Aussie battlers

The land of flooding rains did its thing again this Oz Day - for the second year in a row! But some 20 indomitable Aussies and honorary Aussies battled through rain, floods and puddles to take part in the 2012 Australia Day run - good on youse....

The menu at the on, on featured the traditional fare that our regular hares for this event prepare so well - meat pies and tomader sauce, snags, pertaderseled and pavs.

And while the finalists at the Australian Tennis Open began a marathon fight to the finish, the members of Samford Hash also showed off the true blue competitive spirit. Here are the Senior and Junior winners of the great Thong Tossing contest:


"Thongs Away" was followed up by some shameless displays of feats of strength - chin ups and push ups - performed for the circle.

And then as the evening wore on we turned to some more intellectual pursuits. Here is Trudi Fruti putting the case for the affirmative in the debate on the topic "That Ned Kelly was innocent":


And what better - more mature, responsible and adult - way of coming to a conclusion on the republican question than through a blindfolded Vegemite-wrestling competition?


Rock Hard demonstrated conclusively that Australia should become a republic by sustaining just a minor smear on the side of his proboscis:


Many thanks to our hares!

The big event in 2 weeks time is our 21st Birthday Run. On this occasion we will start at 4 - our usual winter start time - to give us a bit more time for partying. It should be a great night....

Next run details
When: Sunday 5th February, 5 pm
Where: Walton Bridge reserve, The Gap. A map!
Hares: Superhacker, Hopalong and related assistants

On, on!

Rainforest ramble

A 45 minute downpour while he was setting the run forced Haughty to start again from the beginning. At least it didn't rain during the run/walk. Conditions were pleasantly cool, if a trifle muddy and leachy underfoot.

We welcomed four visitors: Kaffir, Sister Sludge, her no-name intended, and Superhacker's dad (whose rendition of the Dogs' A*holes Song was received with thunderous applause). It was also good to welcome a couple of Hash first-timers from Dayboro. We look forward to seeing them all again. And finally - welcome home, Hopalong!

Here's a shot of some thirsty apprentice brewers at last week's Hash Mash:


And here's a shot of our new interstate members heading off with the last of their chattels for that Sodom and Gomorrah of the south, Canberra. And, yes, Wizbanger did remember to turn back and pick up Hot to Trot - when he was some way down the Pacific Highway....


Next week we'll be celebrating our annual Oz Day event. Look forward to thong-throwing, vegemite-wrestling and a fight to the death over which side of the ditch (or dutch, if you like) invented the pavlova. Have a look at last year's pictures to remind yourself of the appropriate attire for the occasion.

Next run details
When: Sunday 29th January, 5 pm
Where: Payback and Cash Converta's Cashmere menagerie
Hares: Payback and Cash Converta

(if you need directions to this run, please email us or call)

On, on!

A wet one

Predictions that this would be a wet summer finally seemed to be coming true this Sunday. Our hares must have had a hard time of it setting the run between showers, and a downpour halfway through the run/walk washed out most of the chalk arrows. We made it home using occasional faint traces of chalk and were rewarded with the sort of feast that we have come to expect from Redbreast. Many thanks, hares!

It was great to welcome some half-dozen visitors, who swelled the ranks of both runners and walkers. We also welcomed Le Wank back for the first time in many moons - and found that he was still able to run and talk (volubly) at the same time.

Jamesbondage was awarded a down, down in appreciation of his jokes at the on, on. A sample:

Q. What do you get if you cross two elephants with a fish?
A. Swimming trunks....

Ah, the nostalgia - elephant jokes! He brought back to mind some of the classics:

Q. How do you get down off an elephant?
A> You don't get down off an elephant; you get down off a duck!

or

Q. How do you fit four elephants into a Mini? (This reveals the vintage, doesn't it?)
A. Simple - two in the front and two in the back....

Don't get me started!

This week also saw the inaugural Hash Mash event, in which some lucky Hash brewers met at Shockjock's to learn how to brew prizewinning beer from scratch. We're expecting a big payoff at this year's Samford Show....

And don't forget our 21st Birthday Run, coming up on the auspicious date of 12-2-12.

Next run details
When: Sunday 22nd January, 5 pm
Where: Maiala picnic grounds, Mt Glorious. Here's a map.
Hares: Culture and Haughty.

On, on!

Run 1083

A number of us attended YShggr's funeral on Friday. It was a sad occasion, but it was also wonderful to join with the Shggrs' family and friends from round the world to celebrate her life and to recall all the good times we have had together.

Next run details
When: Sunday 15th January, 5 pm
Where: Arlington Shopping Centre, corner Bunya Road and Arlington Drive, Arana Hills. Here's a map.
Hares: Jamesbondage and Redbreast

On, on!

On, on, YShggr!

YShggr passed away a few days after we met to run from her bedside on New Year's Day. It's hard to believe that anyone so full of life - who lived life so much to the full - should be gone. But for those of us who were privileged to have known her and to have hashed with her she will always be with us.

We remember YShggr as a warm, funny, loyal, brave, kind, feisty and intelligent friend - fiercely supportive of Samford Hash as a group and of individuals within it. Family was very important to her and we feel honoured that she treated the Hash as a sort of extended family. She threw herself enthusiastically into Hash activities as she did into everything else. The photos below remind us of happy times at Hash runs, Hash parties, Hash weekends away and Interhash in Borneo. And they remind us of how much we will miss her.

It was characteristic that after hearing her diagnosis YShggr immediately went trekking in the Himalayas with Eweshggr, Charcoal and Strine. On her return she and Strine laid on a memorable celebratory birthday run. The bouts of treatment she went through after that didn't prevent her from hashing. She was still going on Hash walks - still dressing up and taking part in Hash Christmas festivities - a few weeks before the end. And it was great that she welcomed us for that final run from Nundah.

What a walker she was! - so fast that she sometimes caught up with the runners as they took a breather. What a cook! What a maker of gluhwein! What a welcoming and amusing hostess! And above all, what a warm, generous, encouraging, loving and beautiful person!

On, on, YShggr. On home. Thank you for sharing part of your trail with us.

First run of the year!

The first of January saw us tackling the first run of a momentous year...the year Samford Hash turns 21 and finally grows up!



A last minute change of plan saw us exploring the country around Banyo and Nudgee Beach on this occasion. Many thanks to the extended Shggr family for their hospitality - we deeply appreciated spending time with Ewe- and Y-Shggr. Thanks also to Eweshggr for a great trail that took in many points of cultural, historical and environmental interest around the area. It was a hash run we will never forget.

Here's a view of most of the group that gathered for the run. Missing from this shot are Charcoal and latecomers Payback, Cash Converta and Hardcore:


A number of us had seen out the old year in style. Here we are having just sung Auld Lang Syne and about to have a wee deoch and dorris (or two)....


A new experience for many was the taste of that "great chieftain of the pudding race" (quote from Burns) - the haggis:


Jamesbondage and Redbreast collaborated in stabbing it with the dirk as tradition requires:


Leave Pass carried out some traditional rituals involving coal, a black bun and salt. And Payback showed off his Scottish roots as he brandished a fearsome antler-tipped weapon: Hoots, mon!


Finally - what Scottish New Year's Eve could be complete without a rendition of the Tay Bridge Disaster by the great McGonagall? You'll find more of his disaster (and disastrous) poetry here.

Next run details
When: Sunday 8th January, 5 pm
Where: Bullocky's Rest, Lake Samsonvale (this time for sure)
Hares: M. Promptu will set the run. Potluck will cater once again - please bring something to share.

On, on!