The Flight of the Saltire

[Splash_4]

Hear, Hear! For those who have never seen the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiestas mass Ascension, it is a site to stir the soul. Our wee little airship would feel right at home with that group.

The only question is, who will serve the traditional drink of the hot air balloonist (Mimosa) once it lands?

[WeaselMender]

Hear, Hear! For those who have never seen the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiestas mass Ascension, it is a site to stir the soul. Our wee little airship would feel right at home with that group.

The only question is, who will serve the traditional drink of the hot air balloonist (Mimosa) once it lands?

Champane and propane the breakfast of balloonists.

Weasel :ootd:

[BEEDEE]

At the Victoria kilt night to celebrate the new ownership of XMTS it was decided that as the farthest traveled to get to the celebration the XMTSAS Saltire should return home with me.

Here it is, happily ensconced in the lair of the Moderator



Today the Saltire visited New Bern. One of the oldest towns in NC, New Bern celebrates its 300th anniversary next year. For many years it was the seat of the colonial Governor and in 1770 Gov. Tryon constructed this building, now known as Tryon Palace.



Up town, the celebrations are getting started with bears appearing in various places. The significance of the bears? Well, New Bern was named after Berne in Switzerland and was originally established by Palatine settlers. Berne is German for bear. This one is displayed outside the City Hall.



New Bern also had other firsts - this plaque commemorates the first printing press in North Carolina.



And no visit to New Bern would be completed without recognizing it's contribution to soda. It's the home place of Pepsi Cola.



Inside the reconstructed pharmacy you can buy unlimited refills for only 75c.



Finally, we need to recognize the contribution that Scots settlers made to the town. Scots were there within 10 years of the town's establishment. The Robert Hay house is one of the original houses preserved in the Historic District.



The Saltire took off for an aerial view of the Robert Hay house and to further adventures in coastal North Carolina.



Brian

[Sionnach]

Glad to see the wee ship flying again. Thanks for the photo tour.

[Kilt_Em_All]

Brian,

When did the wee airship land in NC? There's a group of us getting together here in the Greensboro area next week if it hasn't already been determined where she's headed next (hint, hint).

EDIT: Thanks for the great pics. I've never had the chance to visit New Bern, but it looks like a marvelous place.

-Elliott

[davedove]

Again, if the wee airship should decide to come my way before the end on November, I would be priviledged to take her for a spin of the Caribbean.

[piperdbh]

Our esteemed dirigible could make a pit stop in Guilford County on her way to me here in McDowell, don't you think? I think she'd enjoy soaring over the Blue Ridge Parkway, the arrowhead monument in Old Fort, Andrew's Geyser, Lake James, and any number of other local landmarks as she completes her aerial map of the civilized world.
Yes? Yes?

[BEEDEE]

Yesterday the XMTSAS Saltire traveled to MCAS Cherry Point for the Marine Corps Birthday Uniform Pageant and Luncheon. Still working on the photos but wanted to post this one especially for Steve (The Wizard of BC)



Brian

[BEEDEE]

I was fortunate to get an invitation to the Marine Corps Birthday Uniform Pageant and Cake Cutting at MCAS Cherry Point this past Monday.

The only problem is that as the largest Marine Corps Air Station on the East coast it is restricted airspace so the XMTSAS Saltire had to go into stealth mode and was not visible in the photos. So I photoshopped the airship where I think it was when I took each of these photos.

The uniforms started in 1775 when the Corps was first formed and went through to the present day.

From inception to WW1



To the Vietnam era



The Color Guard coming onto the parade ground



Cake cutting by Maj Gen Flock, CO 2MAW and Col Denn CO MCAS Cherry Point.



Brian

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I arrived at work this morning, and began my normal routine of opening up the museum, checking our email, etc., and thinking about going down for a cup of coffee. As I headed out the door, I felt something odd in the front of my kilt....

No, it wasn't that!

I looked down, and it seems that something had crash landed in my sporran.


It was the XMTSAS Saltire, come to Franklin to see me! It had flown in from Grantsboro on the other end of the state, where it had been visiting with BEEDEE for a while.

When I fished it out, it was so disoriented I had to remind it where it had landed.


I walked it across the street to assure it that it had arrived in the lovely town of Franklin, NC.


When I brought it back to the museum, it was very happy to see a couple of familiar faces.


Seeing its old friends helped the Saltire feel more at home, but it was still a bit parched from the journey. So we directed it to the gift shop's cooler for some refreshment.

It enjoyed a little taste of Scotland, as well as the "taste of the Carolinas!" It was especially happy to try some Pepsi, seeing as it had just recently been in New Bern, NC, where the drink was invented.

It's thirst now quenched, it wanted to see a tour of the museum, so I pointed it in the right direction.


In the museum gallery it had a great time seeing all the lovely displays. First the official Town of Franklin tartan, on the old farm loom in our "weaver's croft" display.


Near the loom, it spied our reproduction of the Christina Young arisaid. "Hey," it said, "We've been talking about Dress tartans on X Marks, I have to see this!"


Then it hung out for a while with some of the older kilts in our exhibits.

Both of these kilts are four yard box pleated civilian kilts from the very early 1800s.

It looked for the X Marks tartan on the display boards, but was dissapointed not to find too many tartans beginning with "X."


More to come....!