Maine Township High School 55th reunion.

After all our plans were made and flights scheduled to attend the ship's reunion, notice came that Sue's 55th class reunion was happening on the same weekend.

 Anne is a classmate of Al and lives in the Chicago suburbs near the location of the reunion.  They reunited at their 60th High School reunion in Freeport, IL, in 2013.  She went to Sue's reunion.

During the time that Sue attended this school, there were about 1000 persons in her class.  They went in shifts and Sue says that she was glad then that she did the morning shift.  Later this became Maine East and Maine South and West were built.  Famous people who graduated from MTHS a little later than Sue are Hillary Rodham Clinton and Harrison Ford, the actor.  Of course, Ruth should be added to this list.

Sue talking to an old boy friend.

 More friends

 And more.  Lots of fun reminising about what happened then and what goes on now.

The graduates.

USS Bon Homme Richard reunion, Day 2

There was a tour of the Naval Base with observation of a graduating class of "boots".  Conditions intervened and we did not attend these.

The sign giving the use of a conference room at the hotel.

There was a business meeting to choose a site for 2017.  Next year the reunion will be in San Antonio, TX, followed by Nashville, TN, in 2016.

A very energetic presentation from folks from Sacramento, CA, carried the day for the 2017 meeting.

A memorial was held for shipmates who died recently.

There was a banquet in the evening with entertainment with this brass ensemble from Great Lakes.  Here they are playing the national anthem.

The playing of the Stars Spangled Banner.

USS Bon Homme Richard reunion, Day 1

The first day involved a flight to Chicago from Fargo and checking in at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Gurnee, IL.  This is located near to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center where Al did his boot camp. 

Here we are in our Navy shirts showing the name of the ship, USS Bon Homme Richard, CVA31 on the right sleeve and the insignia of an Electronics Technician on the left.

Clean shaven Al was just after graduating from Electronics Technician school in San Francisco, CA.

The site of the reunion in Gurnee, IL. 

After registration and check-in, we left on a tour of Chicago.

It was cold for one of the first days in September.  Chicago folks told us that they were "sweating" the week before.  At least, there was no rain.

Loading the boat for the tour of Chicago via the Chicago river.

Down the canyon of buildings.

The Trump Tower dead ahead in blue.

Our docent was an architectural student who was very knowledgeable of the buildings and here was showing some new buildings under construction.  

Venerable sights along the river.  We had visited this area many times but never from the vantage point of the river.

A visit to Soldier Field, where "Da Bears" play.  There is a memorial to all the Armed Services.

One of the plaques honoring US Navy personnel.

It was cold on this trip.

The south side of the Field Museum of Natural History.

Time to eat in a Chicago restaurant, Donitelli's

It was quite an experience.

Lake Region Pioneer Threshermen's Ass'n. - Dalton, MN

We made a trip to Dalton, MN, about 15 miles south of Fergus Falls.  

Sue and Ruth in Dalton prior to the parade.

First there is the parade.  Here the Fergus Falls high school band is marching by. 

This was a candy throwing parade and the participants did their share.

In this part of the country, you are either a green farmer, John Deere, or a red farmer, Farmall or Case International.

But occasionally there are some other colors.

Our friends Bob and Ruby in their 1955 Chevrolet.

These guys take any parade, large or small, to play with their toys.

Now a parade of green.

Inside the Threshermen's compound, guys always discuss equipment.

There is a French Steam Locomotive circa 1915 made by Decauville in Paris. 

The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville (1846–1922), a French pioneer in industrial railways. Starting in 1875, his company produced track elements, engines and cars. Those were exported to many countries, in particular to the colonial possessions of European powers. Decauville railways were widely used in construction yards, quarries, farms, cane fields and mountain railways up to the 1950s. The company also produced road vehicles and construction engines.    
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decauville

 The engine takes on water for the production of steam.

And wood to heat the water in the boiler.

Sue and Ruth waiting for their ride on the railroad.

Ready to go.

Going around the one mile or so track.

Nearing the station.

A good ride!

This the second parade inside the grounds.  Most of the steam engines cannot travel on asphalt topped roads because of lugs on steel tires. My father, when he was about eight years old in 1911 on the farm in Missouri, spoke of the thrill of seeing the steam engine coming to thresh the wheat.

I also witnessed the end of the threshing era in 1944 on my Grandad's farm in Missouri.  Wagons pulled by horses and the threshing machine driven by gas tractors. The farmers cooperated in a "threshing ring" and neighbors assisted each other in the harvest.  After World War II the practice changed to combines for harvest.

Another steam engine with friends onboard.

There was a regular parade of steam engines.

What could I do with it?  Will it fit in my garage?

A parade of John Deere tractors.  Everything from lawn tractors to ancient models to modern large equipment passed by.

Then a parade of Farmall or Case International tractors.

A quick look at the flea-market and then home.