A few photos from the 2016 Monterey Games

[Panache]

Yesterday in Monterey CA it was a beautiful 60 degrees, perfect weather for a Highland Games.

As my family all had other plans I went solo for a relaxing day




I know most people enjoy the caber toss most out of all the highland events, but my favorite is the hammer throw. I spent the first part of my day watching the masters division throw heavy and light hammer



My friends (and fellow X Markers) Alan and Roger were competing. I took some neat videos of the two of them throwing hammer, sadly my efforts to put them here don't seem to be working...oh well Here are a couple of photos







Here are a few photos of them doing the sheaf toss





There was a fun sheep dog demonstration with one very happy dog herding both sheep and ducks (for the record the ducks seemed a lot smarter)



One more set to come

[Panache]

Roger and friends



X Marker Athletes



Watching all the physical activity does build up a powerful thirst...Cheers!



Of course I had to check out the Scottish Country Dancing (this is the audience participation set at the end of the show)



I got join my friend Tonnie and members of the Santa Cruz and Monterey classes for a set of the delightful "Marie's Wedding". I'm so glad I brought my dance grilles!



(Marie's Wedding is one of those classic wonderful Scottish Country dances and the song that goes with it is just as wonderful)

"Step we gaily on we go
Heel for heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding"


No photos of this (since I was dancing) but another audience participation ceilidh dance provided me with a memory I hope to keep the rest of my days. I had a three year little lady as a partner who was so utterly delighted to be dancing! I don't know who was smiling more, her, or me (dancing on my knees to reach her)

All in all it was just a splendid day

Cheers

Jamie

[grizzbass]

love to get up there some day. nice shots

[OC Richard]

Ditto.

I've been attending California Games since 1975 and I've never been to Monterey.

[Blupiper]

Jamie:

Looks like excellent fun. Your photo marked Roger and friends: He's ready for the sheaf toss, but seems to be thinking about morphing it into a sheep toss. Could get messy.

JMB

[tpa]

Great pictures, thank you for those. The throwing area looks a little strange to UK eyes without grass.

[Panache]

Great pictures, thank you for those. The throwing area looks a little strange to UK eyes without grass.

That throwing area may be grassless, but it is the only games in Northern California where you can sit and watch all the athletic events from shaded bleachers!

;)

Cheers

Jamie

[OC Richard]

looks a little strange to UK eyes without grass

Believe me, the further north you go, the more grass there is

Now, somebody not from California might wonder why Jamie identifies Monterey as being in Northern California when if you divided the state into thirds Monterey is in Central California.



If you divide California into two halves the centerline of California is the 37th parallel, which runs just south of San Francisco; San Francisco itself would be in NorCal but pretty much everything south of it would be SoCal



But Californians conceive the border as being much further south; here is one attempt to define it

[tpa]

But Californians conceive the border as being much further south; here is one attempt to define it

That is what you get when politicians try to dabble in technical stuff they don't understand. It has nothing to do with geography and everything to do with population distribution!

[Panache]

...Now, somebody not from California might wonder why Jamie identifies Monterey as being in Northern California when if you divided the state into thirds Monterey is in Central California...

LOL! Richard!

An easier way to think about the Northern California / Southern California is "Us" and "Them"



Cheers

Jamie