• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Live government meetings
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Search Results for: gorillas in the mist

Wellesley at Halloween time — Gorillas come out of the mist and onto the WHS track

October 31, 2017 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Because I’m easily talked into nonsense and shenanigans, I recently donned a gorilla costume to experience the glory of passing out Halloween treats to sugar-needy Wellesley High School athletes. That’s me on the right, the one who is emoting. The calmer, cooler gorilla on the left prefers to remain nameless, and since I always protect my sources, I agreed to this demand for secrecy.

Wellesley Gorillas
We’re still in one piece after being cleaned out of every piece of Halloween candy we brought over to WHS athletes.

First, we had to sneak up on the athletes. That meant leaving our cars behind, a smart move which would also allow us to avoid an awkward traffic stop by the Wellesley police, who always have an eagle eye out for driving gorillas. We travelled on foot, walking along the Brook Path and then cutting across the field over to the track and our prey. Raising eyebrows and terrifying children with every step, we then made our grand entrance and did what gorillas do —  we jumped around and passed out candy. It was surprisingly easy, this leaving behind of dignity and a carefully curated reputation as a hard-boiled blogger.

I was trying hard to follow the rules as laid out by my partner: “Don’t make eye contact because they’ll recognize you for sure. Don’t talk. It will make you more believable as a gorilla. And try to do gorilla body language.” Suddenly I felt like I could have used a couple of sessions with a good Method Acting coach before I embarked on this adventure.

Things got hairy in a hurry. Boys grabbed handfuls of candy, and I had to run away from the sheer crush of them. I was just a teeny gorilla, no match for the inner gorilla of a teenage boy, desperate for a Halloween candy sugar rush.

Meanwhile, the Pretty Girls cooly observed me, bows in their hair, bemused smiles on their faces, inwardly resolving never to debase themselves with such desperate attention-seeking techniques. I understood. I was that Pretty Girl once. The one who favored bunny costumes because pink is a good color on me. Or even better, Snow White, so as to capitalize on my  then-alabaster skin and 23-inch waist. I was once that sophisticate who would never, ever dress up like a gorilla. Except for that one party in Cambridge. OK, fine. I suppose a precedent had been set. Anyway, yes, I was a vain thing many Halloweens ago, but there was an eventual reckoning. Crow’s feet and calories have been my comeuppance.

As we prepared to leave, something very exciting happened. One of the athletes had a picture of a monkey on his t-shirt. That’s right, there was my cousin, right there on a t-shirt. My inner gorilla went crazy. I kept pointing to the t-shirt, and then to myself, desperate that this young man see the connection. But there it was again. That bemused smile. Oh if only I had paid attention during gorilla family gatherings when Cousin Koko had tried to teach me sign language. Then I might have been able to communicate with this young man our shared humanity, our evolutionary bond. Did I really come out of the mist just to hand out candy and be misunderstood? So it would seem.

Later, I picked up my athlete son, who said not a word about my earlier exploits (even though he had accepted candy from gorilla-mom). What better way for a teenager to express displeasure at a parent’s embarrassing exploits than by completely ignoring that (ridiculous) parent. Brilliant, actually. Unless that parent reads ignoring as a gauntlet being thrown down. A challenge, if you will, to engage in ever-wilder exploits.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the family front, my co-blogger and husband was away on business during all this silliness, so he was unable to stop the madness. But Bob is generally supportive of all my insanity and would have encouraged me to go through with it, and likely still regards me as a prime mate. We stick together like gorilla glue that way.

Wellesley gorillas
It’s not the first time gorillas have been spotted in Wellesley. I remember the year that two showed up at my house, wreaked havoc, and left behind a bag of strange treats.

 

Wellesley gorillas
What gorillas bring when they’re ghosting: hosiery, banana chips, a quick cube, Hershey’s kisses, and libations.
Share

Filed Under: Animals, Entertainment, Holidays, Humor

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wellesley United Soccer
Wonderful Wellesley

Wellesley comes up big on Halloween

November 1, 2019 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

Warm temps and a little rain made for just a fine Halloween night in Wellesley, and kids weren’t complaining about the full-size bars doled out by some either.

We’ve gone the full-size route in recent years, and it definitely gets the kids excited (handing out full-size bars is apparently even national news, per The Today Show and MSN Money: “What handing out full-size candy bars on Halloween says about you, according to behavioral economists”). Some kids even say “Thank You” without prompting from parents. A greedy few ask if they can have 2.

No.

full-size bars
Our supply was largely sapped by trick-or-treaters.

When a parade of kids came to our door early on, the usual nerves kicked in about whether we’d bought enough. I mentioned to Mrs. Swellesley that maybe we’d wound up on some app directing kids to full-size houses.

But about 100 trick-or-treaters later, only a handful of candy bars remained. It seems as if our data analytics have become really sophisticated, though we were surprised that Snickers bars have become so unpopular.

Meanwhile, there was a missed opportunity over near Morses Pond, where Swellesley devotee LR reports they were handing out full-size bars but had just one taker.

leftover full-size bars
So much candy, so few trick-or-treaters.

If only they lived in the Mayo Road neighborhood of Wellesley, where apparently half the kids in town live.

mayo road wellesley halloween
Mayo Road Halloween party (photo courtesy of Cheryl Brill)

 

baby pumpkin
Kids who were in the hospital, including those just born, also got into the spirit, thanks to Newton-Wellesley Hospital doctors and staff who dressed up and visited patients. Photo courtesy of Newton-Wellesley Hospital

 

baby pumpkin
Photo courtesy of Newton-Wellesley Hospital

 

 

 

Wellesley runners
This crew of Wellesley runners dressed up for their annual Halloween-time run. As they took off from the Linden Square courtyard, the traffic stopped and car horns beeped. Missions accomplished.
Wellesley Halloween
Here are our leftovers. When the clock struck 8pm, we closed up shop for the night. Now what to do with the leftovers?

 

Wellesley Halloween
We brought all the leftover candy to annual Wellesley Dental candy drive. (Fine, we may have stashed a few Kit Kats in the freezer for personal chocolate emergencies.) Through November 8th you can drop off your sugar at their 5 Seaward Rd. office. From there, US troops will get care packages filled with the donated candy, oral hygiene supplies, and handwritten cards from the community. Wellesley Dental then awards a grand prize of $1000 to the school’s PTO that donated the most candy. To keep things fair, they take into account the number of students per school and amount of pounds of candy collected per student when calculating the winner of the big money prize.

Did you ever hear about the time Mrs. Swellesley dressed up as a gorilla for Halloween?

Wellesley Gorillas
Because Mrs. Swellesley is easily talked into nonsense and shenanigans, she once donned a gorilla costume to experience the glory of passing out Halloween treats to sugar-needy Wellesley High School athletes.

More: Wellesley holding Halloween on Halloween

Treat Swellesley: Here’s how to Advertise and/or Donate to support our independent journalism venture

Share

Filed Under: Holidays, Kids

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Cheesy Street Grill
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Wellesley is back to being a dry town
  • Restaurants in Wellesley, Mass.: more than 50 dining options
  • Wellesley High holds special August ceremony for grad injured in car crash
  • Congrats to all those sweaty, determined Pan-Mass Challenge riders
  • Wellesley arts news: Davis Museum previews fall exhibits; Abstract art welcomes you to the library

Upcoming Events

Aug 15
1:00 pm

Wellesley Neighbors, Open Lunch

Aug 17
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Aug 17
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Al Fresco Dinner and Music on the COA Patio

Aug 20
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Code Ninjas JR Workshops

Aug 24
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Mark Lavelle on Geese stand their ground at Wellesley Square post office
  • Ellen S on The Underrated Cure: Gardening’s Effect on Mental Health
  • Mary Ann on First taste: Wellesley Square’s new Lockheart Restaurant
  • Mary Ann on First taste: Wellesley Square’s new Lockheart Restaurant
  • Michael Maggard WHS '85 on In remembrance: Martha ‘Martie” Cherry Fiske, award-winning Wellesley teacher who fought for job rights

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (419)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (581)
  • Beyond Wellesley (49)
  • Books (368)
  • Business (1,514)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (49)
  • Churches (81)
  • Clubs (229)
  • Construction (296)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,125)
    • Babson College (251)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (34)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (44)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (43)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (610)
    • Wellesley High School (970)
    • Wellesley Middle School (204)
  • Embracing diversity (70)
  • Entertainment (792)
  • Environment (755)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (164)
  • Food (347)
  • Fundraising (615)
  • Gardens (161)
  • Government (565)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (853)
    • COVID-19 (200)
  • Hikes (4)
  • History (389)
  • Holidays (406)
  • Houses (157)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (854)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (63)
  • Media (70)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (11)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (571)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (273)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (76)
  • Outdoors (643)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (758)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (334)
  • Religion (132)
  • Restaurants (335)
  • Safety (151)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (123)
  • Shopping (148)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (986)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (395)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (232)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,231)
  • Volunteering (347)
  • Weather (178)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (277)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login