DoubleTruckDan

Dan Schwarz ’10

Leaves on Trees

Every year the Autumnal equinox symbolizes the turn from summer to autumn. To many people, it is the start of the fall foliage. Leaves changes, the night becomes longer and the days become shorter. In New England people can get a front seat to the fall foliage. The temperature, light, and, water determine the pigment of how leaves change on trees. During the summer the color of leaves are mostly green. But because of the chemical Chlorophyll in the trees starts wearing off by the temperature. The leaves change to an orange and red color. This happens during the begging of every autumn. In the middle of the season the trees shine the brightest. But, then the temperature starts dropping and the bright leaves start falling to the ground. Where the stem of the leaf is connected to the tree, that layer of tissue gradually starts to separate. The wind and weather conclude the process by detaching the leave from its branch. Traditionally, the color is at its peak during the first two weeks of October. “Leaf Peepers” are people who avoid the big city scene to go and see the leaves change. In Massachusetts leaf peepers follow the Mohawk trail, a section between Greenfield, MA and Williamstown, MA on route 2. People can follow other trails all around New England, such as, Lake Winnipesauke in New Hampshire, or the Blackstone River Valley in Rhode Island.

INGREDIENTS: • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh • 3/4 cup sugar • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour • 2 eggs, lightly beaten • 1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted • 2 tablespoons water • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 unbaked pastry shell (9-inch) PREPARATION: Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add eggs; mix well. Add evaporated milk, water, and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350° and bake about 35 minutes longer, or until center is set.

Dan Schwarz ’10

Tradition, Tradition

Thanksgiving are holiday that happen every year during autumn. You could even call them a tradition to the USA. Perhaps Thanksgiving is the most important day of the year for a family. It’s a time to tell stories, be around each other for the first time. Thanksgiving marks the 95th day for another family. It’s a family that only exists in Wellesley, the football team. It’s the most important day of the season, of the year. It’s the day that the Wellesley Raiders play the Needham Rockets. It’s the only tradition that matters to a football player, playing your heated rivals. These rivals have been battling every year on Thanksgiving for the last 125 years. This is the oldest rival in all of America. Every year the game will switch home field advantage. Last year the game was in Needham so now this year the game will be played in Wellesley. The only year that Wellesley and Needham did not play on Thanksgiving was because cause of a couple Needham students. The Needham students planned to have a rocket, painted with Needham colors with Rockets on the front, blast off from a makeshift underground onto the field, during the game. But when the custodians got to the field and once they saw all the wires they knew something was amiss. They called the State Police bomb squad to handle it. They then had to play the game on the following Saturday. This year both teams have had successful seasons and it will cap off the 126th year tradition game, on Thanksgiving.

Dan Schwarz ’10

A Pumpkin Treat

It is a specialty desert on Thanksgiving. It is a seasonal desert. Take in the environment, leaves changing, a brisk wind out, its fall. What is the best feeling in fall, biting down on a scrumptious piece of pumpkin pie. If you are a pumpkin pie fanatic your favorite part is probably the pumpkin that surrounds the custard crust. How much effort does it take to make this pumpkin filling, a giant amount of effort. Joe Jutras wakes up to his 1,689-pound, world record, giant pumpkin. This record was weighed in Topsfield, Ma on September 30th, 2007. This date is important because on September 29, 2007, a few days earlier Dave and Carol Stelts from Edinburgh, Pa grew and won a giant pumpkin contest. There pumpkin weighed at 1,089 pounds. That was a world record until Jutras pumpkin. In Topsfield, MA it took fourteen adults to carry the 1,689-pound pumpkin to its weighing station. As recently as 16 years ago, the heaviest pumpkin weighed a mere 403 pounds. Since the world record has been broken nine times. Unless you have 25 extra feet in every direction, in your yard, and time to spend, do not try to grow a pumpkin. In fact it takes at least 125 days to grow your pumpkin. A giant pumpkin needs the just right amount of sunlight, if there is direct sunlight on the pumpkin, the pumpkins skin will harden limiting the growth of the pumpkin. Ideal temperature to grow your pumpkin is 80 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Wellesley is not the ideal place to grow your pumpkin. There is not enough space to grow a pumpkin like there would be in Georgia. In Georgia there is plenty of space and has the ideal temperature. There is a steady temperature around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. New England weather is very unpredictable and Wellesley would get the ideal temperature like in Georgia.