Virginia got off to an early start this year on April 12th with the Lexington Scottish Festival, now in it’s second year. David & Lois Todd traveled to Lexington with a small one tent set-up for this small but growing festival and were joined by Scott Gordon and his girlfriend, Tracy, (pictured right) who helped to host the tent! Several fellow Gordons stopped by the tent and joined in the fellowship.
Kevin O’Neil performed on pipes with War Pipes and Sherry and Kevin’s eight year old twins, Kiera and Kiellie, (right) made their public dance debut!
Susan Gordon was bright and chipper in her yellow House of Gordon shirt, and with three good pipe bands to listen to, who wouldn’t be cheerful?
Even though this was a small festival, it was a delightful one to attend. War Pipes, VMI Pipe Band, and the Virginia Highland Pipe Band were on hand to provide music. Many of the band members are old friends and Gordons and it was nice to have them stopping by the tent. With so many of Virginia’s festivals now grouped in September and October it is fantastic to have a Lexington and now Laurel Hill in April.
Laurel Hill Highland Games and Festival is a brand new event held at JEB Stuarts birthplace in Ararat, Virginia. Barbara Gordon Wray and Lois Todd took the one tent set-up to this 1st year event. Proceeds from this event go to support the JEB Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust, Inc., and we hope that Glenn King (organizer) will be able to grow this event. A mountain venue, this event gave us a true feeling of being in the highlands… especially when Barbara & I got temporarily lost in the mountains on our way from the hotel to the event site. Who would have known that the map quest directions would read get on the Blue Ridge Parkway go 9.5 miles and turn on “a local road!” The directions were WRONG! But we made it without too much angst, only a tiny bit late and had a good laugh at our adventure with everyone there.
The James River Pipes & Drums were on hand as the duty band, and several athletes competed in the Heavy Athletics. There was a herd of Highland Cows from Running River Ranch on hand, and highland beef was available for purchase. We had three Gordon ladies visit with us as well as several others who were very excited to learn about their Highland heritage.
Our most unusual visitor to the tent was a beautiful bovine of the hairy kind… Gordy was at it again this time trying his hand at reiving! We learned that Highland beef is comparable to chicken in fat and cholesterol and significantly higher in protein than regular beef as well! We also had really good folk and bluegrass music throughout the day to keep us entertained. All in all it was a really nice day !
The Potomac Celtic Festival started out as a beautiful hot day and ended up with some water fun! Barbara Wray rode up with Geof Baker and his daughter Tory. Seeing some thistle on the way in Barbara made him stop whilst she braved the prickly flower to dress up the display table! Alfonzo Diaz and his son were there in all of their Asturian splendor and ready to parade. As were our contingent complete with our own wee faerie lass! Many of our members came and enjoyed the day with us as well as new friends. The Gordon Grill was fired up for an All-American hamburger & hot dog fest.
Thank goodness for the lovely trees and shade because it was killer hot! Ted & Jack Gardner found a good spot in the shade — Karen was there too! Jerry Van came and had lunch with us and then gave a quick sword demonstration. WELL… Actually he chased down a couple of guys and did a full out performance! WOW! It was so awesome to have Jerry taking some time from his other duties to be back home at the House tent! Tory took over the sword display from Jerry and what attracts young men faster than a pretty girl and a sword? Nothing.
Not to be out done, Gordy ran off with a pack of Irish Wolfhounds. David & Geof had a time chasing him down, but did finally manage to round him and them up and bring them back to the tent and return the hounds to their rightful owner. That rascal!
Jim Gordon (Waynesboro) was on his way in from Charlottesville when he ran into a major storm front. He called in the warning and we had less than 10 minutes to get packed up and battened down before the deluge hit. It was raining so hard that it was coming into the tent full on from the front — horizontally! Thanks to Jim’s timely warning we had all of the important papers and items that could be ruined secured in their totes. We braved the onslaught to get it into the trailer and jeep, saved the displays, but were soaked to the bone in the process. Considering how overly hot it had been previously we were delighted! The tent’s floor became a giant Slip n Slide!
Our own David Gauthier tackled The Bear and made it into the top third of competitors! Placing 260th out of 819 with a time of 50: 59.37! For those of you who don’t know, the Bear is a 5-Mile Run starting at the bottom of the mountain in Linville and ending at the Swinging Bridge Lookout. With an elevation of 1541 feet in five miles it is considered one of the most challenging and premier runs in America. David had the biggest, loudest and most enthusiastic group of fans to root him across the finish too! Yes, those Gordon women (and teens) can really cheer! The Virginia Tent Display was featured at the House of Gordon
USA AGM this year at Grandfather Mountain. There were many positive comments, especially for our Wall of Honor. At the AGM Lois Todd, our Communications Chair as well as USA’s, handed out resource CD’s to the conveners with everything needed to create the Wall of Honor in every state should the various conveners choose. But the BIGGEST HIT on the mountain (at least for the Gordons) was the Virginia encampment! We had three RV’s (counting Mary Jo Gordon McQuestion) and several tents. T & Cat climbed topside to secure the tarp between two of the RV’s and with the rain we had early on it was much appreciated! All three Todd boys were there, with Daniel on leave from the Corps, having just finished a 2 year tour of duty overseas! (And NOBODY was going to mess with their 2 little sisters as T & Cat are called.)
Kevin & Kim Gordon from the Mid-west were just across the street and several other Gordons including Turpin Ballard (Georgia convener) and family joined us for our fine repast! AND DID WE EAT! Steak one night, Todd’s BBQ the next, and the highlight was Geof’s pork tenderloin slow cooked in David Todd’s hand made rock oven! Yes it was basted with a sauce featuring the Chief’s brew and blessed with white sage. We had at least 40 people for dinner that night and finished it off with David Todd’s hand cranked homemade strawberry ice-cream. Life is good on the mountain when you are with the Gordons! Aaron piped for us and for his supper. And most important, he drowned out the neighbor who was piping very poorly indeed and averted the possibility of Daniel snapping the poor man’s pipe chanter (no he really wouldn’t but it was tempting— for all of us.) The night of the AGM picnic down in Valle Cruses, we came back to find that the clean “flush” water valve had stuck on Morris’ RV and flooded it. Fortunately the teens and 20 somethings had stayed to host their own cookout. They came to the rescue. At first nobody knew how it happened, but we found photographic evidence (obviously taken by the faerie folk) that Gordy caused it! In the end the Virginia contingent led the way for the parade of tartans with our own wee faerie lass, the best piper & hottest banner bearers on the mountain!
It was hot, it was typical Virginia weather! But, you can’t ask for a better vista, better friends, family or food! The Virginia Scottish Games delivered yet again!
Gordy volunteered to be a caber catcher for the heavy athletics. He wasn’t very good at it though, he was looking the wrong way! Poor wee Gordy! Lots of Gordons showed up over the two day event and the fun and fellowship couldn’t be contained! Jerry was even dancing! Cat, T, and their dad, Geof, defended the Gordon honor
at sword point. Everyone else just had fun visiting and eating and drinking!
The Williamsburg Celtic Festival moved to a new venue this year at the Rockahock Park on the Chickahominy in New Kent County, Virginia. And with Albannach and Poisoned Dwarf on hand the festival really rocked! The festival this year honored our military and EMS men & women, and the Fort Lee Army Band was on hand to lead the massed bands. T & Cat were all set too in Red, White & Blue!
We had a great gathering at the tent and the Gordon Grill was working overtime. Several people brought along items to throw on the grill (always welcomed), and the House provided sausages with onions & peppers. We also had hamburgers, hot dogs, salmon burgers and sandwich fixings! Not to mention we started the day off with bacon & eggs.
Lots of old friends and some new as well. We fielded two haggis hurl teams, and Gordy blew the Haggis whistle and led the way to the field. That rascal distracted the ladies so much we failed to place. Rascal!
The Richmond Highland Games was Ceilidh Corner ALL the way! Even though we had rain on Saturday, it was mostly misty and typical of our highland heritage. Nothing stops us from having a good time! We were blessed to have Matt Klein, our fellow clansman from Oregon, here to compete in the National Scottish Fiddle Championships. He and two fellow fiddlers played for us all at lunchtime. (See the You-Tube video. Also the You-Tube video of Matt)
We feasted on Gordy's reived ribs, Todd's famous homemade BBQ, salmon burgers, sausages and more. The ferrets made their annual visit, and Gordy raided the Campbell tent making off with their banner and a fair Campbell lass, both held for ransom! Sunday was more of the same without the rain. The falconer was a Gordon, and brought one of his fine raptors for a visit. Aaron piped a few tunes for us. Best of all our Gordon men swept the Bonnie Knees Competition! All in all it was a weekend filled with fun, food, friends, ferrets, fiddling and tom-foolery.
The Christmas Walk was COLD! But the luncheon afterward was a roaring success with the Donnachaidh, Wallace, Scott and Gordon clans taking the upper room at the Fish Market in Old Town. A great day of winter fun!
