The following appears courtesy of the SunHerald -
The rubber boot rose high into the air, landed with a dull thud androlled within just a few feet of a bucket inside two white circlespainted on the ground. The crowd let out a cheer and the welly boot tosscompetition ended just as it began, with smiles all around.Welcome to the first and possibly last Wee Mini Scottish Highland Games,hosted by Karen and Jeff Green at their Long Beach home on Country FarmRoad Saturday afternoon.These games were the substitute for the 20-year-old Celtic Gamesnormally hosted by the Highlands and Islands Association, a Scottishheritage group made up of expatriates, Scottish descendents and generalCeltic enthusiasts from all over Mississippi.The official games ? which draw up to 3,000 people annually ? werecanceled because of "tha’ wee storm," so Scotland native Karen Greendecided to host a smaller version in her expansive backyard for 50 or sofriends, relatives and anyone who managed to hear about it."The folks who lost everything, they need something like this," Greensaid.As its name indicates, these were a seriously miniaturized and somewhatsilly version of the centuries-old Celtic games, which normally involvepicking up large or heavy objects and throwing them as far as you can.The welly boot toss competition stood in for the caber toss, in whichcontestants try to throw a 19-foot long, 120 pound poll end over end.The games also included a tug of war and a fishing competition in theGreen’s pond. Former firefighter Mike Bass of Long Beach was the runawaywinner with a 6-inch perch.The main similarities between the Wee Mini Games and the actual eventwere the abundance of fermented barely drinks - namely beer and scotch -as well as a significant number of men in skirts which the men calledkilts.While the men claimed the pleated, plaid and airy designs are quitemanly in Scotland in addition to being traditional Scottish dress withsignificant historical and genealogical meaning, their appearance didnot vary greatly from the getups many of their wives were wearing.The colors and design in kilts have significant meaning, Green said,with the variations in kilts symbolizing a person’s family, geographicarea or country.To that end, Green recently submitted a design to Scotland’s TartanAssociation and the Mississippi State Legislature to be the officialstate tartan.Maggie Bass, also a Scot, said she admired the design.Bass, whose husband was the fishing competition winner, said she lovesMississippi for its people and weather, a large part of the reason shehas been here over 20 years.While her home, which lies just north of Magnolia Street in Long Beach,sustained major damage after the hurricane, it was livable. She said thehurricane has done nothing to dampen her enthusiasm for her new adoptedhome."You have to put up with something to live in paradise," Bass said. "TheBritish Consulate called to help get me away after the storm, as I amstill a subject and they knew I lived here. I told them I am not goinganywhere!"As the afternoon wound down, the promise of a ceili, or Celtic music jamsession, had the group upbeat. With several bagpipers, bodhran(traditional Celtic drum) players, guitarists, a singer and an accordionplayer in attendance, the night was sure to be long.