GFH3 Run #1,730; 21 December 2013

Happy Solstice, everyone!  That would be winter solstice, despite the shorts and t-shirts abounding at today's Heat Miser Hash.  Heater Beater and Easy Strider weren't certain how many folks would make the loooong drive (50 minutes from McLean; what are you Great Falls-ers complaining about?) out to the newly-opened Hamilton House, but between 70+ degrees, the festive Spirit of the Season, and, one suspects, affection for our hosts, something like 40 people made the trek.  Many arrived on the early side, and wandered the House marveling at the excellence of HB's design and ES's execution of a textbook rehabilitation.

Hamilton = happy hillbillies

Then they gathered out front, and learned about the turkey trail and the eagle trail and the possibility of a pit stop, and then they streamed cheerily into the street, walkers staying behind.  Those walkers got succinct instructions (four judicious lefts, essentially, would take them through the scenic village and bring them back to the House) and strolled away.  A rough split of the crowd:  maybe ten walkers, six eagles, 17 turkeys and four host-y types.  Easy Strider drove off with a case of water in the trunk, apparently in an excess of guilt over his eagle trail (Jeffy Lube:  "It was gravel road up, and then gravel road down."), and was past starting to get nervous before he found his eaglets.  They were mostly not in need of water -- it was warm, not hot -- but appreciated the thoughtfulness.  Meanwhile, the turkeys were most of the way home, and ES almost had to run them over before managing to offer water.  Richard:  "Where's the beer?"

They know where the beer is...

The beer, of course, was back at the On In, in the refrigerator, which made for a very crowded kitchen at times.  There was also Provencal vegetable soup, from BC3's recipe, and butternut squash soup, ham and cheese and freshly-baked bread still warm from the oven.  Blow in the Hole provided big butterscotch oatmeal cookies for afters, and I shan't tell (without financial inducement) who ate four, maybe more.

Mufti called the roll as per, and Judy got cheers for her first run, and a polite, understanding nod for the news that she birthed Greg.  Not your fault, that collective nod said clearly.  And anyway, he married well.  The big guy -- retired Navy pilot, Warrenton resident -- you know him -- seems to have gotten yet another new name for his 200th.  Once I've figured out what on earth was happening, I'll update this post.  UPDATE:  "he just took advantage of the opportunity to tease me about multiple names when he gave me the engraved cup."  Before leaving, reluctantly, the Mufti led the group in a spirited rendition of 'Jingle Bells,' which he claims is a GFH3 Christmas tradition.  And maybe it is.  You can see him conducting his choir in the pictures here.

The Christmas chorale