How I spent my weekend, free entertainment and the young

-Here's how I spent my weekend - at the 43rd Stone Mountain Highland Games, at which we celebrate our Scottish heritage.  Pipers and drummers are standing at attention here during the opening ceremonies.  It was a bright, cool, sunny weekend - I wish we could have bottled that weather.

- The table at my Clan's tent with our Christmasy looking tartan (which goes rather well with the Walkers Shortbread package.)  :)  Someone made the cookies in the baggie, using Scottie dog cookie cutters.

- Our Clan tent looks out at a performance stage, in which various singers and musicians perform Celtic tunes all day.  It's a treat to have background music.  Our favorite is the man pictured:  Colin Grant-Adams - here singing "Loch Lomand."  Click on the red link if you'd like to give it a listen.  I sang that song to niece Amanda in 1997, when when we visited Scotland.  She and I walked around the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomand, while her mother and sister went on a tour of it in a boat.  I remember that as a young teenager she was probably a little mortified at her aunt singing out loud, but she graciously acted as if she wasn't.  I think of that every time I hear that song.

- This photo doesn't entirely capture the exuberance of this young piper, spontaneously performing on one of the walkways.  (His family was nearby.)  I loved that he was tapping his toe the whole time he played.  I'm always so glad to see young people involved.

The getaway, the taste and smells of summer

- I can almost smell the air by the banks of the Hiwassee River and can almost feel the cool breeze.  That's where I'll be the beginning of next week when we have our annual sisters gathering - three sisters converging from three different states to spend a few days in yet another state.  It's badly needed down time for me - I'm so looking forward to it.

- Summer.  I never look forward to it, knowing how hot it will be, but it's hotter in other places in our country/the world, so I don't like to complain too much.  Earlier this morning when I was slicing watermelon to bring with me to work today, I was thinking that is one of the high points of summer - watermelon + Georgia peaches, blueberries and summer food in general.

- Sometimes when I catch the scent of freshly mowed grass, it takes me back to summers as a child.  Our house was not air conditioned until I was a young teen, and I don't remember it being that bad.  It was lovely to have the windows of the house open, ceiling fans whirring and the scent of the mowed grass coming in.

Have a wonderful weekend and wonderful next few days.  I'll be by your blogs until I get out of internet range next week.  (That's one thing I like about that mountain house - no computer and no cell phone data.)