Highland Laddie

This past Saturday I went with some friends to the Wisconsin Highland Games. This was the third time we've gone to this particular Games, and it's always fun to get a little taste of Scotland. The weather was absolutely perfect--a nice sunny day but not too hot. I managed to see a little bit of everything going on--some of the Heavy Games (I missed the caber toss but watched the weight toss over the bar. Competitors would throw a 56-lb weight up and over a bar--kind of like a high jump--with the bar being raised each time. Oof!), as well as women's rugby (those girls are tough!). I watched the Highland Dance competitions and remembered the days when I could actually dance a Fling too. There was a Scottish dog parade, but they were a little shy on actual Scottish breeds (just deerhounds and shelties) so they filled in with golden retrievers and bull terriers. The bull terriers were actually really cute; a couple of them were wearing little doggie kilts, and one, who must have still been a pup, marched through the whole parade with his rubber ring toy in his mouth.

The people watching is fantastic too. The Games always draw such an interesting mix of people, from the RenFest/Tribal Celt crowd to the more straightlaced clan/pipe band group, with everything in between. My favorites this year were the Pirate Queens. I don't think they were part of a group, or even knew each other, but they all looked like leftover extras from Pirates of the Caribbean. One young woman was all decked out in head to toe in various skull-related garments. From her purple corset to her blue overskirt, from her teardrop tattoos to her dreadlock extensions, from her striped stockings to her skullhead skimmers (from American Eagle Outfitters; I saw the label when I stood next to her), she was a sight to behold.

There were fewer vendors this year, which was disappointing. I especially missed the CD guy. I did find a pretty cashmere scarf for my winter coat, and I splurged on some Welsh cookies, but I passed on the "Under Our Kilt" calendar featuring "naughty" photos of kilt wearing men (a la "Calendar Girls"). I was tempted, but in the end, I just couldn't do it!

The day ended (for us) after the pipe band competition with the massed bands. As always, the sound of bagpipes thrilled me. And really, it's always good to see so many men in kilts.



And I think "Discount Sporrans" would be an excellent name for a rock band.