Highland Games

[low_delta]

We went to the Wisconsin Highland Games today. Got sunburned and dehydrated. Ate food, drank Scotch. Saw pipe and drum corps, axe throwers, archers, heavy athletics, sheep and duck herding etc. Didn't see rugby, dancing or much combat demonstrations.

We saw two weight throws - for distance, and for height. They were throwing 56 pound weights. Sixty to eighty feet distance, or fourteen to sixteen feet high.

Missed the caber toss. I saw cabers in the distance, so we went over. We saw three attempts - all failures. Then the announcer wrapped it up and said what a privilege it was to see such an exciting competition it had been. Someone had apparently made an almost perfect toss. Oh well. Maybe next year. We also missed the big pipe and drum corp... show. Where all of them gather on the field and play at once. My dad says it's a moving experience to hear that. I'll have to take his word for it.

My dad was in the axe throwing contest with his clan. As of today, they were in first place, but they throw again tomorrow.

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

The massed band is indeed a most moving experience, even if one had not a drop of Highland blood. Best of luck to your Dad's clan.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

My dad's words were, "if that doesn't put a lump in your throat, you don't belong here." :-)

[rivendweller.livejournal.com]

How fun! Glad you had a good time. I read about that stuff all the time in my highlander romance novels, ha ha.

On the first Saturday of October every year we have Lumberjack Day in West Point near here in Calaveras County. We have games, too, including the axe toss. Also chainsawing competition and log rolling and pole climbing. Tons of fun. We have a parade, too.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, those kinds of things are fun!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Hey, got a question for you. Can you tell me what brand of fireplace you've got? I'm looking to get an insert, and yours looked good.

[rivendweller.livejournal.com]

I think it's Lennox, but I can't get onto their web site.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Yours had a lot more glass than most inserts I've seen. Thanks!

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Which clan is your dad's? Good luck to them today!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Clan Little. The axe throwing isn't one of the big events. It's just one of the clan challenges, for fun.

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

Well, how was the haggis? Deep fried twinky?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Deep fried Twinkie? Is that Scottish? They had deep fried food, but it was mostly bangers and meat pies and such. I can't remember if I saw haggis. The program says there was a haggis hurl. I'm not quite sure what that was all about. My dad made some haggis for a picnic a while back, and it was pretty good.

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

Yep! There's a fish and chips house in Edinburgh that claims to be the first to deep-fry twinkies, snickers bars, etc.

There was a time when the FDA wouldn't allow haggis to be imported. (I think it was the FDA.) :)