be “The Good Life”. This parade exemplified that and more!



 

THE WISNER Jr LIVESTOCK SHOW AND WISNER LION’S CLUB RODEO IS THURSDAY THOUGH SUNDAY!!!!

IT’LL BE AT WISNER’S RIVER PARK! THERE’LL BE RODEO FUN...FOOD..AND

THE BAND CACTUS FLATS’ PLAYS FRIDAY NIGHT! 

              The Great Nebraska Tractor Ride 2009

                          This Friday & Saturday!

THE BULL AND ALL WEST POINT BUSINESSES SAY ‘THANK YOU’

FOR CHOOSING TO SHOP AND BUY..LOCALLY!

AN EXCITING EVENT IS HAPPENING SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST.

THERE’LL BE SIDEWALK SALES,... MIDNIGHT MADNESS SALES,...

FOOD VENDORS,... MUSIC AND FUN THROUGH OUT THE DAY!

THANKS AGAIN FROM THE LOCAL WEST POINT BUSINESSES

AND 107.9 THE BULL!