SCOTTISH PRIDE

My sister, brother-in-law and I enjoyed a warm, sunny day at the Scottish Festival that has landed at the Enumclaw Expo Center every July for 65 years.  It's huge!  And, from all over the world, it draws clan members, pipers, dancers, game challengers and dogs to play, compete and party.  In case you haven't heard, Scots do like to party hardy!

 First, the Parade of Clans...

...that also included "families" of Celtic breeds and Northwest kennel clubs

Isn't this black and white dog the spitting image of the dog in the "For Better or Worse" cartoon?

This is John McBride, pipe major, whose soulful, goose-bump-producing bagpiping starts the festivities.  John does not have a tan line.  I know.  I hired John to play his pipes at my sister's surprise 50th birthday.  Of course the women in attendance asked ... and were visually enlightened!

Celtic Breeds Agility Trials

Celtic Breed Stuffed Shirt!

We Robertsons shake our heads in confusion...how did Clan Robertson suddenly become Clan Donnachaidh (Don-a-kee)?  We stopped at the clan tent and inquired.  Apparently "Donnachaidh" is the Gaelic spelling/pronunciation for "Robertson."  Ask me?....they shoulda just let it be -- in plain ol' king's English!  (Obviously, they didn't ask me!)

 A traditional pipe band from Canada ~~

A co-ed band, but the drummers were *all* girls.  WOW!  These lassies could swing and twirl their pom-pom drum "sticks" like the Rockettes swing their legs and were the absolute finest keepers of the cadence!

A rocking Australian band called "Brother" -- guitar, bagpipes, drums, and ... say WHAT?  A didgeridoo.  An *amplified* didgeridoo!  It was fun to watch this non traditional band  treat us to a different, foot-tapping, energetic sound....

... and to watch the young and old audience respond to its primal beat.  You could almost "be there" if you click here:  http://www.brothermusic.com/

This guy...not so much!

Lots of men in kilts...

Lots of umm, er, zaftig women in princess garb!

Yes, Enumclaw is smack dab in the middle of a dairy-producing, cow country region.

I don't care how it's labeled, it's not Scottish food!

Practicing for tomorrow's competition -- so nimble and sweet.

These flirts were corralled inside the beer garden doing what they do best after tossing cabers:  drinking a good ale and oogling the babes...

...including my sister, who stopped and flirted right back after they referred to her as a "hottie."  Discerning folks, those Scots!!

Little "hotties" in training, cooling off next to the misters -- *water* misters.

Cross-eyed ... or just cool?!!

Hope you had fun people watching too!

PIGS!

OOOPS!  Pardon me -- I'm a city girl.  Those are COWS!  Right?  Yup ... those are definitely TWO cows under a still-standing (mostly) tree, at first curious about that strange, two-footed creature with a black box growing out of her head.

 OH!  This is divine.  Gourmet tree leaves.  We scored!

AHHH JEEEZE ... this was supposed to be a by-invitation-only private banquet.  Which one of you lowlifes alerted the buttinskies?!

HEY!  Move aside Bozo...I can SEE there's still a branch left.  What a bunch of hogs you are!

Guess we won't be invited back to that blowout spread any time soon.

YA THINK?!

Oh well...I guess the grass really IS greener anyway.

SELF PORTRAIT!

A QUOTIDIAN ROUTINE

When day is done, leftovers are wrapped, the kitchen is spruced, and the water stops running, the birds, Beezer and Squeeky, know it's their time for some quality interaction with their "mates," Joe and Janet.  This is Squeeky in Janet's lap chowing down on her special out-of-her-cage, after-dinner treat.

Janet was originally Beezer's "mate," but after that traitor went and introduced Squeeky to the household, and Beezer was no longer an only-parrot, he stopped singing and talking, snubbed Janet and defected.  Joe became Beezer's new "mate."  Sometimes Joe is a little late to hit his chair so Beezer will deign to *temporarily* perch on Janet's old familiar shoulder.  But only for a few minutes!

Beezer's special after-dinner, out-of-his-cage treat is the opportunity to groom Joe's nails!  Or maybe his beard.  If you click to enlarge this photo, you can admire Beezer's Mabeline lashes.  

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL -- 2.

Spotted down the road from my sister's in Enumclaw, WA, not Hartford, CT! ... never did see his harem.

AND THEN...

... there are days when Rainier looks like this.