OtherGoose: August 2018

August to remember!!

WOW ! What a weekend !!! We went to Fergus Scottish Festival, in Fergus Ontario at the invitation of my second cousin, Lindsay, who is our family historian by default [she's so good everyone asks for her help!] I thought Lindsay was a professional genealogist, but she's actually an engineer and this is her hobby! Lucky for the rest of us!

So we arrived on Friday afternoon, sat outside the gates with our lawn chairs and our books in the shade, watching the thousands of vehicles entering the Sportsplex park and camping ground at Fergus. And I mean thousands!!!

The next two days were filled with games like caber tossing; hammer throwing; bale tossing, highland dancing and piping band competition. There were hundreds of pipers and drummers. Every clan that has a Mac or Mc in the name was represented and the same number who didn't Campbell, Gunn, Irwin [that's me!] Elliott [that's Steve!] right up to Young.

There wasn't a single tartan that wasn't beautiful and I'll tell you...any man in a kilt looks damned good. I can't imagine how some of them look in ordinary street clothes but I think kilts should be part of the daily dress!!! And I am now the proud owner of a "utility kilt" ...kind of like a construction apron with pockets and hardware every where...for your sword brace, your dagger, your cell phone, your car keys etc. Mine is white but they come in any colour or camo. And despite the 10 lbs of hardware on it, it wasn't hot or even heavy. And now when I attend, I also have a sash made from my clan tartan for Erwin

The entertainment was fantastic. A band from Scotland called Albannach, a pipe and drum band and a didgeridoo player was amazing. They looked like the original Celts.

The show band was the Red Hot Chilli Pipers...read that again...not Peppers but Pipers and they were from Scotland as well. A Bag Rock Band! They played Queen, Foreigner and other rock covers ...

The guest of honour was Graham MacTavish...from Outlander or Dwalin from the Hobbit!! I couldn't get close enough for a selfie [too short to push through the crowd of women] but Rick managed to snap his picture a couple of times.

It was sensory overload and I think the adrenaline is still running through me.

THEN...on the way home we stopped in Markdale to our close-up family reunion of Erwin's and Sensabaugh's [my sister's other half]. Once again all the Erwin siblings were together and most of their respective children. It was a great day having three generations together and even the kids were remarking how they could see resemblances to themselves and each other in cousins they'd never met. Thanks Barb & Dan, Chris & Regan, Brad & Colleen!!