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 #1,777; 25 October 2014

Another gorgeous day in Sterling, following on a dry summer and fall.  Quick refresher:

This is what the woods around Spurt's house looked like in December 2012

Today, he had mapped a lovely 4.12-mile course, but decided it would be better if he could make the true trail less than four miles -- so he cut through the woods for a bit rather than send people on the paved path.  Fortunately for the hash, today the footing was more like this:

Lovely!  Of course, the eccentrics could still choose damp tootsies if they preferred.

Note Matt in background, headed for the bridge that goes above the water.

Consensus was that the trail was either "sucky" or excellent, both of which adjectives were intended to convey appreciation of an interesting, amusing and beautiful trail.  Further, it was of an appropriate length for those recovering from shoulder surgery, those more comfortable on two wheels, and for any Lyme-disease victims who felt like celebrating a warm and sunny day by being FRB.

The celebrating continued at the On In, with plenty of veggie-pasta casserole and beefy lasagna, with garlic bread and salad and cookies and plentiful libations.  (John:  "Fletcher [golden retriever] loves garlic bread."  Blazing Straddle:  "Who doesn't?")  So 13 tired runners and nine less-tired walkers managed to choke down some nourishment on the back deck.  If it looked like more than 22 hashers to you, that's because there were 31 people there -- lots of host/hare-types plus plentiful sweat-averse socializers.

The Mufti got his usual respectful silence for the roll call, more than can be said for Spurt's brief at the beginning of the meeting.  (Heh heh; actually, everyone was quiet for the brief -- except Susan...)  Spurt, Susan and Blow in the Hole got their well deserved cheers, Kim got an enthusiastic welcome to her first hash, with best wishes for 99 more, Greg made it to the double-8s, and Riley made double-1s.  And does anyone else believe that both Blows and Goes and Pulls Out Early did not stick around for the roll?

Mango stayed for the roll, and did not want to leave.

As the sun began snuggling into the treeline, Susan offered foil and plates to anyone who would take home some lasagna, and insisted everyone take home a banana or two.  If only it were possible to capture her tone -- part generous kindness, part coercion -- in the pictures.

GFH3 Run #1,765; 6 August 2014

Fancy stuff tonight, as Blow in the Hole rented the party room at her Herndon swim club, and called in the caterers so she could devote more time to setting:  "It's a little longer than I meant it to be," she explained of her trail.  But with sunshine and mild temps, as well as reasonable humidity, and a hostess with a reputation for most-est-ing, 43 hashers turned out for the run tonight.  Alex and John popped up again, bringing mother and wife Ellen for her first GFH3, Radar tore himself away from the Cape or whatever more exotic travel has taken him from us, Heater Beater made it his third hash in a row -- because of that mild weather, you see -- Melisande limped along, Flowerkraut brought a swelling hand (yellow-jacket sting), etc. etc.

"She did one thing, and she did another thing, and I didn't do much of anything..."

And Zipperhead and Bionic Babe were there, having helped set, and thereby creating a not-that-confusing array of different false-trail styles, plus one hare's arrow that pointed in two different directions.  The 24 runners got it all figured out pretty quickly, and were through the little bit of shiggy and almost at the water stop before the water stop was.  (The official water stop, that is; not the impromptu water stops of Zipperhead wanting to see who would fall for the pipeline decoy and other fun tricks.)  They had a back-porch audience near Dranesville, and the neighbors were kind enough to cheer on the pack as they pounded up the hill toward the cooler and a five-spoked check.  The Beer Near sign, a few miles farther along, did not get washed away by lawn sprinklers before most of the hash had made it back to the On In.  Rrocks Starr mentioned that he had noticed that "little longer than I meant" part BitH had described.  Runners finished between about 8:20 and 8:40; walkers were done somewhat earlier, heh heh.

Whippersnapper!  Putting on a show for...

a back-porch cheering section.

The party room was seriously festive, with centerpieces and highly effective a/c, and the pasta and salad and rolls laid out on long tables.  The volume from 3.5 dozen chatterers was considerable, and when Mufti got ready for the roll, it required shrill whistles from three or four tables to calm the crowd.  There were four first-timers with us:  Paul, Ellen, Devon (fast) and Rudy, who vanished before the roll so we must hope he takes enough time out from the San Diego, San Antonio, Hong Kong and Mount Vernon hashes to join us again someday.  Nobody had unusually exciting numbers, but we did get an update on Dr. Pecker, PhD.  As Mufti notes, he is a low-pressure guy, but the 30/60 he recorded after his recent cardiac procedure was a bit worrying at first.  The good folks at Norfolk Hospital soon had him up to better numbers, and he is now doing well - and probably back home tonight.

Beer very near indeed, now.

Dr. P, PhD didn't make the photos tonight, but everyone else did.  You may notice that orange is indeed the new black.

GFH3 Run #1,752; 14 May 2014

Gracious, he's a clever young man, isn't he, our Chip Off the Old Dick?  All that shiggy he was able to find in the oft-traveled neighborhoods of North Reston.  And the weather helped out a bit, as recent rain rendered the dirt paths extra slick and entertaining.  Phoenix Rising claimed credit for ensuring that all 20 runners weren't still on trail at 9:00pm (his son sometimes sets long).  COtOD, assessing Dad's assertion, remarked, "A strong sense of self-esteem can be healthy."

Extra points for style!

Our two hosts should be feeling healthy tonight, as this, their yumpty-gazillionth foray into setting trail, earned all kinds of plaudits from a grateful crowd of 34, including one runner's comment that, "My butt-ochs are getting a workout tonight."  COtOD's decision, accounting for clock, calendar and cloud cover, to get the crowd away pretty promptly at 7:05 or so helped ensure that not very many people were still on trail in the dark, and since those lingering few had him sweeping them up, it worked out just fine.

While the Mufti led the walkers around the lake, and the runners allowed two 18-year olds and a 19-year old to lead them across four humid miles of mud to the On In, PhR was shuttling off to pick up the victuals.  Living up to a well-earned reputation, COtOD fed his troops well.  There may have been 15 pizzas, which would have been plenty, but then two trays of sandwiches, just in case, plus four pans of various high-carb casseroles like enchiladas and mac 'n' cheese, plus pulled pork somewhere in the mix.  And side dishes, and dessert.  Whew.  PhR chose Yuengling and various IPAs, plus whatever was cheap in the wine aisle.  Several toasts were drunk to the memory of It's Too Long, who died at 68 on Monday, in Florida.

Exec Comm members stand by to help with roll as needed.

The Mufti called roll, which offered a respite from all the excitement of last week by offering nothing out of the ordinary.  For some fairly ordinary photographs, check here.

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 #1,679; 12 Jan 2013

Oh, to be in Herndon, now that April's there -- except it's January.  Naetheless, it was shorts and t-shirts weather for many of the 42 or 43 (I helped with the roll) hashers who gathered at Blows in the Hole's to run Mike's first trail as a hare!  (Hand Job and BitH helped.)  What could be more wonderful than running around in blazing sunshine, warm but not too warm, and secure in the knowledge that there is NO POISON IVY anywhere in the area?

Stress-free running.

So run they did, for about five or six miles, making it home in 80 minutes or so after a mostly-paved, incident-free run.  The walkers did not make it to Blazing Straddles's to check on The Girls, but enjoyed the clement climate and low-trafficed neighborhood.  At the On In, copious pasta, garlic toast, beverages of all sorts including the delicious and brilliantly convenient Black Box wine, and a pyramid of cookies.  Many people chose an al fresco luncheon, or en plein air, enjoying the back deck.

Indoors, Thanks for the Mammaries showed photos from his latest trip to an appreciative audience.  Antarctica in November vs. Herndon in January in the middle of a heat wave... Hmmm...  The Mufti called the roll, leading a rollicking serenade of Jenn on her belated birthday.  He also welcomed Kathy to the Great Falls Hash (99 to the cup!), and welcomed Mitch, a very occasional GFHer, back.  Maria questioned the wisdom of bringing an infant hashing ("It's very loud in there.") and Air Horn managed to lift the ginormous resident cat for a bit of stroking and not-quite-baby talk.  (You know you did.)

She was covering her ears so she could enjoy it more.

I took some photos you can see if you click here.

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.