Grandfather Mountain Highland Games 2012

Saturday morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fog. This is the part called the Linville Viaduct that hangs you out on the side of the mountain. It's a beautiful view when it's not so foggy.

One of the places the bus lets you out if you have to park at the bottom of the mountain on Hwy 221. This is the site of what we called "Fort Potter" where Danny Potter parked his old one person 50's style RV. I did what I told Danny I always wanted to do the GMHG's before he died: I pitched a one man tent in front of Fort Potter for about four days. 

The front entrance with GM in the background. I actually took this at the end of the day Saturday when the sun came out for a bit.

Mike Cowan, past city councilman of Whitfield County (Tunnel Hill), GA. Mike has since had a serious motorcycle wreck and has moved to Dalton.

Hey! Who's that next to us? Why it's our old buddies (and I do mean from way back) the MacFarlanes! If you don't know our history with the MacFarlanes...well, maybe I better tell you later or better yet Google it.

Neil MacFarlane Webb and Jim Kilpatrick wrangle a Heiland Coo.

A few tents down the outside Maxwell tent remained empty until all of a sudden it was filled with musicians! Just another part of the magic that happens at Grandfather Mountain.

On our other side was the Hendersons. The Loch Norman Pipe Band played a set, did the Henderson walk, then played another set for them just outside of our tent.

This beautiful tent was set up by Beth Calhoun and Stephen Batts below. You could literally see the top sign all the way across the field.

The parade of tartans Sunday morning!

Left to right: Jim Kilpatrick, me, Beth Calhoun, Archie Cowan with the American ensign, and Dave Cowan on the right.

With Chirstie Harrison, past president of COSCA. Christie started her Scottish American experience by joining our clan. Dave Cowan's wife Sandy is on the left.

Sherrill Greene whose g'grandmother was a Potter, Jim Kilpatrick, Beth Calhoun.

Scottish District Family Association. The first Scottish games I went to was in Savannah in 1981. They found my last name, Hodges, in Phillip Smith's Tartan For Me with "Glasgow District" across from it, but no one knew what that meant. About 12 years ago Judi Lloyd started the  SDFA and my last name found a home at the Highland Games. I never thought to tell them my middle name is Calhoun.

Didn't he go by a little while ago in a different kilt? City of Glasgow tartan.

Christie Harrison, Beth Calhoun, and the very happy lady is current president of COSCA Sue McIntosh. I believe she lives in Colorado.

Thanks to Dave Cowan for standing out on that field for so long and carry our banner around one more time.

It rained a couple of times but there was a large attendance overall.

The Hendersons sang in the rain next door!

This is Tom McLain who I've known for several years as the nice gentleman who keeps the back gate.

Stone Mountain GA 2010

Holding court with John Dahl.
We had a long line of members for the Parade of Tartans. I only made it half way round this year and ducked out the back gate!
Family of Nan Hunter who was Sharon's shortbread mentor. Nan passed away earlier this year. Her granddaughter, second from right, has taken over the shortbread tradition.
Hawk Talk.


John Colquhoun who taught school in Jonesboro.
The Hagar ring.
Clan Davidson was next to us again this year.



Rhonda who let us know about The Kandahar Reel.

Jim Kilpatrick, Julia Grant-Adams, Colin Grant-Adams, and myself.

Corey Gilpatrick Launches New Website

Corey has a new web site address. It's http://clancolquhounofthenortheast.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Corey!

Vicki and Sam Overstreet at the New Hampshire Highland Games Sept.17-19, 2010

NEW HAMPSHIRE HIGHLAND GAMES
Loon Mountain
Lincoln , NH
Sept. 17-19, 2010

This year we rented a tent, already set up, so that we wouldn’t have to fight the wind. So naturally, we had no wind. Just a gentle breeze all weekend with a few gusts on Saturday. The only rain we had was a heavy downpour on Thursday night, so all in all, it was a perfect weekend to celebrate our 15th anniversary of hosting the Colquhoun tent. When we arrived home Monday afternoon, we checked weather.com for the Loon weather. It was a cool 56 and the wind was 15 with gusts to 29. So nice of it to hold off until after the Games.

Speaking of hosting a tent, we had several past and present Colquhoun tent representatives stop by: Chuck and Ann Stoodley from Florida , Rosalie and Lance Oliver from New York and Corey and Laura Gilpatrick from Maine . Corey would like us to pass on the word that he has relaunched his web site http://clancolquhounofthenortheast.blogspot.com/. He leads off with the story of the 3rd Gurkha Regiment, which was raised by Sir Robert Colquhoun in 1815 and who adopted the Colquhoun tartan.

We had many visitors stop by, including those we like to call ‘regulars’ and many for the first time, who we hope will become ‘regulars’. We also had the usual number of non-Colquhoun’s who were just looking for information and from whom we always learn something about other clans. It seems that hosting a tent is a never ending learning experience.

Dr. Curtis and Lynn Penney were in town from North Dakota for their annual visit. Curtis always competes in solo piping competition and this year he was pleased to win two 2nd place medals. Well done and congratulations.

Deborah Cahoon (Didick) and her daughter, Erika Brien, marched with us in the Parade of Clans. Deborah has done much research on William Cohoone of Block Island , RI , her 8ggrandfather. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 and sent to the colonies as an indentured servant. He is considered to have been the first Colquhoun in North America . Deborah very graciously presented us with a copy of her book, Famous and Infamous Cahoons. Many thanks, Deborah.

Ken Marsh returned after an absence of a couple of years. Ken has always been very helpful in assisting us in manning the tent and he also marched with us. Welcome back and thanks, Ken.

When you only see people once a year, and then only for a very short time, it’s hard for us to associate names and faces. Sam is very proud of himself for recognizing David and Jean O’Sullivan this year. Hang in there, Joe Kirkpatrick. Your time will come.

Kathy (Ingram) Byrne, whose husband John is the brother of Dave Byrne, 2nd Vice President and New England Commissioner of Clan Buchanan Society International and maker of Sam’s walking/leaning stick, stopped by. Her daughter was married in 2007 and since it was a Scottish wedding, Dave had borrowed some Colquhoun tartan from us to display.

Speaking of Clan Buchanan, they were Honored Clan this year and had their AGM here. Dave said that they had close to 300 members show up. It sure looked like it with Buchanan tartan and Black Lion T-shirts everywhere. Sam was able to talk a couple of times with Buck Buchanan, a Past President of the Society. We hadn’t seen Buck since our California days 6 years ago.

Thanks to all of the others, too numerous to mention, for stopping by and showing your support. We appreciate it and it makes hosting the tent worthwhile.

And last, but not least, a special welcome to new members Richard Rohla and Rick Tustin. Thank you for your interest in the Society.

Entertainment wise, Red Hot Chili Pipers and Albannach, both from Scotland , Brother (who we hadn’t seen in about 10 years), The Brigadoons, Alex Beaton (an old California favorite of ours) and Rathkeltair all provided us with good music.

Friday evening we went to dinner with our ‘adopted sons’, Ken Marsh for Vicki’s Colquhoun side and Doug Williams (Clan MacFarlane New England Commissioner) for Sam’s MacFarlane side. We had planned to go to Vita’s but it was closed, so we went to the one and only Mexican restaurant, which used to be our Thursday night stop after set up. It apparently has new owners (again) and while the food wasn’t bad, service was terrible. We will take that one off our list. We did, however, discover two new places that we highly recommend – The Common Man and Brittany ’s Café, both at the Kancamagus Motor Lodge, just down the hill from the Games.

That’s it for this year and we will see you all again at Loon Sept. 16-18, 2011, if not sooner.


Vicki and Sam Overstreet

New York/New England Representatives
Clan Colquhoun Society of the United Kingdom

US: http://www.colquhounclan.com/
UK : http://www.clancolquhounsociety.co.uk/

Stone Mountain Dinner

Several years ago (10-15?) we had a dinner with Clan Davidson on the Saturday night of the Stone Mountain Games (GA). In this picture left to right Harry Avery of Alexandria, VA; Bernice Calhoun; Tom Hodges; Judge Marcus Calhoun (Bernice's husband, they lived in Thomasville, GA); Harry's brother Dick Avery of Dallas, TX; Margaret Cohoon. This was held at the Doubletree Hotel near I-285 & Hwy 400. Harry, Bernice, and Marcus have all passed on now. We sponsor a Grade II piping trophy for Marcus and Bernice at the upcoming Stone Mountain games, held every 3rd weekend of October.

Central Kentucky Fest & Games Sept 18, 2010

The Celtic Croft Offer

The Celtic Croft has offered a 5% discount if you buy something and mention that you saw them in our newsletter. Here's the mention for members connected to the Internet; we'll also mention it for our members contacted through the mail.

That looks like a Colquhoun Ancient to me! I used to be that skinny.

One thing I like about their catalogs is this:


We've made many friends at the Games tent (and maybe one or two points closer to that coveted "Best Clan Tent" award) by giving a stranger a catalog like this with a picture of a sample of the tartan they're looking for or maybe a tartan that we've just helped them discover. It promotes yourself, it promotes the games you're at, it promotes a vendor, and it promotes good will which is what it's all about.

Ligonier Highland Games

Coming September 11, 2010. We had a couple named Kirkpatrick for several years represent us at these games. They had the most beautiful tent in the pictures they sent us.

I think both of them were teachers, but whoever was in charge of setting up the tent had some interior decorating talent.