Payson, Utah (yes, another) Highland Games

I've got Good News, A Little Better news, and Not-So-Good news. Which do you want first?


Not-so-good? OK. Here it is:

My march, Lady Lever Park, with which I took first two weeks ago in Billings, netted me zip. I was going to play it slower, according to recommendations, but for some reason I rushed into it, thought I had to finish it at the speed I started, and . . . left out lots of the little black notes with many tails. [sigh] This judge, an elderly gentleman with an neatly trimmed white moustache, gave me the same advice the last judge gave me, only in a much sterner tone of voice (as if he knew I'd already been told this): SLOW DOWN. I tried to pay very close attention, but I was pretty mad at myself for messing this one up.

The next news is A Little Better. Are you ready for somewhat cheerful news? (No doubt.)

I played my slow aire, Loch Rannoch, flawlessly (except for blowing), got lovely comments: very musical, good job. Stuff like that. The 'very musical' is something I was striving for, it being rather difficult to put expression into a piece when it is played at constant volume and on an instrument which can't pause in the middle of a tune without having to start over.

OK, so don't correct the grammar of that last sentence, because I know it's wrong in there somewhere; I just can't put my finger on the dangling participle. Or whatever.

So I got 5th out of 17 on my slow air! That will give me an additional 14 points, giving me a total of 35. Too bad the first and third I got at Yellowstone won't count, as they are under the auspices of Some Canadian Pipe Band Association, not WUSPBA (Western United States Pipe Band Association). So I will work on my march, slowing it down, giving each of the little notes with lots of flags his or her own place in the sun/tune.

Now the Really Good News: The results of the Band Competition.

Quick March Medley: 1st Place: Salt Lake Scots!

Timed Medleyl: 1st Place: Salt Lake Scots!

Pretty Cool Happenings:

While we were tuning up for the 2nd competition, a stiff wind came out of the north and tore millions of little helicopters off the trees and blew them directly south. It was an amazing and glorious sight!


I finally got a really cool Payson Scottish Games t-shirt.


I got another henna design of celtic knotwork and haven't gone swimming to bleach it out yet.


On the way down the mountain from our campsite at Maple Lake, we saw a female turkey and 3 turkey.

People kept coming up to me and giving me hugs all day: my VT companion's friend who is in the Wallace clan but whose name I can't remember was my fan club all day and gushed and gushed. A co-worker, Gladys, and her family each came up individually. Somebody else but I can't remember who.

Jason congratulated me--out of the blue--on my first place at Billings.

All in all, it was a very good day.