Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games
I'm at the Fergus Scotish Festival (by myself this time, my friend who usually goes with me is at a wedding this weekend). I'm enjoying myself quite a bit (there's something to be said for traveling on your own, you don't have to compromise on what you want to see or do, or when, and strangers are more likely to strike up a chat with you -- it's Fergus, it's pretty safe). The downside is there's no one around to hear my smart-ass jokes (at least, no one who knows not to take them seriously).
When I packed to come here, I decided at the last minute to bring the Mac, not the PC (and forgot to pack the USB cable for my camera as well), and as a result, I have no place to insert my SD card, so I can't insert any pictures into this right now. It's a good thing I recently purchased an 8GB SD card, or I'd be in trouble. Also, my hosts at the B&B I'm staying at are awesome. When they found out I was having trouble connecting to the internet with my supposedly "mobile" internet connector, they gave the the password for their wireless system.
So far, my favourite part of the weekend has been watching Tom Leadbeater perform (he's going to be on again tomorrow as well, but he's playing at the same time as Leahy, so I don't know what I'm going to do in terms of decision making -- I want to see them both!).
I attended the Tattoo last night (good, I thought, but not as good as last year, IMHO). Today I've been to lectures on Scottish immigration & emigration (the professor is one of the consultants for Ancestors in the Attic), kilt-making, Scottish dance, and beekeeping; I've watched a sheep-shearing demonstration, and I've also met Diana Gabaldon, who waxed poetic on the virtues of a certain Scottish companion on Doctor Who, and how that lead her to select 18thC Scotland as the backdrop for her books. Any lecture that mentions Doctor Who out of the blue has to be a good one.
Hopefully breakfast won't take so long tomorrow (it's not that it's just a big breakfast (which it is);everyone got so chatty that we were still at the table at 11am and breakfast had started at 9!), and I'll be able to run down to the shops before heading to the Festival itself. I also hope the rain lets up. It's not nearly as bad as last year, but it makes it difficult to take photos.
When I packed to come here, I decided at the last minute to bring the Mac, not the PC (and forgot to pack the USB cable for my camera as well), and as a result, I have no place to insert my SD card, so I can't insert any pictures into this right now. It's a good thing I recently purchased an 8GB SD card, or I'd be in trouble. Also, my hosts at the B&B I'm staying at are awesome. When they found out I was having trouble connecting to the internet with my supposedly "mobile" internet connector, they gave the the password for their wireless system.
So far, my favourite part of the weekend has been watching Tom Leadbeater perform (he's going to be on again tomorrow as well, but he's playing at the same time as Leahy, so I don't know what I'm going to do in terms of decision making -- I want to see them both!).
I attended the Tattoo last night (good, I thought, but not as good as last year, IMHO). Today I've been to lectures on Scottish immigration & emigration (the professor is one of the consultants for Ancestors in the Attic), kilt-making, Scottish dance, and beekeeping; I've watched a sheep-shearing demonstration, and I've also met Diana Gabaldon, who waxed poetic on the virtues of a certain Scottish companion on Doctor Who, and how that lead her to select 18thC Scotland as the backdrop for her books. Any lecture that mentions Doctor Who out of the blue has to be a good one.
Hopefully breakfast won't take so long tomorrow (it's not that it's just a big breakfast (which it is);everyone got so chatty that we were still at the table at 11am and breakfast had started at 9!), and I'll be able to run down to the shops before heading to the Festival itself. I also hope the rain lets up. It's not nearly as bad as last year, but it makes it difficult to take photos.