Heading Home for the Summer

Harry Huckemeyer

We just finished up at Apache Junction, enjoying a successful, well-organized event hosted by one of the community service organizations, and everything went as planned. This is an annual affair held at Earth Park in Apache Junction and draws large crowds of both the young and the elders and is a day made up of a lot of fun activities, as the park has a large open area for setting up tents and blankets on the grass and the surroundings where there are food trucks, venders, entertainment, and many games for the young at heart. Lots of little ones were carrying teddy bears that were given out by the staff, most, if not all, wearing a Band-Aid or sling showing the injured bears that were patched up by the medical staff on hand. It was a fun day, and our trains were once again there, playing a big part of it and enjoying the many people passing through, and, as always, the fun conversations with those with an interest. It was a wonderful day in the sun, well spent for all.

This was the last major event for our club, as we wrap things up for the first half of the 2024 season. In the early part of the year we ran into some conflicts, as some of our regular events were either put off or delayed due to all the new construction taking place in several parts of the area communities. We are looking forward to a strong second half of the 2024 season, and although we officially close down for the summer months, much of the planning for the second half of the year takes place during the summer shutdown. Once Labor Day arrives, things tend to move rather rapidly. We will be holding our next official meeting on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. at Oakwood in the Arts & Crafts area. Feel free to stop by.

Like most clubs, we are always looking for those who are interested in getting involved in something new. This may be a good time to take a look at how you spend your time, and perhaps joining our club may have some benefits that you haven’t considered in the past. We meet monthly from September up through our summer close-down in May. It’s not all about trains but, of course, that is a really important part of it for most of our members. Two of our meetings are of a social nature. Upcoming in May we will have an outing at Sisk Park, which is a potluck; however, the club always provides the soft drinks, water, condiments, hot dogs, hamburgers, and the cooks. This is open to all club members, wives, and a guest of their choice, and it’s a fun time to meet up with the old and the new who make this all possible.

Later in the year, with the same group, we have a get-together around the holidays in early December with the location and date to be determined as we get a little closer to that date. If you have any questions regarding our club’s membership, please feel free to give me a call. I can be reached by phone at 480-600-1349 or by email at hwhuckemeyer@aol.com.

Have a great day and a safe, enjoyable summer, wherever you may be.