I get to operate the WHAT?

Fall brings the ripening of pumpkins and that can only lead to one thing, pumpkin festivals!  The crisp air, the crackling of dried leaves, the smell of cider, they’re all part of the fun.

Last Friday, after our mid-term exam, we drove down to Warren on the first leg of our journey to Old Bedford Village to help with the village’s pumpkin festival. The plan was for Jan and Charleen to occupy the basket weaver’s shop on Saturday and Sunday and demonstrate basket weaving for the public.  Ken was to occupy the cobbler’s shop and show off his leather working skills, and your happy narrator was to assist in the operation of the trebuchet.

What’s a trebuchet, you ask?  Well, way back in the 12th and 13th century, the trebuchet was the high-tech weapon for breaching castle walls.   The modern trebuchet is used to destroy pumpkins by flinging them out into a field.  What’s the point of that?  None, really, other than to see how far they will fly and how far they spatter when they hit the ground.

There was plenty to spatter on Saturday, it was raining in the morning as we got on the road at quarter to five, and it never stopped.  The pumpkins were soaked, the trebuchet was soaked, and the field was a muddy mire.  God, it was fun!

That’s really all that needs said, so here’s a few pictures to illustrate.

Pretty much the most fun as you can have while dressed in wool!