I awoke at 6:30 unsure of my surroundings. I slipped from my extra high, king-size, four-poster bed, and met the family for a quick bite of food. We arrived at Loon Mountain at a breezy 7:30 a.m. I chose to wear my all-purpose, floor length, black skirt with a purple, satin, long-sleeved shirt, and a peasant vest, laced up the front. Too bad I had not included a ski parka. Last night’s wind wrecked several tents in clan village. Ours was unscathed.
People arrived early and in droves; pipers needed directions to the Piper Steward; cute little girls with mom’s in tow, who carried dress bags, searched for the dance competition area; muscular men in kilts arrived to populate the athletic demonstration area; and venders started up the cook-fires.
My band of volunteers grew when son Robert and his partner, Joey, arrived from Burlington, Vermont. They made me instantly jealous when they announced they spied two moose on their drive. Sue Boska arrived as well as Jan Bruce. With my annual clan of knowledgeable helpers, the day could only get better! We sold raffle tickets for a trip to Scotland as well as official programs. These full-color souvenirs contain photos, an explanation of events, a schedule of events, a map, and the name of all our volunteers…except poor Eric. Maybe next year? The day flew by as my fingers chilled into ice cubes and my feet began to spasm. I am no longer used to standing for long periods and the pavement won. Sue and I took a break, now and then, to eat and shop, but I still never made it near the Gov. Adams Lodge where more vendors and the infamous historical village sat. Sunday will prove our first chance.
People filled the bleachers at the closing ceremony at 5 p.m. , enjoying the bands and pipers so we held off on closing up. By 6 p.m. we buttoned up our tent and sighed with relieve. One injured woman, several lost, then found, wallets, cell phones, keys, driver licenses, and a lost child filled the day while we directed visitors around the huge ski area.
The lost keys were retrieved by an Asian man who came to enjoy the Highland games. He bowed several times when he saw we had them. As we drove over the bridge which connected the ski area to the main road, hundreds still stood in line for the shuttle buses. A lone piper played while he stood on a huge boulder in the river. Nice touch. Back to the condo, take-out Chinese, and family. We look forward to Sunday at the games. More low-key, less visitors, more time to drink in the sights and then the beer in the pub after closing. But I will share a bright spot today. While I stood freezing with my hair whipping around in a snarled mess, I stepped out of the tent and spied a great ‘X’ in the sky! Two military planes on maneuvers must have given us their blessing. God Speed. Nancy Lee Badger