Run 890 - Ewelme
Run: 890
Date: Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Venue: Shepherd's Hut, Ewelme
Hare(s): Big Stiffy
Hounds: Plod, CS Gas, Pyro, Bootsy, Buzz, Lemony Snicket, Hash Hoody, Village Idiot, Hutch, R-Sole, R-Soles Buddy, B-Cider, Preperation H, Eric, Michelle, Gate-crasher, Dipstick.
For the beer: Pressganger
Hash K9 - Hattie, Hash K9 - Whispa
Scribe: Plod
Another impatient Hare who just couldn't accept that he was really the only one busting a gut to get going. Remembering how quickly the darkness comes down, I relented and called the pack to order. Was there a briefing? I'm not sure. But the Check-It-Out was given and off we went.
Down to the crossroads and briefly up towards Benson, before turning left into the fields and running in parallel with the High Street. We had some nice views of Ewelme Church and the Alms Houses at the far end of Ewelme, and a point which struck me was that there WAS actually a clock face on the western side of the tower - not readily visible when visiting the church at ground level. In fact I'd always thought of it as being a faceless clock.
Anyway, we turned away from the village briefly as we encountered Rabbits Hill - and as if the hill wasn't enough to contend with, we had to endure the smellines of the Grundons Waste operation. Yuk.
On to Cow Common, a huge field, with a herd of young cows thereon. We had to cross it and because of the nervousness of some of our number, the pack were together on the initial traverse of the said massive field. Except for Michelle that is. she was FRB-ing and was running quite strongy, some distance ahead. Someone was heard to mutter 'You don't run with cows in the field'. Needless to say Michelle didn't hear this and of course the inevitable happened. Suddenly, Michelle, in bright pink, on her own, out in the open and a long way from cover was faced with a herd of Heiffers coming at a gallop towards her. Every body else, some distance behind her, stopped dead. A lot of very helpful shouts of 'Stop', 'Jump up and down', 'Shout' and then came the classic 'Hold your arms out'. She stopped ok and there she was, standing there, a vision, in the brightest pink, arms stretched out and these brown cattle just milling around her. As usual, there was no camera. And granted, the moment could have been dangerous, but it was funny too and that's a picture I'll not forget in a long while. Nor will she I'd hazard a guess.
The rest of the trail really was quite boring really, after that. We got to the far end of Cow Common, the cattle lost interest and then we re-crossed it again but they were at the far end , still frisky but not interested in us. We re-entered Ewelme at the far end of High Street, turned briefly up towards the church but then turned left to run/walk back in a homeward direction along the fields that side of the village.
From daylight at one end of the High to almost darkness by the time we got back to the pub - that's how quickly darkness enveloped us. A nice pleasant trail Stiffy, thank you, and even some entertainment thrown in too. I can almost feel a name coming to the forefront if Michelle does come back next week.
We're at The Boar's Head at Ardington next week - so not too far. S/Shoveller and Penelope Pitstop will be laying the trail. I guess we ought to try and get off reasonably promptly as these evenings are drawing in quite fast, now. Almost time for the torches to be brought out of retirement. Also, the venue changes continue, so please, check the Web site for the most up to date information
Plod