fireworks – Richard & Joy Nuckolls http://www.rjnuckolls.com Travel is a vital part of our life. We want to share it with you. Sun, 16 Nov 2014 15:46:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 25182805 Punkin Chunkin http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/delaware/punkin-chunkin/ http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/delaware/punkin-chunkin/#respond Sat, 02 Nov 2013 17:18:27 +0000 http://www.rjnuckolls.com/?p=622 Trebuchet

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.


Field of Parking

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.


]]> http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/delaware/punkin-chunkin/feed/ 0 622 Charlottesville Fireworks http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/virginia/charlottesville-fireworks/ http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/virginia/charlottesville-fireworks/#respond Wed, 04 Jul 2007 05:38:56 +0000 http://blog.rjnuckolls.com/?p=17 Fireworks

Front Row

The charges are lofted from McIntire Park, which is only one mile from where we live. Joy and I have gone to the park a couple of times while we have lived here, when we are not travelling or going to parties. We pack a cooler with food and drinks and take a blanket and magazines. We park in the neighborhood and walk to the park. We get to the park early and spend the whole day in the shade of a tree. When darkness falls, we have a front row seat for the show.

An added benefit to our usual spot is the elementary school sitting atop a hill less than a block behind us. The building reflects the explosive boom of the charges back to us.


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