Fog and Fun

 I've had a few foggy mornings on the way to work.

I tried to find a different fog poem, but just kept coming back to this:

  FOG

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg

We made it to the Tartan Festival in Minden Louisiana.  I missed men in kilts last year. But saw plenty this year. :) 

And the wind was blowing! I was near tears most of the day - but not from kilted men...the wind dried my eyes and therefore my contacts. And the pine pollen is in full swing. I felt as if I had grit in my eyes most of the day. At one point, I went back to the Tahoe to get out of the wind. Cleaned the contact lenses once again. I could still hear the music. 

 A falcon handler. I also saw a big ol' owl but failed to get its photo. 

 

We went on a hay ride around the property this year - we haven't done that before...

...got to see the Hieland cattle up close and personal.

Dr. Cameron (veterinarian, property owner, Tartan Festival promoter) got a surprise this year. He has a silver bull and thought he'd turned it in the pasture well after the heifers/cows were bred. Well, with the last two years' drought, it was just too hot. When this little "lamb" hit the ground Dr. Cameron was very surprised.

The 'regular' color calves look like little bears.

Parade of the Clans.

 

 

 Irish dancers.  

Future Irish dancers. ;-) They were so cute!!

Jonathan was on a mission - to find Blue Bell Creole Cream Cheese ice cream - only available in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. We found it!  

I thought ahead and put spoons in the Tahoe console. We ate one pint and packed the other in the ice chest - had it tonight for dessert. Not knowing where it would thaw and make a mess, that's all we bought. Unfortunately, a 200 mile round trip is too much to make a run for ice cream next weekend. 

Men In Kilts

We went to the Tartan Festival in Minden Louisiana again this year. My friend Nancy wants to know what they wear under the kilts. I kept watching this particular kilt wearer but never could catch him bending over. Sigh. Nancy, I tried. Thought about tripping him but I think Sam realized what I was thinking and gave me "the look." Kilts weren't the only dress of the day. Look at this dapper gentleman. This guy evidently doesn't like walking. Then...there's the music... ...And sheep dogs rounding up the Scottish Highland Cattle. They were "over yonder." My little camera did a pretty good job of zooming in on them, but the clarity suffered. I think this is a Norwegian Fjord horse. You could ride for $2, but you were led around, not turned loose on the horse...so I passed. The Irish dancers from Mississippi performed again this year. He is doing the "plank" dance......as in walking the plank.Last year I ate Shepherd's Pie. Sam ate Haggis. (Gag me with a spoon! But it's not the idea of cooking it in a sheep's stomach...that's just a vessel for cooking. It's the garbage that is put in the stomach that gags me - liver, heart, lungs. No wonder they season it...to disguise the taste of the innards!) This year we had coo burgers. That is - Highland Cattle burgers. Highland beef is leaner. The burgers would've been really good if:
1. They were fully cooked - not rare.
2. The meat was hot - not stacked in a foil pan covered with foil and allowed to cool.
3. Hamburger buns had been toasted - just wave 'em over the grills please!
4. The meat had been seasoned before cooking. Bland, bland, bland!

So, next year I already know what I'm getting. Meat pasties, Scotch eggs, and taddies. My mouth is watering already! So much so that I've already got the butter coming to room temperature. I'm baking shortbread in a few minutes! Photos to follow!