We were soddin' sodden, but

Samford Hash doesn't let a bit of rain spoil its fun. A dozen of us (if you count the dogs) set off in a series of teeming downpours for the Boxing Day run/walk. As Loverboy said, it was good triathlon training - we could practice the run and the swim legs at the same time!

Great weather for ducks:


Next run details (the first of 2010!)
When: Sunday 3rd January, 5 pm
Where: Leave Pass's Upper Kedron Kip
Hares: Leave Pass and The Invisible Woman

For details on the venue, please contact us via email or through the contacts given on our web site.

On, on!

Why "Samford Hash Haus Harriers"?

Samford Hash was founded in 1991 under the name "Samford Hash Haus Harriers". Why "Haus"? Where did that spelling come from? This question came up at the on, on this week.

And the answer came from Eweshggr and Charcoal. The late Pete "Fu" Goff and other founders of the "Samford Hash Haus Harriers" had come from New Guinea where they'd run with the Port Moresby Hash. "Haus" is pidgin - deriving from the time when Germany administered parts of New Guinea. Interesting! And another interesting bit of trivia is that since the Port Moresby Hash was founded by members of the world's original Hash Kennel, there's a close and direct line of descent from the original Hash House to the Samford Hash Haus Harriers! (I had this bit of information from Skidmark.)

These are the sorts of historical musings that tend to come up as we prepare for our 1000th run....



Anyway, this last Sunday saw about 20 of us defying the rain on Yurass and Bigtop's run from the village. The said rain had decimated the chalk and flour (if there'd ever actually been any) but Hardcore pointed the way for the runners and Bigtop for the walkers. A sumptuous feast followed - thanks to the hares!



And since it's the week before Christmas, here are a few cracks to supplement the ones you'll get from your crackers:

Q: What did the shy pebble say?
A: I wish I were a little boulder.

Q: What's another name for Santa's little helpers?
A: Subordinate clauses.

Q: What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?
A: Tinsilitis.

Q: Who was the woman who fell off a cliff after the Christmas party?
A: Eileen Dover.

Q: Why do anarchists only drink herbal tea?
A: Because all property is theft.

Q: Why can't you go fishing with a bearded man?
A: Because you really need a fishing rod.

The four stages of life for males:
1. You believe in Santa Claus
2. You don't believe in Santa Claus
3. You become Santa Claus
4. You look like Santa Claus.

Q: What's brown and sticky?
A: A stick.

Q: What's orange and sounds like a parrot?
A: A carrot.

Rudolph the Red (the Communist leader) is looking out of his window one Christmas day. He turns to his wife and says "Look! It's raining."

"I don't think so, dear," she says. "I thnk it's actually snowing."

"Well" he replies, slightly annoyed (he's not used to being contradicted) "let's step outside and find out, shall we?"

They go out and find that it is in fact raining. So Rudolph turns to his wife and says, "I knew it was raining. Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear."

Next run details
When: Sunday 27th December, 5 pm
Where: John Scott Park, the village (again!)
Hares: Culture and Haughty

On, on!

A concatenation (good word, that) of

circumstances meant that there were very few of us taking part in this week's events. Some were in the UK, some in New Zealand, some in Caloundra, some in Terstate, some in Disposed, and some in Volvedinworkfunctions. But those who made it had a great time.

Thanks to Charcoal for setting another of his justly-renowned switchback runs, and to Strine for producing a great meal despite her indisposition. We were all impressed with the quality of their Antarctic photos viewed on their new BIG screen.

Even fewer made it to the Red Dress run, but it was a pleasant jaunt through the Valley - and it should be recorded that Culture ran all the way....

Dates are under discussion for the next Hash weekend in Stanthorpe - it will be sometime in March or April. And don't forget our 1000th run on 13th June - just before a number of us head over to Kuching for Interhash.

Next run details
When: Sunday 20th December, 5 pm
Where: John Scott Park, the village
Hares: Yurass and Big Top

On, on!

Hot...hot...hot!!!

Our hares this last Sunday set the run in sweltering conditions - good on them! They laid a really enjoyable trail through some recently opened-up territory - territory I'm sure we'll be exploring further in the future. They even managed to include the odd hill or two....Hardcore has been practicing Bikram Yoga in a room heated to 38 degrees, so she felt right at home.

During the circle which followed a couple of Hash misdemeanours were exposed and the culprits awarded a down-down (one of them was the GM, no less - goes to show that we don't discriminate). The great Samford Hash Art Project continues and we'll track its progress in future posts.

There are 2 events to look forward to in the coming week:
- one of Charcoal's famous flat runs on Sunday
- Radar's annual Red Dress Run, starting this year at 6:30 pm on Monday 14th from the Jubilee Hotel (Fortitude Valley). A $5 donation will go to the Salvos ($5 per person, I mean, not in total). If you've never done it before, be assured - it's always a lot of fun! We'll probably go for a meal afterwards. Click here for more details.

Next run details
When: Sunday 13th December, 5 pm
Where: Corner Clear Mt Road and Buranda Road, Clear Mountain
Hares: Charcoal and Strine

Then don't forget the Red Dress Run on Monday!!!

On, on!

Santa comes just once a year -

(poor Santa). He came in a number of different guises to the Samford Hash Christmas party on Saturday.

In one he appeared as an echt Deutsch St Nikolaus - accompanied by Krampus, who punished some of the naughty hashers in traditional fashion.


There were multiple Rudolphs, a couple of stunning angels, a couple of equally stunning shepherds and some incredibly stunning blondes. Here are a few more shots from the occasion.

Samford Hash (most of - in the dark as usual):


Angel and Old Man gathering winter fu-u-el:


Another member of the heavenly host with Santa:


Multiple deer:








Hacker and Santa


Eweshagger shows us how it's done:


Wise man (pretty rare on Saturday):


Christmas shopper and Frosty (showing us where he sticks his carrot):


A stunning blonde elf:


And another stunning blonde:


Mrs Claus (and editor of the 2009 Photo Album and Recipe Book):


Artists at work:


Work in progress:


Click here for more photos - including some of more blondes...

It was a terrific evening - thanks to all for the food and the friendship (ahem).

We followed up on Sunday with a pretty well-attended recovery run from the village - at which the runners took the high road and the walkers took the low road and the runners ended up in John Scottland before them....

Next run details
When: Sunday 6th December, 5 pm
Where: Surrey Farm Park, Bergin Creek Rd, Bunya. UBD 117 G9. Here's a map.
Hares: Redbreast and Jamesbondage

Visitors and newbies welcome as usual. For more details email samfordhash@gmail.com

On, on!

Festive fizz on the mountain

YShgger celebrated her birthday in style with bubbly at the hold check on top of Mt Nebo. Meticulous planning by the hares had the runners and walkers arriving at the same time for the festivities - well done and thanks!



As the pictures start to roll in, more and more is revealed about that Melbourne weekend....

Liquid breakfast:


Liquid lunch:


Liquid dinner:


Some ended up in the cells:


Dear, dear....


While Superhack got legless yet again:


Meanwhile at Toogoom, the fish must have been shivering in their fins....

Prize catch:


The old man and the sea:


Do I really want a swim?


Sundowndowners:


Gosh, this post is a bit late this week! Anyway, we have lots to look forward to:

Hash Christmas is this Saturday - 28th November - at Haughty and Culture's. We aim to kick off at about 6. There'll be drinking and games and drinking and Secret Santa and drinking and Hash Carols and drinking and eating and drinking and dancing and drinking....

Sunday's run is a recovery one from the village.

The Red Dress run this year is on Monday 14th December from the Valley.

And for a distant date claimer...mark 13th June 2010 in your diaries. If Strine's calculations are correct, this marks our 1000th run - a huge event!

Next run details
When: Sunday 29th November, 5 pm (Recovery run after Hash Christmas)
Where: John Scott Park, the village
Hares: elected on the day - a live run....

On, on!

Gadding girls and beach boys...

Here are a few shots from the Girls' Own Melbourne weekend:

Waiting to be checked at the Virgin terminal:


She liked the goods so much she bought the store:


Dinner in Lygon St (where else?):


Does my bum look big in this?


The casino beckoned...


Now what's to buy in St. Kilda?


Meanwhile, some abandoned blokes attempted to drown their sorrows at Toogoom...


and found some good looking birds to talk to:


Next run details
When: Sunday 22nd November, 5pm
Where: Manorina picnic area, Mt Nebo (turn right at the top of the goat track). Here's a map
Hares: The Shggrs

On, on!

The girls who don't have a thing to wear

are just about to fix that. Yes, the long anticipated Girls Own Retail Therapy Weekend in Melbourne begins this Friday - Friday 13th. It'll be a unlucky day for some credit card accounts.

Here are some Samford Hash members demonstrating that they don't have a thing to wear:


Meanwhile the lonely lads are headed for Toogoom, with only a keg or two for company. Here's an impression of some Samford Hash members camping it up:


And - there'll also be a village run for the stayathomes.

On Sunday we celebrated the Spring racing carnival with a canter along some Cedar Creek horse trails. It was also Shockjock's birthday. Last year - I seem to remember - he didn't turn up to eat his own birthday cake. So we recycled it for this occasion.

"Stand back, please. Cake cutting is harder than it looks..."


There were jelly snakes for all the kiddies:


A reminder or two for those who can look past the coming weekend:
- Hash Christmas is on 28th November, at Culture and Haughty's
- The Red Dress Run this year is on 14th December.

Next run details
When: Sunday 15th November
Where: Melbourne (for many of the girls); Toogoom (for many of the boys); John Scott Park, the Village (for those staying in town)
Hares: as elected on the day....

On, on!

The horror! The horror!

Ghosts and ghouls, bats and bogeymen, witches and weirdos once more flitted, strode and puffed around the highways and byeways of the Valley during our annual Halloween event.

Here's the horrible horde:


Cash Converta had a bloody good time:


Spiderlady and friends:


Hellhound:


Ghostly!


The Halloween run: even more fun than being run over!


Bogeyman!


Witch and her favourite spirit (150 proof):


It was great to see Eweshggr back on his pins in the midst of the running pack. Thanks to the hares for a great run and to them and other contributors for a magnificent Halloween feast.

Here's a little film about an incredible live run - courtesy of Stockgirl:

http://www.flixxy.com/game-of-survival.htm

Next run details
When: Sunday 8th November, 5 pm
Where: Andy Williams' Park, Cedar Creek Road (about 7 km up Cedar Creek Road)
Hares: Culture and Haughty

If you remember, please bring a

On, on!