Hunting Thanksgiving Thursday November 27thth, 2008 – 9:00AM
Valley Green Farm (Bridlespur Kennels)

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell (Jack)

Whips: Jill Wagenknecht (Camo), Gene Deutsch (Waffles), Lee Deutsch (Belle), Deborah Daugherty, John Korenack (Titan), Emily Korenack.

First Field: Mary Hensel (fieldmaster)(on Lark), Jean Mutrux (Pee Wee), Abby Mutrux (Hoppy), Ron Ausman (Toby), Leslie Granger (Maurice), Michael Murphy (Fred), Stephanie Mihlbaugh, Sue Marshall (Stretch)

Second Field: Anne Hoagland (fieldmaster), Gigi Harrow (Festus), Joy Yates (Seamus), Brev Creech (guest on Rocky), Deb Hogan, Leslie Ayers (Gabe).

,Junior Field: Lei Ruckle (fieldmaster, Ronnie), Beverly Stevens (Courtney), Richard Jenson (Sid), Louise Jenson, Sharon Hunt, Elise Vandover (Poppy)

16 1/2 couple hounds

GPS readings 9.96 miles – 1 hrs 41 minutes moving, 1 hr 45 minutes stopped. Moving average 5.9 mph. Max speed 22.2 mph. Total time 3 hrs 26 minutes.

Lunch/Brunch – Pea soup, bean soup other things brought by Gigi and Annie.

It was a chilly morning but warmed up fast. When I pulled in with my truck the temperature was 22 deg. F, when I left it was 50 deg. F. When we started hunting the temperature was 33 deg. F and when we finished it was 46 deg. F. It was sunny with hardly any wind. It felt warmer than it was. The barometric pressure was rising and the wind was from the West.

We headed down the hill and toward the kennels. We went past the kennels and on up the driveway toward the road. Then Eleanor headed south and drew into the woods about half way down the field. We crossed through the woods and picked up speed. I heard a thundering of hooves behind me and it was Richard Jenson’s riderless horse running past me Right behind him was Stephanie on her 3 yr old off the track Thoroughbred. They went by us and into the field, Stephanie managed to catch on to the reins of the loose horse and without missing a beat she kept cantering and ponied the horse back to where Richard was. Fortunately Richard was fine and remounted and continued. Eleanor then drew the hounds back to the North near the top of the bluffs. We went more through the middle of the woods at Eleanor’s direction. Soon the hounds started speaking, it was only 9:26 AM so we hadn’t been out long. The hounds were on and we had a 14 minute 2.1 mile run. We pulled up near the hog farm and could still hear the hounds sounding fabulous. They were really on. I later heard that Jill viewed the coyote at close range.

Eleanor gathered the hounds up and then drew along the creek toward home. The hounds spoke again and headed toward Hwy HH. We weren’t sure this was good game as a coyote was not viewed and it was the less steady hounds that were on. They crossed Hwy HH and we waited on the other side. From there we gathered hounds and called it a day. It had warmed up beautifully and was a perfect day. We all had a quick bowl of soup and headed off to our various Thanksgiving celebrations. We had much to give thanks for on a perfect hunting day.