Days of Wine and Roses?

No! This was a Day of Whisky and Haggis
and of Cabers and Scotch Eggs, Hammers, Axes, Fried Mars Bars, Claymores, dancing, snowball battles, skiing, and laughter.

St Andrew's Day in Caledon.

First and foremost, I must express thanks to the following people for their contributions to the celebration:

Lord Edward Pearse, Earl of Primbroke, who so many months ago asked me if I would be interested in collaborating on the St. Andrew's Day festivities. And who created so many beautiful tartans for the enjoyment of others, organized much, created foods, notices and signs, and played wonderful Scottish and Celtic Music for the day and the Ceilidh.

Lady Kate Nicholas, Grafinya Inbir Abigh for her work on the St. Andrew's Icons, the Scottish Flags, the haggis, and a number of other things

Lady Christine McAllister, Countess of Primbroke for her assistance with creation of food items, and support.

Professor Alfonso Avalanche for his wonderful Caber Toss and Hammer Throw

Dame Lapin Paris and Phineas Matova for their great organization and good humor as they ran the Caber and Hammer Tossing Contests

Sir Telemachus Dean for his work to facilitate and participate in the Tournament of Ducal Champions - sponsored by the Loch Avie Academy of Arms.

Colonel Hotspur O'Toole for representing the Loch in the tournament.

The Winners of the competitions - as promised:

Caber Toss - Duke Regent of Kintyre, Erasmus Margulis
Hammer Toss (early)- Countess Sea Song, Autopilotpatty Poppy
Academy of Arms Tournament of Ducal Champions - Miss Alex Fitzsimmons
Hammer Toss (late) - Loch Avie's Own, Hotspur O'Toole
Snowball Fight (late) - a toss up really but - Miss Vi Paravane, TotalLunar Eclipse, Iason Hassanov, Baron Wulfenbach, and Hotspur O'Toole were all right in there with Professor Alfonso Avalanche and me.

George - My domesticated wild haggis

Address To A Haggis
by Robert Burns.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut ye up wi' ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they strech an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit!' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An' legs, an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o 'fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

The crowd at the Caber Toss

Kintyre's Champion, Alex Fitzsimmons
Murdan's Champion, Diamanda Gustafson
The final bout

And now my collection of pictures from the wonderful day. I certainly did not capture all the fun and festivities. I covet any other pictures that may be out there. Please feel free to send them along to me as you see fit.

Who is Saint Andrew Anyway??

A little information about St. Andrew
Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.

The "Order of Saint Andrew" or the "Most Ancient Order of the Thistle" is an order of Knighthood which is restricted to the King or Queen and sixteen others. It was established by James VII of Scotland in 1687.

Very little is really known about St. Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion.

St. Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.

St. Andrews bones were entombed, and around 300 years later were moved by Emperor Constantine (the Great) to his new capital Constantinople (now Istambul in Turkey). Legend suggests that a Greek Monk (although others describe him as an Irish assistant of St. Columba) called St. Rule (or St. Regulus) was warned in a dream that St. Andrews remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to take those of the remains which he could to the "ends of the earth" for safe-keeping. St. Rule dutifully followed these directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from St. Andrew's tomb and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the know world at that time and it was here that St. Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo.

St. Rule is said to have come ashore at a Pictish settlement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later became St. Andrews. Thus the association of St. Andrew with Scotland was said to have begun.

Perhaps more likely than the tale of St. Rule's journey is that Acca, the Bishop of Hexham, who was a reknown collector of relics, brought the relics of St. Andrew to St. Andrews in 733. There certainly seems to have been a religious centre at St. Andrews at that time, either founded by St. Rule in the 6th century or by a Pictish King, Ungus, who reigned from 731 - 761.

Whichever tale is true, the relics were placed in a specially constructed chapel. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160, and St. Andrews became the religious capital of Scotland and a great centre for Medieval pilgrims who came to view the relics.

There are other legends of how St. Andrew and his remains became associated with Scotland, but there is little evidence for any of these, including the legend of St. Rule. The names still exist in Scotland today, including St. Rules Tower, which remains today amongst the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral.

It is not known what happened to the relics of St. Andrew which were stored in St. Andrews Cathedral, although it is most likely that these were destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. The Protestant cause, propounded by Knox, Wishart and others, won out over Roman Catholism during the Reformation and the "idolatry of catholism", that is the Saints, relics, decoration of churches, were expunged during the process of converting the Roman Catholic churches of Scotland to the harsh simplicity of Knox's brand of Calvanism.

The place where these relics were kept within the Cathedral at St. Andrews is now marked by a plaque, amongst the ruins, for visitors to see.

The larger part of St. Andrew's remains were stolen from Constantinople in 1210 and are now to be found in Amalfi in Southern Italy. In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a small piece of the Saint's shoulder blade to the re-established Roman Catholic community in Scotland.

In 1969, Gordon Gray, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland was in Rome to be appointed the first Scottish Cardinal since the Reformation. Pope Paul VI gave him further relics of St. Andrew with the words "Saint Peter gives you his brother". These are now displayed in a reliquary in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh.


This will be a full day of festivities in Loch Avie.

The sim will be filled with the sounds of Celtic music for your enjoyment, and will be decorated for the occasion.
Come learn about St. Andrew and his connections to Scotland and see his Eastern and Western Icons
Please feel free to come at your own time and pace to try the haggis, scotch eggs, Uisge Beatha, and other Scottish delicacies.
You may also try your hand at the Caber Toss, Hammer Throw, or Academy of Arms Weapons System (Claymore, Battle Axe, Short Sword) at your leisure during the day.
Enjoy the sim with it's water and ice (including skating areas), scenic views, water horse, and snow.

• Caber tossing contest at 1pm SLT (near the pub)
  
• Hammer throwing contest at 3pm SLT (near Nellie's inlet)
  
• Academy of Arms Tournament for Ducal Champions 6pm SLT (sky arena)
  
• Ceilidh 7:30pm SLT (Near the Keep)
  
  
• If you are a piper and would care to join in a piping contest please IM, Duchess Loch Avie directly. With enough interest we will hold a Bagpipe concert/contest during the day.
  

The Bellambi Clan Grows

It has been my pleasure for some time now to have as good friends, Lord and Lady Primbroke. While they have their own titles and are already part of the Court of Carntaigh, they do me great honor by joining my Clan. I bring them in, not with new titles for they are not necessary, but as my friends.

Mo Charaid

Lord Edward Pearse, Earl of Primbroke and Lady Christine McAllister-Pearse, Countess of Primbroke with Her Grace, Eva Bellambi, Duchess Loch Avie

I am also pleased to give you your first glance at my gift to Clan Bellambi. Fine kilts and skirts in my family tartan, along with brooches and sashes commissioned by me and designed by Lord Primbroke .

Brilliant work!

The designer and his pleased customer.

Such a bustle!

Lord Primbroke is very attentive to the level of detail and craftsmanship that is required for such a commission. He nearly always exceeds my expectations. As an example, the Chieftainess Brooch texture is much different from the others including my motto and the 3 feathers of the clan chief, and is worn appropriately on the right shoulder.

Mo Charaid, I am most thankful.

Those of my clan who are able to attend the Highland Fling and Cielidh have been requested to wear this as a sign of our fealty to one another at this gathering.

***

Lord Primbroke's clothing stores may be found in Caledon Victoria City, Steelhead, and New Babbage

Caledon Lancers, Loch Avie's Own

Assembled in Port Caledon
(Thanks to Lord Primbroke for use of this photograph.)

It was with great pride that I rode with the Caledon Lancers on Monday, September 10th, through the sims of the Independent State. The troops had not yet been reviewed by me, nor had they yet paraded past the citizens of our fair land until last night.

Colonel Somme and his second in command, Lt Colonel O'Toole chose the route with great care, yet despite the best planning the lag was a difficult obstacle to overcome. But overcome they did! Pride and perseverance moved them onward. There were nice crowds all along the way from Port Caledon to Loch Avie. The Lancers received the cheers and best wishes from all they passed.

The Lancers are:
Colonel Exrex Somme
Lt. Colonel Hotspur O'Toole
Trooper Telemachus Dean
Trooper Edward Pearse
Trooper Diamanda Gustafson

I should like to have a few more pictures from this grand parade. Alas the temperament of SL did not permit such, for I was terribly out of uniform after my first crash of the evening. Let us say that the sponsor of the Lancers does NOT wear a sleeveless uniform jacket, nor does she permit her photograph to be taken with only part of her updo on her head.

However, once we were in Loch Avie and the cheers of the assembled masses died down, I was able to slip over to the distillery to compose myself.

Colonel Somme calls the troopers to attention.

Review and thanks by Loch Avie

Upon my return, the Lancers were called to attention in formation by Colonel Exrex Somme. Riding the ranks, I felt my heart swell with pride for this elite group of horsemen and women, who would - and often have - given their all for Caledon and Loch Avie.

(photo credit: Lord Primbroke)

At the end of the formal segment of the evening's festivities, we retired to the pub, where I served the first round of Uisge Beatha to all present. Many toasts later, the group settled into many discussions, jokes, and dancing. We even gained a new volunteer or two.

The (tasty?) little beastie.

Trooper Pearse (aka Lord Primbroke) even dared to show us the wild haggis he had captured that very day. He and I have been discussing the re-haggification of the Loch. I suspect we will need to ask Lady Kate of the Royal Society and my House, to provide an animal specialist to assist in this endeavor. They MUST have someone knowledgeable in the needs and ways of the wild haggis. (Poor little dear must have been scared half out of his wits as many of us discussed the finer points of cooking a haggis and particular haggis ingredients.)

At any rate - and despite, or perhaps because of - our silliness, I am honored to be the patron of the Caledon Lancers.

Huzzah!

The Harvest Festival of Steelhead and Caledon

September 9 - 15.

Multiple events in multiple sims!

It was not so long ago that Lady Primbroke contacted my cousin, Duchess Carntaigh, and me to inquire whether we might be interested in hearing her idea for a fall event series. Knowing Christine as we do, Gabrielle and I immediately said that we would love to hear her thoughts. That evening, I set out a bottle of my best Perrier Jouët Grand Brut, and some Uisge Beatha Reserve for us as we enjoyed the evening, each others' company, and began to brainstorm about the festival.

We were shortly joined by Sheriff Fuzzball Ortega and Lord Primbroke.

Sitting on the deck of the pub planning the festival.

As the Festival developed in our minds, we new that we wanted both Steelhead and Caledon to be involved. We also new that we wanted as many of the Caledon sims as possible to host the events - little did we know just how many sims would actually be on the grid by the time the festival would take place. Des has certainly gone full steam ahead. We also had a strong desire to involve as many of the citizens of Caledon and Steelhead as possible. By the end of the evening we had quite a list of suggestions for activities as well as a plan for getting more thoughts from others throughout both lands. We also decided which of us would contact the Imperial Navy, the Early Birds, the Librarians, the management of Steelhead, and so on.

Now it is my pleasure to present calendar for your review. I hope you will plan to attend and participate in many of these excellent events.

Thanks to all the volunteers and citizens who have made this all possible!

Steelhead & Caledon Harvest Festival Events

* All Week *

• Harvest Festival Art Fair - Caledon Tamrannoch, Gallery Tamrannoch – Caledon-on-Sea, Sea Song Gallery

• Steelhead Art Walk: located in Taiyou House

• Pumpkin treasure hunt : Look for pumpkins containing treasures around Steelhead.

• Corn maze: next to the Steelhead Town Hall

• Scarecrow Building Competition, Entries in by Monday and on display throughout the week. Winner to be announced at Friday's dance. See details at the bottom.

* Sunday, September 9 *

• 9:00am – 6:00pm SLT - Tree Felling - Caledon Murdann. Trees (suitable for transplanting) may be felled by buying for L$0. Limit of two trees each, please. The Murdann Thorn tree grows nowhere else.

• 2:00pm SLT – Niko Donburi Concert – SL’s “Weird Al” - Caledon Tamrannoch, Gallery Tamrannoch

• 3:00pm SLT Horse race around Steelhead. Starts at 3 pm SLT, meet at west end of Town Square. Horse and rider combination only.

• 6:00 pm SLT Edward Lowell performs Live Music at Kokopelli Stage: Steelhead
  

* Monday, September 10 *

• 2:00 - 4:00 pm SLT Harvest Festival Tea: Steelhead City Gardens

• 6:00pm SLT - Scarecrow Building Contest Submission Deadline - Steelhead See rules at the bottom of this post.
  

• 7:00pm SLT - Loch Avie Lancers Parade and Review - Caledon. The parade route will wind through several of the Caledon sims, ending on Loch Avie, where the public may mingle with the Lancers and their Patron, Her Grace Eva Bellambi, Duchess Loch Avie upon conclusion of the review.
  

• 7:00pm SLT – Kelvinblue Oh Concert, Blues - Caledon Tamrannoch, Gallery Tamrannoch

* Tuesday, September 11 *

• All day - Treasure Hunt - Caledon Cay

• 6:00pm SLT - Story Telling at the Anvil - Caledon Tamrannoch

• 8:00pm SLT - Opening of the Caledon Races by Otenth Paderborn, Duke of Murdann & Caledon Sail & Steam Society. Caledon Murdann
  

• 8:30pm SLT - Tako Races, Firth of Caledon (from Caledon Murdann to Caledon Sound and back)
  

• 9:30pm SLT - Steamboat 3 Lap Races 'Caledon Cup'
  

* Wednesday, September 12 *

• 12:00pm SLT Naval Battles, Caledon Sound

• 7:00pm SLT - Butterfly Hunt (Jewelry Hunt) - Caledon Loch Avie

• 7:00pm SLT - Tako Races, Firth of Caledon (from Caledon Murdann to Caledon Sound and back)
  

• 8:00pm SLT -Steamboat 3 Lap Races 'Caledon Cup'
  

• 9:00pm SLT - Naval Battles, Caledon Sound
  

* Thursday, September 13 *

• 7:00pm – 9:00pm SLT - SeptemberFest Dance, music by Radio Riel, Gabrielle Riel - Caledon SteamSky City

* Friday, September 14 *

• 6:00pm - 7:00pm SLT Kissing Booth: come get in a liplock with the Fair Maidens and Dashing men of Steelhead. All proceeds go to Steelhead.

• Steelhead Dance 7-9 pm SLT, Kokopelli Stage. Wizard of Oz theme. DJ Fuzzball Ortega rocks the House. Steelhead
  

* Saturday, September 15 *

• 6:00AM – 8:00 AM SLT - Buggy Race - Caledon Murdann. The races will take place on an elevated track. A teleporter to the track will be on the dock. Any model of buggy, carriage, or wagon welcome.

• All Day - Highland Fling - Caledon Loch Avie

• Trebuchets available to fling your friends into the next sim.
• Loch Avie Academy of Arms practice green and free weapons open to all.
  
• Celtic Music playing all day

• 1:00pm - 2:00pm SLT - Caber Toss Contest. Join Professor Avalanche near the Loch Avie Public House and test your skills with the caber as you drink Uisge Beatha and enjoy the company of your friends.

• 5:00pm - 6:30pm SLT - The Loch Avie Academy of Arms invites you to the first Academy Arms Tournament. Eight contestants will vie for championship of the Harvest Festival Academy Arms Tournament. ALL are welcome to watch the warriors in the sand as the clashing steel of axes and Claymores rings through the air. The event will take place high over the Loch in the new Academy Arena. Sir Telemachus Dean will be referee of the event, and is accepting applications for entry into the contest. Please IM him with your interest. (Should there be more entries than we have time to host during this tournament, we will plan another tournament for the following week to accommodate the numbers.)
  

• 7:00pm – 10:30pm SLT - Ceilidh - Caledon Loch Avie. The formal ending of the Harvest Festival will be on Loch Avie with Celtic Music of all kinds provided by Lord Primbroke. Come join the musical celebration. Dance. Sing. Enjoy!
  

About our Events:

Scarecrow building contest:

RULES:

1. Must be your own design
2. 30 prim or less
3. No mega prims allowed
4. PG rating for idea

If you'd like to participate, please give a no mod/no copy scarecrow to Christine McAllister by Monday, September 10th. Scarecrows will be displayed in Steelhead and you can vote for your favorite scarecrow! Winner to be announced at the dance on Friday.

Pumpkin hunt:
Look for pumpkins containing treasures around Steelhead, ongoing all week.

Butterfly hunt:
The Loch will be filled with Butterflies by Random Calliope from 7pm SLT until they are all captured. More information about Mr. Calliope's work may be found here



More information including Landmarks may be found at every Caledon telehub, and in Steelhead locations as well.

See you all next week!!

A New Twist For Carmina

Those of you who know me well (and likely many who don't know me so well) know of my love of Carmina Burana, which was detailed in this blog in April. Last night at the Court of Carntaigh's Investiture Ball, which will be described in the near future, The Duchess Carntaigh played Orff's masterpiece, O Fortuna for the Court's dance. It was stunningly beautiful as always.

Edward Pearse, Earl Primbroke, passed this very funny kinetoscope in my direction as we danced. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Thank you Lord Primbroke! I laugh every single time I watch it!