I do love a good Highland Gathering and Games, and last weekend my parents and I went to the event in Pleasanton, California. There used to be Highland events all over California, including Dixon and Woodland and Campbell and Ben Lomond, but all of those were bankrupted either by horrendous heatwaves (and who would attend such an event during a heatwave?) or the covd-19 pandemic. Climate change sucks, am I right?

At any rate, I love these events, primarily because I love Celtic music and its derivatives. I’ve discovered some great bands at Highland games, including Tempest, Albannach, Seven Nations, Wicked Tinkers, and more. I love watching the caber toss, where heavily-muscled athletes, men and women, pick up logs the size of telephone poles and throw them ahead of themselves, hoping for as straight an angled landing as possible. Or the hammer toss, where heavy hammers are thrown. And so on. Scottish games tend to involve a lot of throwing heavy things. This year, unfortunately, we arrived a little too late to see these events, but we still got to see the bands, and wander the vendor halls. My dad also went to see the sheep dogs while my mom and I watched Tempest.

What I did not do at the Highland Games this time was have haggis, which is a real shame. I do love haggis. I realize this puts me at odds with much of the rest of the world, but it’s true. I don’t know why more people don’t embrace it. I did not have any Scottish beer this time either, since I couldn’t find any. The only “beer” they had was cheap American pilsners — you know, Bud, Bud Light, etc. But those aren’t beers. Those are diabetic horse piss. Personally, I like stronger, darker beers, the darker the better. You know the type: people like me consider Guinness a beer for lightweights (though I probably won’t turn it down if you offer it to me, unless I’m driving, because I’m not stupid — well, maybe I am, but not in this case).

In short, I enjoyed the Pleasanton Games this year, and plan on attending again next year. I also will be checking out other events around the area that will feature Celtic events, music, and maybe even dancing. Though that last one is unlikely, given the state of my poor knee.

In other news, the magazine Electric Spec published my short story “Zombie Processes” in late August 2024. This is one of my favorite stories, and I hope you enjoy it as well. I wrote it during a day-long work meeting, let is sit for a few years, workshopped it during the Cascade Writers’ Workshop, then sold it. Yay me! Check it out!

Speaking of all things Celtic and Irish, today’s recommendation is that you check out the stories and novels and what-not by my friend M. Todd Gallowglas. He is a talented writer, storyteller, jokester, and all around good person. He’s also a wonderful teacher of the craft of writing. Go check out his website, and enjoy! The book below, The Dragon Bone Flute, is a great fantasy novel. I recommend it.