2025 Caledonian Club of San Francisco (Pleasanton) Games

[OC Richard]

In a few days these Games, which until COVID had been held every year since 1866, will be happening.

Friday afternoon will be Open Piping Solos at the host hotel, the San Ramon Marriott.

Plenty of pipe bands from all over (including Canada and sometimes the UK) who are staying at the hotel will be rehearsing outside too.

Saturday and Sunday are the games themselves.

I'm free- my pipe band isn't playing- so I'll be hanging out all weekend.

[YOJiMBO20]

You guys aren’t playing? You’re on the schedule.

[OC Richard]

I'm trying out a different band at the moment, sort of a startup, we shall see how it goes.

I'm disgusted about the weather! A week ago the high Saturday was supposed to be 81, now it's supposed to be ten degrees hotter.

This week's been in the low 80s, then (as luck would have it) peaking on the Saturday of the Games in the 90s, then returning to the low 80s the following week.

For sure Pleasanton has got the reputation of always being hot. I went back and looked at the temps on Saturday of Pleasanton since 2000 and it's been consistently in the 90s, with only three days in the 70s, six days in the 80s, and three days over 100.

[kiltedsawyer]

.

I'm disgusted about the weather!

But that's the thing; everybody complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it!




Cheers,

David

[Jock Scot]

But that's the thing; everybody complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it!




Cheers,

David

Try being a farmer!!!

[OC Richard]

everybody complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it!

Wasn't that Mark Twain?

Ironically the point of the joke is that nothing can be done about it...but nowadays we have people who imagine they can.

[kiltedsawyer]

Wasn't that Mark Twain?

Yes, that is attribituted to Mark Twain.......................I'm going to have to find more obscure sources.


Cheers,

David

[YOJiMBO20]

I'm trying out a different band at the moment, sort of a startup, we shall see how it goes.

I'm disgusted about the weather! A week ago the high Saturday was supposed to be 81, now it's supposed to be ten degrees hotter.

This week's been in the low 80s, then (as luck would have it) peaking on the Saturday of the Games in the 90s, then returning to the low 80s the following week.

For sure Pleasanton has got the reputation of always being hot. I went back and looked at the temps on Saturday of Pleasanton since 2000 and it's been consistently in the 90s, with only three days in the 70s, six days in the 80s, and three days over 100.

Didn’t realise you’re not with Long Beach at the moment. Not having a contest since Costa Mesa is weird since you don’t get to see other bands around.

I’ll take the 90° on Saturday, as long as the humidity stays low. It’s been upper 80s and 90% humidity here the whole week.

[OC Richard]

Well another hot Pleasanton is over. Didn't it get to nearly 100 on Saturday? Upper 90s Sunday?

I ended up not kilting, just cargo shorts & t-shirt for the weekend, and also my beloved self-bashed Stratoliner for a touch of pragmatic panache.

I'm sorry that I somehow missed seeing Jamie and Richard. A group pic would have been cool!

Some very impressive Pipe Bands made the trip, like North Stratton (Edmonton Alberta), Greater Midwest (Battle Creek MI), and Portland Metro.

Due to the anticipated high temperatures the bands were told a week in advance that the rules requiring Highland Dress would be suspended (as they were in 2017).

However none of the bands took the opportunity to wear casual clothes, even though Pipe Band people are always complaining about having to wear kilts and saying over and over that in an ideal world bands would just wear casual clothes.

A few bands ditched their waistcoats but I only saw one who ditched both waistcoats and neckties.

At least the higher-grade bands had some shade in their arena. The lower-grade bands were on asphalt in the blazing sun.

[YOJiMBO20]

Well another hot Pleasanton is over. Didn't it get to nearly 100 on Saturday? Upper 90s Sunday?

I ended up not kilting, just cargo shorts & t-shirt for the weekend, and also my beloved self-bashed Stratoliner for a touch of pragmatic panache.

I'm sorry that I somehow missed seeing Jamie and Richard. A group pic would have been cool!

Some very impressive Pipe Bands made the trip, like North Stratton (Edmonton Alberta), Greater Midwest (Battle Creek MI), and Portland Metro.

Due to the anticipated high temperatures the bands were told a week in advance that the rules requiring Highland Dress would be suspended (as they were in 2017).

However none of the bands took the opportunity to wear casual clothes, even though Pipe Band people are always complaining about having to wear kilts and saying over and over that in an ideal world bands would just wear casual clothes.

A few bands ditched their waistcoats but I only saw one who ditched both waistcoats and neckties.

At least the higher-grade bands had some shade in their arena. The lower-grade bands were on asphalt in the blazing sun.

I never heard we had the option to ditch the uniforms.

And I absolutely HATE playing in the auxiliary circle. No shade, sun in your face, and chanters screaming with such a high pitch it was so hot. At one point we were in the upper 490s