Scottish Highland Games

Say what?  You read that right.  Yesterday we went out to Boone Hall, a plantation just outside of Charleston, and attended the 38th Annual Scottish Highland Games.  We saw things like this:

His didn't flip end over end, which is apparently what you're shooting for.

My sister and I were really excited to go and see the tables for our "clans" (we're from the Burns and McKee clans), but alas, they weren't represented here.  They did have about fifty clans represented though, and it was pretty cool to see all of the different tartans and talk to the participants.  

And, to top it off, I met a celebrity!  Look, it's Brooke Shields!

Actually, that's my sister.  Betcha didn't know that my sister is Brooke Shields, eh?  She's laughing at me in this picture as she knows I'm full of it.

Back to the tartan shots:

One of the guys in the back row of the last band shouted something at me after taking this picture.  I have no idea what, but I smiled and then he smiled.  Hope it was something good!

It was really cool.  And a bit weird.  After all, we toured the slaves houses with Scottish bands playing the background.  So it wasn't really all that authentic.  Well, unless you had a full on Scottish band playing on your plantation whilst you worked.  And speaking of authentic, take a look at this:

Only that house wasn't around during the Civil War.  Heck, it wasn't even around until nearly a 100 years later.  See, it was built to *look* like an antebellum plantation house.  Granted, there was a house there during the antebellum period, but it was much smaller and much less dramatic.  There have been several buildings on that property in the past three hundred or so years, most of which have burned or been taken out by hurricanes.  

And, it does have a really neat long line of live oaks lining either side of the drive up to house (ala "Twelve Oaks").  Prior owners (in the 1700's) planted the live oaks over the course of 100 years.  They started closest to the house and worked down, so the ones closest to the house (and in the foreground of this picture) are the oldest. 

The drive up is really neat and incredibly long.  The big below gives you sort of an idea.  Just imagine that all of the women are wearing dresses with hoop skirts and all of the men are dressed in their Sunday best circa 1865.  Oh yeah, and the trees would be quite a bit smaller then as well.  You can also see the slave houses off to the right.

Also, I have to note a funny detail about the house.  Look at the porch.  On either side there are stairwells from the ground to the porch itself.  The reason for this is to keep the dirt out.  Literally.  Raised entryways were common to reduce the overall dirt in the house.  But that's not the funny part.  Look at the front middle of the porch.  Notice the stairs.  Notice how they don't fully descend to the ground.  That's because this stairwell is designed to replicate one for a carriage.  Which wouldn't be ironic in a true antebellum home but is (at least to me) in a replicate one. 

Despite the lack of authenticity, the interior is quite nice.  The house is fully furnished and the family does still use it as a residence.  They also still grow crops on the plantation and sell many at local farmer's markets.  At one time they did grow (and sell) mostly pecans.  However, the pecan trees did not survive the regular hurricanes so they are mostly gone now. 

The loggia on the left is about fifteen feet tall.  This is the biggest pecan tree I've ever seen in my life and it was loaded with pecans.  My mom would be salivating at that sight.  Heck, I bet she'll be planning a trip here when she reads this just so she can come and camp out under the tree and "pick" all of the freshly dropped pecans once they're ready.  Okay, maybe not as she's really quite partial to Texas pecans, but you never know!  The tree has also clearly been battered by rough weather over the years as it's missing quite a few limbs and is kind of mangled looking.  However, the trunk is nearly the width of my car.