Lime Rock Park hosts Highland Games

Lime Rock Park hosts Highland Games

Tossing the caber is like launching a telephone pole.

Lans Christensen

LIME ROCK — The Litchfield Hills Highland Games were held at Lime Rock Park Sunday, Sept. 29. A gray and misty day did not deter a big crowd of visitors, all lovers of a world of things Scottish.

Vendors and food trucks, including Cameron’s British Foods, and the Litchfield Distillery, had all the proper offerings. The main attraction for viewing was the heavy event athletics; both men and women competing in these strenuous events: throwing the haggis, heavy weight for distance throw, and, of course, the Caber Toss. It was a rare and special opportunity to see these uniquely Scottish events being competed.

With all the games and attractions ongoing, there was one very special and hugely popular guest: Charley the Scottish Highlander, who came to visit from Elk Ravine Farm in Amenia, New York. Charley (a cow) was greeted, petted, and loved by all. He enjoyed every minute and also paid a very calm visit to the bagpipe bands.

Kilts and appropriate attire were the outfits for the day, both for visitors and hosts. A row of tents devoted to various clans; Donald, Maclean, Gordon and others, gave guests a chance to get close to the stories and histories of Scottish friends and relatives.

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Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

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Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

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