What? 33rd Annual Utah Scottish Festival and Highland Games
Where? Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah
When? Saturday June 9. 2006
Who? Ben, Doug, me, and all flavors of people (I mean ALL flavors)
Why? To learn the following:
1. Dunlop is a very small clan. We may have a town in Scotland, but no one in Lehi, Utah cares to have any info on us. Fools.
2. Apparently everyone is happy to have kilts and tartans for Doug and Ben's Scottish roots, but not mine. Fools.
3. Kilts cost a LOT. There were some kilt-makers there from Edinburgh that were selling some kilts for "gents." In his two-minute presentation to Doug and Ben, the dude stressed the hand-stitched pleats and how awesome they were. And then he told them they could each get a kilt starting at only $650.00 or so. What a deal!
4. Scotsmen are made of steel. We watched a few events, including the sheaf toss (they toss a bag of something over a pole using a pitchfork), the log-throwing thing (I'll never remember the proper name for that), and the throw-a-cannon-ball-on-a-chain-over-a-pole-directly-above-your-head event. It was NUTS! And if you think all of the competitors were wearing kilts, you're right.
5. Bagpipes are loud. They can really sound cool, but they are loud.
6. A highlands festival is a great excuse for swords: buying them, wearing them, selling them, and acting like you know how to use them. We were AMAZED at the number of guys walking around with swords on their backs. Most of the swords were extremely disproportionate to the guys too (we started taking random pics of some of our favorites). They also had several tents devoted to knives and swords, and Ben and Doug spent quite a bit of time checking them out. Almost too much time for my liking.
7. If it's not Scottish, it's CRAP!
8 comments:
The red headed step child picture almost hurts...when laughing.
HAHahahahaha #7, I love you! reminds me of Mike MOffat from Freshman year (commonly refered to as mot-the-hoople).
Bell is apparenlty a worthless clan as well in the eyes of Scots not by that name. (mother's maiden name) She had to buy another fmaily name blanket becuase they dind't have Bell, "But the pattern is very smimilar". . . I feel your pain Dunlop, I feel it deeply.
Well I'm jealous as jealous can be. no Scottish heritage here. Just English......sadface. No kilts, red hair, or swords. Way to go Dunlop!
Jackie I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts! Sounds like a high old time with the Shafers. The swords are priceless. That one of Doug looks like the one from Lord of the Rings and Viggo Mortenson so buffly brandishes.
Oh, and my mom laughed and said Doug looked like Mel Gibson from Braveheart with that hat and red hair. True? I didn't see it. Compliment? Lets take it as one.
That looks so fun, educational and entertaining. I think the men have big swords to downplay the fact that they're wearing a skirt. And I too went to a Scottish store and was given a blank stare when I proudly said my maiden name was Dunlop. We're not as cool as I think we clearly are. Oh well...
I was just in Scotland for a few days; I saw a place selling kilts for 99 pounds (they were on sale). That's about 200 dollars for us. What a deal!
awesome! Nothing like a nice random day at the highland scottish festival! I can only imagine the "flavors" of people that you came across there. It makes me think of my Irish dance class...there was this girl who was really into walking around campus wearing a midevil dress, cape and sword and all that good stuff...sometimes, I really wonder about people.
I also whole heartedly agree with Jillian...you are a very witty writer, I love it!
That really is a terrifying picture of Doug with the hat and wig. Remind me to never let him do that again.
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