Sunshine lit up the group as they gathered outside the pub.  A proper runner approached down the hill.  It was Mismatch.  She joined our group and berated Ringer for not picking her up.  Obviously her fluorescent orange was not bright enough to attract his attention.  He must be getting old!  The entertainment was a couple of brothers, one on those high modern-day calipers.  They were really friendly and were heading to the park which, co-incidentally, was the on out.  The extended legs were soon dispensed with as he couldn’t go fast enough and they were racing us along the path.  As most youngsters they wouldn’t take the advice to pace themselves and sprinted and walked.  The old hands, and Tinkerbell, beat them to the check and then shamed the younger one (how old was he, about 8?) with statements like “Beaten by a girrrrrrl”  I’m glad to see the old traditions are still upheld.

Stiffy was off like a jack rabbit – checking that is.  He certainly has got a new lease of life from the veggie diet, or is he just jet propelled, like CS!

Lots of the trail followed the road but at the end of one more muddy stretch Mismatch told Tinkerbell to make sure Ringer, who was already on the other side, was standing sideways on.  The only reason Lemony could think of for this was so that she could tell how many months pregnant he was.  What a stupid thing to say to the RA.  You’d think she would have learnt by now.  The trail looped out to Childrey where Zorro and Lemony tried to help a damsel in distress who was walking to Wantage.  They pointed her in the ‘right’ direction according to the road signs, only to chase after the pack and find that they arrived at the edge of  West Challow.  She could have come along with us.  We turned left here though, avoiding the busy centre of this cosmopolitan village (I am thinking of the right place, aren’t I?) and Lemony got to use the ancient cry of “On back, Rachel”.  From here we looped back and managed to find the VERY LONG bridleway of shiggy that Ringer had promised at the beginning.  It was not as soft and wet as we had expected (!) but was rather messed up by the many horses’ hooves that had been along it.  At the end was a very squiggy track through a gateway and CS very kindly helped Mismatch keep her balance here.  What a gent.  She then disappeared along the side of the stream to wash off her beautiful, bright orange trainers. 

The trail looped round the West of Sparshot and we kept trying to turn off left back to the pub.  Eventually we found the right lane and were off.  We met up with the young men again as we went past their house, and came out on the lane opposite the pub.

A wonderful run and then we made the mistake of ordering chips and, in CS’s case, a glass of wine for Rocket Ronnie.  The chips were hand cut but it would have been nice to have more than 1.66 each!  The condiments were beautifully presented in little jars for the sauces and a miniature ‘perfume’ spray for the vinegar!  CS decided to get his money’s worth by eating a spoonful of the mustard.  He was wincing for quite some time until he cooled his throat down by licking out one of the tomato ketchup jars! Luckily Rubber Sole bought Hutch a small dish of nuts.  There were enough to feed us all!  And we ate them quickly in case the waiter realized his mistake and asked for them back!

The Down Down shirts were awarded to Lemony for her disparaging remarks about Ringer’s manly figure and CS for wearing 3D cinema glasses over his normal ones for protection against the sun.

Rubber Sole was tempted to award the green shorts to the hare for not waiting for the walkers at re-groups.  Being able to see them in the distance was not the same.  If the hounds were getting cold it was his job to make them do some physical jerks.  Oh, and because his shorts are see-through in some lights.  But, in the end she went for the one who was throwing mud at a check.  Guess who … CS!

On On

Hare:  Ringer
 
Hounds: Mismatch, Wimpey, Lemony Snicket, Big Stiffy, Rocket Ronnie, Rubber Sole, Hutch, Tinkerbell, NLG1, Nicola, Zorro, Piscine Down, Gatecrasher, Dancing Queen, CS, Professional Peach, Menstrual,
 
Date: 16 March 2014
 
Distance: 5 Miles