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Bagpiper Chris Donaldson braved Sunday’s cold for a noon-hour performance that drew about 40 people — one for each degree Fahrenheit — to Hodges Street in front of the Bean.

Bagpiper Chris Donaldson in the lowlands of Oriental.

Braving the Scotland cold, an audience gathers in front of — and on the porch of — The Bean.

Before Chris played near the Town Dock, he and an entourage marched three blocks from the Oriental Harbor Marina. In Chris’ entourage were Ross Pease, the Marina’s dockmaster, and Tennessee Ronnie, the dockmaster at Whittaker Creek. The event also marked a return of three of the ‘Piping Pipers’ from Oriental’s Spirit of Christmas parade.

Tennessee Ronnie Kennamer, leads the swirl of bagpipers and pipers towards the TownDock.

Four pipers piping. Dave Mauney and Dave Cox test the ability of bathrobes to fend off the cold.

Chris performed for almost an hour in front of the Bean drawing enthusiastic applause that was muted by the mittens and gloves that the crowd wore.

The bagpiper, however, wore nothing on his hands and said afterward that that it was his fingers, and — contrary to an oft asked query — not the rest of him, that felt the cold.

Chris and Jennifer Donaldson’s young son has grown accustomed to the sound of bagpipes.

Sunday’s performance was a return visit for Chris, who played here three winters ago, while visiting with his parents, Bryce and Helen Kaye. Many other weekends, Chris travels with the Deep River (Bag and Pipe) Band to competitions around the Southeast.

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The recessional passes South Water and Hodges and the Yap money sculpture.

Not all kilts are plaid. Ross Pease wears a “utility kilt”.

Dee Sage wears her family’s “Carnegie” tartan while Mayor Bill Sage sports another of her family’s tartans. He demurred when it was suggested that he could don a bathrobe for the next Bagpipe Blast.

Pleats, but no plaid.

Tennessee Ronnie and Chris Donaldson.

Ross Pease and Ronnie

Posted Monday January 21, 2008 by Melinda Penkava