GFH3 Run #1,786; 20 December 2014

Blazing Straddle heroically offered up her home (yes, we were here just a month ago) for a hash, and Spurt and Blow in the Hole offered to help out with flour.  So they all got together at eight ack emma, when it was still fairly chilly, and slathered historic downtown Herndon with floury marks, and then BStrad started her pots boiling, and by noon twenty more of us had joined the heroes as the sun struggled with cloud cover and the day warmed up to downright cool.  "Enjoy downtown Herndon," was most of the brief (plus something about a possible backcheck), and the group split almost down the middle, with eleven runners heading south and then east while nine walkers followed Ole Fud toward the TRAIN!  And the bread bakery.  Let's not forget the bread bakery.

The Jazz Swinger remembered the bakery.

The run was mostly paved, describing a fair-sized southerly clockwise loop that crossed the W&OD twice.  Despite the presence of young whippersnapper Mike, the pack stuck pretty well together.  Or perhaps because of said presence; as Rough Cut notes, the reason we have whippersnappers is so someone else can check the falses.  Not that R.C. didn't check a few falses his own self...

The first shall be last, and then catch up to the front again.

Some of the walkers spent some time in the woods, fortified by Great Harvest carbs; most stuck to the asphalt.  And the TRAIN!  Everyone eventually wound up back at the house, where Mango, Oscar, Abby and Kylie gazed hopefully at the plates of noodles and meatballs.  Okay, Oscar not so much -- he doesn't do people food.  In fact, offered one of BStrad's sister's homemade Christmas cookies, he barely seemed to notice.  Silly Oscar.  Those cookies were good.

Even more fun than trains.

The Mufti hollered his roll, celebrating Rough Cut's 900th run with raucous cheers.  Then he bid the group a fond, "See you," as he mentally finished packing for the long drive to California.  He urged everyone to extend the same respect, courtesy and attention to Acting Mufti The Oral Advocate as we do to himself... then thought that over and suggested maybe just a hint more would be appropriate.  Phoenix Rising urged O.A. to remember the 'benevolent' part of 'benevolent dictator.'  The inter-regnum begins two days post-Christmas, either in Herndon or Ashburn.  Watch the official site, and if you like, take a gander at this week's photos, too.

GFH3 Run #1,785; 13 December 2014

First and foremost, congratulations to Blows and Goes for emerging hearty and well from his recent, unexpected surgery.  We look forward to his return to GFH3.

No, seriously.  Can't wait to have him back.

We do not look forward to the Mufti and BC3's departure at the end of the month, especially after they treated us to a another great hash today.  The Oral Advocate and Phoenix Rising chipped in to set trail, and it was an excellent one, plus the weather in Reston was decent for the time of year -- which means chilly and cloudy enough to make southern California look that much better, but not cold enough to require a third layer.

Actually, there may be a few triple layers in there.

So 31 of us gathered for a mutual-admiration moment masquerading as a brief, and 16 runners headed uphill, while 10 walkers sauntered lake-wards, with multitudinous dogs in tow.  The runners broke up into three chunks of turkeys, two of eagles, and one serious shortcutter.  Almost everyone got the nice bit of shiggy that brought them back to culs de sac of Center Harbor for a zig-zag On In to THE EGGS!

Turkeys on trail

BC3 had cooked up a marvelous brunch of eggs, croissants (still warm, even for the final two finishers!) and sausage.  Plus mimosas and fruit and panettone for afters, and altogether everything delicious, restorative and festive.  Gosh, it was a great meal.  Mark your calendars:  she's back in late March or early April.

Mufti roll-called, Rough Cut made 899 ("I've got to think up a new name.") and Rick made number one.  Bubbles got 'forgotten' until the Mufti started to make a fuss.  Chip Off the Old Dick bravely stepped forward, but clever Mufti saw through the ruse.  He was gracious enough to present me with CIA lotion and body mist (no, seriously -- Central Intelligence Agency skin care products) and a hand-carved nest of Christmas trees, in celebration of my retirement from the role of Assistant Associate Mufti.  Or something.  Let the record reflect that I got an entire sentence out for my speech ("I'm not even going to try to say anything.") before the hash realized what I was up to.  Ha ha!  Going out in glory!

GFH3:  "99 to the cup!"  Rick:  "I have no idea what that means."

I took a few pictures, and Queen Cobra got hold of the camera and took a boatload.  Enjoy.

GFH3 Run #1,684; 16 Feb 2013

The Hash brief is not always memorably memorable, but this was a great one.  Not only were there a few handfuls of snowflakes, swirling pixie-dust-like through the fine, fresh air of Herndon; there was also hash heroine Blazing Straddle, announcing:

• She and BC3 got lost while setting, so the run might be a bit longer than usual;
• If you've been running for an hour or more, and you're really quite tired, and you come to an X, you may and should run right through it;
• They found some shiggy, which is rare in these parts, so enjoy it; and
• There have been a lot of hashes in Herndon lately, and rather than color today's flour or try to sweep away previous runs' flour, she figured the hashers were smart enough to tell new flour from old, and they should follow the new.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

A slow start as the runners contemplate what might distinguish new flour from old...

There were also special celebrity guest stars:  the Double-Breasted Booby and Rick flew in on the easterly migratory route for hatching season, and the Rick family is now celebrating its newest member, born on Valentine's Day.  Awwww.  Photos were available; the infant is adorable.

Anyway, away they went, the 25 or so runners, and 15 or thereabouts walkers followed them.  The walkers' trail headed for the goose zone (you know what I mean, right?), and what fun is that?  I believe they went into the woods instead, which allows a lovely ramble.  There were a lot of people jogging and strolling through Herndon -- a beautiful day to be outdoors and active.

The runners were out for well over an hour, conquered their shiggy (Spurt:  "It's not what the Hillbilly Hash would consider shiggy."  Anonymous respondent:  "Well, why don't you piss off to Front Royal, then?"), and separated into many small groups to make their ways to the On In by very various, mostly unmarked, routes.  At one point Rick was FRB; nice goin', Grandad!  Air Horn:  "Who set this death march?"

Why is this man smiling?

Blazing Straddle, Goes Down in Spokes and Paul had put together a generous buffet of pasta and red sauce, meaty or mushroomy, and salad, plus chips everywhere and cookies and beer and wine.  Blazing Straddle keeps a darned comfy house, pretty much perfect for hashing.  Our injured Mufti showed up late, with hash heroine BC3, but in time for grits and the roll call.  He pointed out that there are dates available for hosting in March, which is traditionally the most popular month of the year to host.  So sign up early!

Larry is signed up for next week, and IT'S AN 11:00 AM START TIME!!!  Don't forget:  EARLY START NEXT WEEK.  You wouldn't want to miss the kind of fun these photos show you can have hashing.

GFH3 Run #1,681; 26 Jan 2013

Thirty-four of us (including a host and three hares) got the time right and showed up at 11am in... drum roll, please... flourish of trumpets... make it a kettle drum... GREAT FALLS!  And while we didn't have the sense to start a pool on the number of people who will bang on the Ole Fud's door at 3pm, I'm going to guess three.  And what a hash they missed!  The eagles spent two hours in the not-very snowy woods trying to find pink flour that was melting away with the snow on which it had been dropped, and trying not to crack an ankle as they skidded over wet rocks, wet leaves, and well-packed slush.  But they had a nice bit of sunshine in which to do so, and above-freezing temps, albeit not by much.

The turkeys (and this group is mostly turkeys -- no further comment, please)  were out for over 90 minutes, and the walkers for an hour or more.  The walkers, incidentally, seemed to split up into about a half-dozen splinter groups, and when there are only about eight of you in the first place, that's quite an achievement.

The trail was set by Air Horn, Phoenix Rising and Zipperhead -- each working separately.  So you can understand a) why the trail was relatively lengthy, and b) why the hares weren't sure whether the turkey trail saved runners about a quarter mile or closer to two miles, or something more, less or in between.  Also why there was, perhaps, some sort of an incidente officiele whose details we'd sooner not know...  There was also a great deal of shortcutting, including by our FRB, Valiant.  The eagles you can probably guess, but if you want hints:  Suck, Squeeze, Something... the Not-calm Mechanic... Longa, Schlonga... Difficult Strider...

Valiant explains how, by skillfully not following the trail much at all, he was able to finish the run about 30 minutes before anyone else.

Back in the garage, we had hot soup and bread and cheese and chips and stuff.  You know the expression, "Hunger is the best seasoning"?  Well, it's not true.  Whatever Felicity used in the black-bean soup is the best seasoning.  And the promise of a tour of the trains-and-tracks wing of the Fud estate sharpens the appetite nicely, too.

I read the roll, given the absence of both the Mufti (romantically vacationing on a warm island) and the associate Mufti (undergoing an intensive cheering and smack-talking regimen in preparation for the Big Game).  I have crowned (be-fezzed?) myself the assistant associate Mufti on the spine-chillingly meaningful occasion of my being entrusted with the official roll for the first time ever.  Hip, hip.

Don't I look authoritative?

INDY helped out with the photos; here they are.

GFH3 Run #1,678; 5 Jan 2013

Job Blow and Put Away Wet got a big crowd for their Reston hash at Job Blow and Heats it UP's house.  The weather was reasonably clement, with more clouds than sun but a reasonable temperature for January, you know?  Chilly, maybe, but not outright cold.  There were over 40 of us, and everyone got treated unusually well -- except Air Horn and friends, whom Flowerkraut blocked into the driveway.  Honestly.  In addition to the people, I counted Abby, Kylie, Peanut and Kellogg, whom we haven't seen for a while.

Hashing is family-friendly!

Anyway, after convening in the back and side yards whilst Heats it UP prepared a feast indoors, the runners headed away through what looked like the next-door neighbors' back yard.  Nice neighbors.  The one at the end of the cul-de-sac, who lets us use the driveway for entrance and egress to and from the woods trail, is nice, too.  And the one who took a photo but no action against whoever parked in front of his mailbox is likewise kind and generous.  Please don't park in front of people's mailboxes, everyone -- Job Blow's got knocked down at an earlier, non-hash party, and the street is sensitive.

So, while the walkers headed down the kind neighbors' driveway and strolled the woods paths, the runners wended their ways to Put Away Wet's, where they found -- a GLUGWEIN STOP!  Wow.  Meanwhile, I was tippy-toeing through the mud with INDY's camera, yearning for a warm drink.  Anyway, boringly enough, Cums Too Fast finished too fast, though with Blow in the Hole not that far behind him, and well ahead of the rest of the pack, who spent about 90 minutes covering five or six miles.  Incidentally, CTF, any chance you might someday mark a damn check?  Brent, for reasons of his own, was carrying a plastic-foam tomahawk.  Chip Off the Old Dick spent a long time ignoring a hare's arrow to look up and down Soapstone, suspecting an A-to-B trail that did not materialize.

Blow in the Hole, earning her superhero t-shirt.

There were a lot of Restoners out in the woods with their dogs on this relatively nice day, and one of them was accompanied by his brother, visiting from the Wild West (Warrenton & vicinity), where he runs with the Hillbilly Hash.  The hasher is called Thang, or perhaps Richard.  He and brother and the lab and the Pekingese stopped by the On In briefly and chatted with Spurt and others who occasionally join HBH3, and some who don't.  We may see Richard again, as he's planning a move eastwards.

Speaking of that On In:  many types of pasta with different sauces, tasty garlic toast and salad, the remains of the glugwein, and get this:  hot chocolate sauce to top pound cake and fresh fruit.  Unusually good, right?  (There was also a pale sauce that might have been creme anglaise.  I forgot to try it.  Anyone know?)  The house is ideally configured for chasing a six-year old around, which I am always happy to do.  In a few years, I hope to perform the same service for Riley.

He takes a lot of chasing.

And unusual excitement when the Mufti called the roll.  BC3, who rarely even answers, "Here," not only had to admit to being present but also had to come forward -- to be congratulated on 11 years of wedded bliss and presented with an anniversary bouquet.  To appropriate cheers, she bestowed a kiss upon our Mufti, as do we all, metaphorically at least.  Heats it UP reluctantly emerged from the kitchen to accept raucous acclaim from the throng, and Job Blow and Put Away Wet got several cheers as well.  Moaner Lisa is at 958 or thereabouts...

Hip, hip, ON ON!!

No first-timers, but Riley and Mike each hit two.  And further, I made 221 (300 cannot come soon enough), Brent was at 32, and Lust in Space was maybe 332?  I vow to appear next week.  Whooo.  Lezlie, Flowerkraut and others are putting together a Rocky Horror Picture Show outing -- maybe one of the organizers will add details in the comments section.  Phoenix Rising demonstrated a few peri-something stretches.  Anything else?  Put it in the comments, please.  Oh, and be thinking about a name for Joyce, and a new name for Cums Too Fast.

More photos, should you wish to peruse the evidence, are available here.