Grand Design

Q: How do you show off your Schmicko Reno to a bunch of sweaty, smelly and dirty hashers without having them wreck it all? 

A: Wait till Kevin McCloud and the camera team have left, then allow the Hash in for a Grand Tour BEFORE the run - and then never let them back inside. Keep a broom handy to shoo away any who make an attempt to sneak back upstairs for another gawp....They had their chance!

Those who have done the Kevin McCloud thing and seen the project develop right from the beginning (all those years ago) were truly gob-smacked. It was an almost-complete transformation. And let's hope that the one area that hasn't been transformed stays that way, so that there's one space left for sweaty, smelly and dirty hashers to gather....

Our hares took us through some secret bits of Mitchy, including some highly scenic stormwater and sewer-line easements. One checkpoint invited us check out a house along the way, but only the runners were bold enough to knock on the front door and ask if there was a trail marked through to the back. These runners were later pulled up by an unmarked police car with its siren sounding and lights flashing - it seems the front door belonged to a policeman's daughter! Oh, oh....

Back home we were treated to some beaut butter chicken and stroganoff, followed by a dessert that must have taken hours to prepare. Many thanks to hares Lax and Le W*nk for a well-marked trail and great meal! And, as always, thanks to our beermeisters, w(h)iners and photographer!

The group who'd been shooed out of the house before the walk/run:

A couple of shots from the walk:

One of the three cyclists who had forgotten that this was not a bicycle hash:

and were all awarded a down, down:

And a few shots of the group in the un-renovated section of the house:

Next week we're back in Wilston for one of the runs/walks that got postponed due to the latest lockdowns. It's Fathers' Day too, and hence time to hand out the prestigious Tight Jocks Award! You can find reminders of previous events here and here and here. In fact, if you look through the archives of this blog, you'll find reminders in the posts for every September excluding last year's (remember what was going on then?).

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 5th September, 4 pm.

Where: Upstanding and Idle Vice's Wilston mansion

Hares: Idle Vice and Upstanding

PLEASE BRING CHAIRS! 

(And if you need directions to this run please email us.)

On, on!

Forgive us our trespasses

Hare Cadbury had set a walkers' trail on flour, but she wasn't there when a breakaway group somehow wandered off-trail and got themselves bushed:

They ended up on a civilised bit of bitumen:

which took them to a serious-looking gate...

and, on the other side, some even more serious-looking signage:

No doubt when the security camera footage is reviewed they'll claim that the "No Entry" sign was in the wrong place. How does it go? "Ignorance is no excuse"? And by all reports, these were not the only walkers to go AWOL.

The runners didn't waste the opportunity to head for the hills. They were joined for a trot by Shockjock, who's been walking since his latest injury, and decided to really mess things up before his surgery next month.

Around 30 of us then went clubbing at Ferny Grove. Great company, great food, great jokes!

Most hashers are just p*** artists, but we do have a few of the other sort as well. One of these - Hugandkiss - has an entry in the Brisbane Portrait Prize. Here's an article from "The Village Pump" which tells you all about it:

Next stop - the Archibald!

And, now that restrictions have eased again - stay away, avaunt thee!, New South Wales people! - we'll be taking the chance to view Le W*nk and Lax's renovations at last.

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 29th August, 4 pm

Where: Le W*nk and Lax's Mitchelton manorhouse

Hares: Lax and Le W*nk

On, on!

Tale of two tens

Circumstances decreed that our third venue on Sunday - at Dayboro - had to be cancelled. So we had just two groups of ten meeting at a couple of our standard venues on - it must be said - a very pleasant afternoon. Here we are - all hoping that Delta stays south of the border. "Stay, boy...stay!" But things do feel rather precarious, don't they? Restrictions will presumably be relaxed at 4 pm next Sunday, but we don't know what they'll change to.

The Ferny Grove Sports Club, where we last met a month ago, had been one of the suggested venues for Sunday. Cadbury and Shaggy have since done a bit of research, and found that we can all meet there under the current rules (they've arranged a meeting for another organisation at the club.) The group at Ironbark Gully was keen to explore more of the Malaysian menu, so we agreed to propose the Sports Club as our meal location for next Sunday. 

The idea is that we meet at Ironbark Gully for the start of the trail (and depending on the rules at 4pm next Sunday, this may be in small groups within the picnic ground) and then proceed - after a walk/run - to the club. We'll need numbers to book, so please respond to emails!

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 22nd August, 4 pm

Where: Ironbark Gully picnic area (possibly in small separate groups); afterwards at the Ferny Grove Sports Club

Hares: To be arranged.

On, on!

Deja vu all over again all over again

A huge collective sigh of relief (muffled by our face masks, of course) rose across SE Queensland on Sunday with the news that the lockdown would be ending as promised at 4 pm. The news came too late for us to respond as a Hash...and came with the further news that we are once more back to hashing in 10s, as we were a year ago....So our response will once more have to be the rigmarole of sign-up sheets and BYO - although some individuals have volunteered to cater for small groups. Watch your emails for details!

After 4 pm on Sunday there was technically no need for household hashing, but it is good for families to spend time together, and good for us all to keep in touch with our inner child:

George took off on his own, too embarrassed to watch any more:

At Mount Nebo, Snappy went for a walk accompanied by her own shadow:

...and took some beautifully scenic shots:

Here's Banger's route in Dayboro - which took in the scenic Dayboro bakery:

And in Wilston, Upstanding, Idle Vice and Gunter went for a walk...

and discovered the following scenic view:

Here are some hashers in the bustling heart of Samford - come to think of it, not too far from a number of scenic bakeries and bars...

Thanks to all who supplied these images!

Any who observe the Samford Hash runners hobbling in each week must have been struck by the contrast with Eliud Kipchoge's style as he made it home on Sunday morning in Tokyo. Culture's theory is that in the life to come we'll all be able to run like that....

And finally, Haughty is taking part in Fred's Big Run again this year. He's on track to reach his target of running 100 km during the month of August, but he'll raise the target depending on donations. So if you'd like to make him suffer, you know what to do....

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 15th August, 4 pm

Where: Groups of 10 people each at specific locations, as arranged by sign-up sheets. Look to your emails. And remember your masks.

Hares: M. Promptu, or as arranged.

On, on!

Delta blow

Delta dealt a blow to our plans for this last Sunday when the Queensland Government called a snap lockdown the day before. Once again it was a case of exercising in households - and this time we were limited to a 10 km radius from home.

Leave Pass was lucky to be within 10 km of the beach at Upper Kedron, looking (as he describes it) "windswept and interesting". Or perhaps he was talking about the Upper Kedron waves....

And Upstanding, Idle Vice and Gunther were lucky to be able to enjoy the views in Wilston, on what would have been our Sunday route (Q: Were there skinnydippers in the pool?)

Miss Demeanour also had a stroke of luck this week - the Gold Lotto ticket she received from her Secret Santa won her $15.60!

Payback and Zoe headed off from home to terrorize Warner with their slavering jaws:

And in Cedar Creek, Culture took the opportunity to do a bit of "Plogging", netting $1.10 for her efforts (Gold Lotto pays better):

Watching the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, Hugandkiss was reminded that her mother made the hats for the Australian Women's Olympic Team at the 1964 Tokyo Games: "She made 40 hats, fine rib stitching the entire hat including the brim. This photo featured in an article highlighting the best Olympic uniforms. Note Dawn Fraser 2nd from left, front row."

(It's also worth noting the footwear. Nowadays, only the Ukrainian Army makes its female members march in high heels.)

As we go to press, the lockdown has been extended until 4 pm next Sunday - and it's far from certain that it won't be extended again. It's also unclear what conditions will apply once the lockdown does lift. So Shockjock and Miss Demeanour's Hash meet next Sunday will also have to be postponed...unfortunately...and we'll have to prepare for another week of household hashing. Watch your emails for any further developments. We look forward to Upstanding and Idle Vice's - and Shockjock and Miss Demeanour's - runs and walks in the near future.

Next run/walk details

When: Sunday 8th August

Where: Given that the lockdown will extend until 4 pm, household hashing will take place within 10 km of your home (chiz, chiz). Please forward pics of your activities to feature here.

Hares: DIY, everyone. Send us pics of your trail markings if you like....

On, on!