Highland Games

I went with a friend to the local Foothills Highland Games www.scotsfoothillshg.org over the weekend. It was a smaller Games but still wonderful, and actually better without the major crowds seen at bigger Highland Games. It was fun watching the athletes competing in the caber toss, hammer throw, tossing the sheaf, and bonny knees contest. :-)

A great Celtic rock band from Canada performed, Hunting McLeod www.huntingmcleod.com . They really know how to rock and I enjoyed their sound mucho. Here is what their website says about them: "Hunting McLeod's traditional bagpipes and fiddle transform into a new evolution of Celtic sound and powerhouse rock when mixed with electric guitar, bass and drums."

Two of my favorite kinds of music combined! What could be better?? See, more proof I have lots of Scottish blood in me veins. (I'm also a member of the MacNaughton Clan Association.) The Games also featured marching bagpipe bands. I love the sound of bagpipes.

Oh and did I mention, lots of men in kilts! The main reason to go, of course. ;-) One thing I've noticed is that the first few times I went to Highland Games, the men in kilts were kinda weird, you know, like something unusual and odd you want to stare at. But I'm finding the more I see men in kilts, the more normal they seem and even more attractive than they used to be. Men who don't wear kilts often make fun of men who do, but take note--women find men in kilts very sexy, so you guys, go out and buy kilts (and actually wear them) if you want to please your women. ;-) Has my husband ever had one on? Never! But he doesn't make fun of men who wear them, cause he knows I would object, considering the number of my (hot, yummy, alpha) heroes who wear kilts.

Also interesting at the Games, men who carry around big swords and targes (shields). Perhaps they're replicas but still attention-grabbing. I always like to observe how they're being carried, especially since these are the things I write about on a normal day in historical-romance-dom. I've also written two novellas that begin at Highland Games, so it's a favorite setting for me.

Lots of vendors were selling everything at the Games from silver Celtic knot earrings (one of my favorite things) to meat bridies with flaky crusts and fresh squeezed lemonade. Oh, and amazing kettlecorn. It was cold and the wind blew a lot so I had to wear my coat and hood most of the time. Not very sexy nor Scottish, but I stayed warm. :-)