My session with the Hicks Family was spread over two days due to frosty temperatures on our first attempt. They were actually my first and last session in Dartmouth. Dave and Kelly gave me a bottle of Highland Park 12 as a present, and on one of the really (sort of) cool evenings here in Victoria, I’m going to crack the bottle and be reminded of that freezing day at Fisherman’s Cove. Angus and Isla are super cute kids, and like past years, Islay treated me to a whole medley of songs during the session. This year’s mega-hit was Mr. Sun. Ironically we didn’t feel a bit of the warmth of Mr. Sun, but she was pretty cute singing the song.

I had a session with the Whitty Family at their home in Mabou, Cape Breton, the Sunday after the last day of Celtic Colours. I had forewarned them that it was very likely I’d be out late at the Festival Club, but that I’d still be in top form for our shoot the next afternoon. With the family involved in pipe bands, they could relate to my need to stay up all night listening to fiddle music! My directions were to follow a dirt road until I came to a driveway with a red tractor. Two minutes later another email came through…’Look for the red tractor at the end of the driveway with a Cape Breton tartan bow tied on front’. Apparently every second house on the road has a red tractor so the tartan bow would be enough to guide my way! I would have loved to hear what sort of stories passed through the community that day with folks talking about Donald dressing up his tractor in it’s Sunday best! I’ve known the Whitty family for as long as I’ve been piping. Robyn was a great role model for girls coming through the piping ranks and she always had a warm smile and an encouraging way about her. Her daughter Erin is an accomplished highland/step dancer and tenor drummer with The 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band. Donald, is the all-around good guy and he makes a mean pie to boot! I wasn’t allowed to head back on the road until I had a cup of tea and a big slice of fresh pie. When I was telling them about the all-nighter I just had, Robyn said, ‘Oh I can’t even remember the last time we had an all-nighter!’ and Donald, as quick as a whip said, ‘Darling…the closest thing we get to an all-nighter around here is making it through the night without having to use the bathroom!’. In every moment I’ve shared with the Whitty Family there’s been laughter, and our session had plenty.

While I was in New York City, I had a chance to hang out with an old piping friend. Jason Briscoe is a great piper who was always a fierce competitor during my years playing in Ontario. He’s a very talented designer living in the Big Apple, and after not seeing each other in person for about 14 years, we had a lot of catching up to do (including a lesson in my junior high Cape Breton Chainsaw Dance…see the dancing photo for a visual explanation)! I wanted to take some portraits of him to include in the next pipes|drums installment, so he picked me up on his scooter the day after the wedding, and we shot around Soho. On that brisk morning while the rest of New York City was sleeping, we were reenacting the scene from Dumb and Dumber, where Harry and Lloyd are frozen and shivering on the scooter (minus the icicle boogers and the peeing!). Jason’s awesome gal Meghan was around for the photos, so we started out at his apartment and then wandered around his little neighbourhood in Soho. They are pretty adorable together, totally in love, and always make each other laugh…what else do you need?!

Two images from my session with The Hicks Family during my last day on the East Coast. We were freezing in Fisherman’s Cove during our first attempt at their session, but our second try a few days later ended up much better! Here’s Angus, and Isla and Dave in a park just around the corner from their house in Dartmouth. Wait to see Kelly in the full post!

An image from a session with the Whitty Family in Mabou, Cape Breton.