GFH3 Run #1,675; 22 December 2012

It was sunny and beautiful again, albeit a midge brisk -- 40 degrees F is still above freezing, for heaven's sake -- with a wind that had calmed from the morning's 60 mph gusts as the GF Hash convened in... Great Falls!  Drill Me Fill Me threw open his palatial home, or at least the ground level, to about 40 hashers.  Let's just skip ahead to the most important part:  no one walked on the pool cover.

We got sad news from the Mufti:  our handsomest and most noble hasher, Duke, died this week in the loving arms of Packing Pink and Pickled Peter.  Duke was a great addition to our group; gracious and friendly and hardy.  We shall all miss his big ole head bumping the backs of our legs as he meandered past to say hello, and my heart is with Pink and Peter as they mourn their loss.


Duke in happy days.

 On the good news front, Thanks for the Mammaries returned almost whole and certainly hearty from the Vincent Massif.  There's a little bit of nose frostbite, but that should pass.  We look forward to the photos.

Back on trail:  Easy Strider, Blow in the Hole and Tasty Cakes (returned from the UK, where climate change has set in dramatically - her hair was considerably blonder after four months' exposure to all the English sunshine) set a long and apparently quite challenging runner's trail.  E.S. shook his head in dismay as the runners headed off in the wrong direction near the start, and I recalled a time he himself ran about a mile of the very clearly marked walkers trail from our house before figuring out that blue 'W's might not be the best marks for a runner to follow.  So there.

Anyway, the FRBs didn't make it to the On In until almost 6pm, joined not too long after by four or five hardy DFLs.  They found, waiting for them, about a dozen short-cutters, as well as our 15-or-so walkers, and a bountiful multi-culti spread that included lo mein, spaghetti, empanadas and more.  I spotted a Blue Moon ale or two, which adds Belgium to the mix.  Civilized by the luxury of the meal and beauty of the drawing room, no one fought over who got to sit nearest the fire.

If you were happy to see this, I hope you said "thank you" to Blow in the Hole.

The Mufti's powerful roll call revealed two first-timers; the Jazz Swinger got a moment off from her festive-season singing duties to drop in and visit with us; and Brogue Bait and Pump Master were visiting for the holidays.  Lovely to see everyone.  Roll call also came, as it must, to the 199th run for Goes Down on Trail.  "There will be a meeting of the executive committee," the Mufti promised, and there was.

The meeting was... no, I'm keeping it clean.  The meeting was loud.  The meeting was highly participatory.  The meeting was, eventually, successful in its goal, and Goes Down on Trail will have a new name when next we see him.  Keep running, GDoT.  Keep running.

For photos, click here.