Kilted on the High Plains

[HighPlainsFergus]

Greetings Rabble, from the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle.

My name is Rick Todd. I am the 4X-great grandson of Andrew Ferguson (my mother's paternal line). He emigrated from Ireland in 1800 at the tail end of the great Scots-Irish migration of the 18th century. Most likely he hailed from Ulster, considering when he came over, being Protestant and with a Scottish name. Like most Scots-Irish in America, he was a border/frontier man, always on the edge of settlement from the Appalachians to Tennessee to Illinois. Our Fergusons ended up in western Kansas. I grew up in Nebraska.

My good friend, a Campbell, and I would talk about our Scottish roots. He showed up last fall with a kilt and gently pushed me toward trying it out. My fiancé organizes a Burns Supper as one of her non-profit's fundraisers and her Scottish coworker insisted I wear a kilt. All that set me on the kilted path. I bought my first kilt, in a Ferguson tartan, and wore it for the first time at the Burns Supper in January.

I must admit that this first effort was a little costumey. But, bit by the kilt bug, I set off to learn more. And that is where you, gentle Rabble come in. I have learned so much from this forum in the few months of lurking. I have refined my understanding of the kilt and how to wear it. And I've quite fallen in love with it.

That's probably plenty as introduction. Thank you to all. I look forward to contributing whatever I can.

With regards,

Rick Todd
Amarillo, Texas