Trebuchet
We watched a show on Discovery about Punkin Chunkin featuring the Mythbusters. Who knew there was a world championship for throwing pumpkins? So when Joy found an event listing in a magazine for Punkin Chunkin in nearby Delaware, we snatched tickets from the Internet and set off that weekend on a late night adventure.
I love the idea of a trebuchet. Lifting and lowering of weight produces huge energy changes, and the lever arm converts that potential into motion in a thrilling manner. Even the modest machines hurl their pumpkins hundreds of feet. We got to see the free fire period, where cannons, trebuchets, and centrifugals launched their loads skyward in quick succession.
A Big Party
The size of the festivities surprised me. I couldn’t count the number of cars arrayed in the open field. The scene appeared more like tailgating outside an NFL game than the modest and slightly geeky gathering I expected. There were film crews and safety crews and TV crews rows of food trucks selling barbeque and beer. Everyone seemed in excellent spirits, especially the men seated on a couch perched high above the bed of their truck.
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