Wow!

What a busy busy few days we have had!!!  

It started off in Maxville at the Glengarry games..... W is involved with the 78 Frasier Highlanders.  It is an historical squad that works out of (protects) the Ste Helene Island Fort.   

As a kid I loved to visit the fort and explore it .. and let my imagine run wild - indians hiding in the forests, americans attacking from the river... 

Anyway......... all of that is beside the point......... 

Now the 78th Highlanders (for the summer months) have a squad of young men working there... giving demonstrations of life "back in the day" as well as doing some tours to things like the Glengarry Scottish Games where they give demonstrations of musket firing - piping and scottish sword dancing.   


W is the official photographer for the society - and as such attends all their events.  I - on the other hand - am not affiliated with them except through W.  (OHHHHH there was a time that one very sweet elderly Colonel decided I *HAD* to be involved - and had me inducted as a "Milady" - but that wasn't a particularly good fit - so I went back to just being one of the "camp followers"........ much better fit!!)  


Friday the young squad was performing the musket routine.  (I almost want to say dance - as the 40 maneuvers they go through each time to load their guns is much like a dance)


The first show was at 10 am... and they had a fairly good crowd come to watch them - leaving the trials/try outs for every event under the sun - caber toss, Irish dancing, fiddling - the list is endless.


By the 3 o'clock show I think word had spread - and the stands were filled with standing room only for their 10 minute show (in the drizzly rain I might add) 


The squad was spectacular !!!  You have to remember these are students (ages 15 - 19) and this is just a summer job for them.  But you can't miss the intensity on their faces or the pride in wearing the "clan colours" .  

As well as attending each of the squads 3 performances (10 am - 3 pm - 5 pm) I spent a good amount of time wandering around watching some of the try outs and visiting all the merchants stalls.  

I managed to find (and purchase) two celtic knives - exact same size and weight.  (W had commented after last weekend's knife play - that he would love 2 identical knives to use at the same time).  The salesman seemed surprised I wanted 2 exactly the same - and even asked me why......... (my answer - "why not"?? I wasn't sure he really wanted or needed to know that W intended to carve my skin with them) 

 Between the 3 o'clock show and the 5 o'clock show W and i got to explore the merchant tents together.  W has been looking for a utility kilt - for ages.  He talked to me about maybe finding one at the Games.  I had pooh-poohed the idea saying that the prices would probably be jacked up because of the event.  But wouldn't you know it......... W found a lovely black utility kilt for almost $100 less than here in town.  Just goes to show ya .......... there are deals to be had at events like this !!!  


W wore the kilt on Saturday to Ottawa and I thought (though I am a little biased on the subject - that he looked HOT HOT HOT !!!) gotta love a man in a skirt (cheeky grin)

By 6 pm when the squad had finished their last show - packed up the truck and cars for the return trip - and were heading off to the beer tent........ W and I decided to call it a day.  We were both hot - damp and tired.  It had been a long day - up and on the road by 9:30 (for me) and going the entire day - home was where we wanted to be....... so home we came - to rest up for our trip up to Ottawa bright and early the next morning....... 


More on that tomorrow....................