Fall Colors

Escapade: A great way to see the fall colors

Green Lake Feature

Carlos del Junco and his band

Halloween Quiz

We all enjoy the beautiful show of colors as the leaves change each autumn. Did you ever wonder how and why this happens? To answer that question, we first have to understand what leaves are and what they do. (Click on the above image for a large view.)

Leaves are nature's food factories. Plants take water from the ground through their roots. They take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose. Glucose is a kind of sugar. Plants use glucose as food for energy and as a building block for growing. The way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar is called photosynthesis. That means "putting together with light." A chemical called chlorophyll in the leaves helps make photosynthesis happen. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color.

As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees know to begin getting ready for winter. During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along: We just can't see them in the summer because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.

The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn turn this glucose into a red color. The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves.

It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful colors we enjoy in the fall.

I'm so excited to tell you about the addition of our online store to our website! It has only been live for a few days, but already we're receiving great feedback. Our online store offers all types of gift certificates right now, but soon, you will be able to purchase more services, logo embossed items, and many other gifts.

I think one of the best features of the online store is our "Build Your Own Package" tool, which makes your shopping a breeze. Using this tool, you can create the perfect gift for your someone special. Start by choosing if you want overnight accommodations, and then move on to dining options, in-room amenities, golf and even theater tickets. Like all of our gift certificates, you will have the option of regular mail delivery or immediate online delivery -- Perfect if you're a last minute shopper like I am.

Access our on-line store through our home page at www.heidelhouse .com. Take advantage of the easy and fast shopping experience!

Happy shopping,
Loni

Our 60' catamaran style yacht, the Escapade, is a relaxing and fun way to take in the panoramic beauty of Wisconsin's deepest inland lake: Green Lake. Our one-hour sightseeing cruise shows off the magnificent shorelines and all their colors. The crisp air and invigorating views will make for a memorable fall adventure.

The Escapade is also a wonderful option for weddings, group events, and even after work get- togethers. For more information or for our tour schedule call 800.444.2812 or visit us online at www.heidelhouse.com.

Name: Cottage Chocolates and Confections
Location: 495 Hill Street, Green Lake
920.294.3410
Tidbits: This quaint little shop serves up a variety of old-fashioned candy featuring fresh chocolates, fudge, bulk candy, nuts, Jelly Belly, fresh popcorn, saltwater taffy, "penny" and novelty candy. It's the store that carries your favorites from the past. If you don't go for the candy, then go for the walk down memory lane.

See Carlos del Junco and his band perform on October 16 at Thrasher Opera House. Del Junco's musical styles include: Blues, Latin, New Orleans, funk, swing, traditional and contemporary jazz. He's considered to be a leading pioneer in the diatonic harmonica, and since 1993, has received numerous awards including Winner of the Toronto Blues Society's Maple Leaf Blues Award for 2003 Harmonica Player of the Year.

Tickets are $20 each. For more information contact Thrasher Opera House at 888.441.0140 or via e-mail at info@thrasheroperahouse.com.

1.According to legend, how do you kill a vampire?
a. Bury it at a crossroads
b. Cremate it
c. All of these
d. Pound a stake through its heart

2. What kind of candy, divided into three layers, is a popular treat around this time?
a. Cow's tails
b. Snickers
c. Laffy Taffy
d. Candy Corn

3. The word Halloween derives from which of the following?
a. All Saints Day
b. Nothing, it's always been Halloween
c. Samhain
d. All Hallows Eve

4. Fill in the sentence: "It's the great pumpkin, ______ ________.
a. Charlie Brown
b. Holy Cow
c. Harry Potter
d. don't look

5. Which 1993 movie features characters such as Max, Dani, and Allison?
a. Halloweentown
b. Hocus Pocus
c. The Witches of Eastwick
d. Halloween

6. Which of these people sings "Monster Mash"?
a. Dr. Demento
b. Bobby Pickett
c. Billy Ray Cyrus
d. Frankie Avalon

7. True or false: Halloween grew from evil practices. a. True
b. False