The Campbell Crest

     The first Highland Games of the season were hosted locally. Abby and I attended and were witnesses to some incredible athletes and were surrounded by the Scottish culture.

     There were several different clans being represented at the games. I got Abby to pose with her familial crest. It was like she was surrounded by family!
     The Highland Games had many activities. We watched men throwing cabers. These are 400 pound pieces of wood that are ~20 feet long. HUGE! These guys were kicking butt!
     Men were throwing 40 pound rocks shot-put style, heaving bales of hay over a bar 30 feet in the air, and throwing a loose version of a kettleball for height and distance.
     It also included a sword demonstration and Highland animals. We learned about Highland cattle and how the Queen of England keeps a herd at Balmoral castle. We also met a Clydesdale!

     There was a short parade that included bag-pipers. There were eight of them, of which five were women. They were incredible!

     After a lunch of what was called Scottish food - but left us wondering what type of food it really was - we enjoyed watching a shepherding dog demonstration. The shepherd demonstrated with three different dogs that he had trained. He then spent some time with us answering questions and letting us meet one of his dogs.
     It was a very interesting day! I got to understand quite a bit about Abby's Scottish heritage.