The Liberty Gazette
October 25, 2022
Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely
Linda: If every month could be October! Cooler weather, harvest time, fall flavors and colors, and festivals! We’ve been to the Texas Renaissance Festival, but this year, we experienced our first real Scottish Highland Games.
Our Friday morning flight to Stone Mountain, Georgia, in the Elyminator required one fuel stop. We picked Meridian, Mississippi, as they usually have comparatively low fuel prices. It’s a naval aviation training base, and the FBO caters to military customers and civilians alike with free popcorn and ice cream as well as large and luxurious pilot accommodations. But we just wanted the “cheap” fuel.
Mike flew the first leg, so leaving Meridian was mine. I happened to tell the tower I was ready to taxi just moments ahead of a swarm of T-45 jet trainers, heading out together for a practice party in the sky. As I pulled up to the hold-short line, which is just before turning onto the runway, I turned around and looked behind us to see the little group of jets following close behind. Having spent so much of the last three weeks at home with three rescue dogs who are always at my heels, it almost felt as though we hadn’t dropped everyone off at the sitter’s.
The Stone Mountain Highland Games did not disappoint. Pro and amateur athletic competitions drew some awesomely strong men and women competing separately in sheaf throwing and caber toss as well as throwing heavy stones (like the shot put).
Falconers brought their hawks, and Carol Anne Bailey from Red Creek Farm in South Carolina let her border collies show how smart they are, herding sheep and ducks through obstacle courses.
We walked the paths through the forest to see 91 Scottish clans representing their heritage at tent stations. Throughout the park, we could hear several Pipe and Drum bands as they marched and played familiar tunes. I particularly loved the fiddle tent, where we found a relaxed and intimate atmosphere to hang out and tap to the beat of great fiddle music. Since I can never get enough of it, we also bought tickets to the Saturday night Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee), a traditional Scottish shindig that includes Scottish country dancing, which is a little like square dancing, but without a caller.
And the kids – oh, the kids! Highland dancers amaze me. They are athletic and graceful and so much fun to watch.
I was especially grateful for the Sunday morning worship service, and the name of Jesus being proclaimed at this public event. Truly beautiful.
Of course, there was whisky and so many men in kilts. Whether or not Mike wore one may remain a secret. All I can say is I don’t have pictures.
The weather was pretty bad here Monday morning when we left the Atlanta area, but fortunately cleared up before we arrived. I do love my Scottish heritage and the Renaissance era. The only thing they didn’t have then was airplanes. The rest of today’s world I could do without.
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