Hunting Saturday October 15, 2011 - 10:00AM
Valley Green Farm Blessing of the Hounds, Opening Hunt

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell (Seamus)

Whips: Mary Hensel MFH (Toby), Lee Deutsch (Belle), Sarah Zenisek (Wakeyan), Tess Fleishli (Peter) Jill Wagenknecht MFH (Haywagon)

First Field: Jean Mutrux (Pee Wee) Fieldmaster, Leslie Granger (Maurice), Sue Marshall (Stretch), Debbie Stoll (new grey horse), Abby (Bindi), Heidi Fox (Chance)

Second Field: Annie Hoagland Field Master, Michael Murphy (Mo), Fran Krame (Poco),

14 1/2 couple hounds

Started at 10:00 AM - the Deacon gave a nice blessing of the hounds prior to moving off.

GPS readings 10.3 miles. Max speed 24.1 mph. Moving average 5.4 mph. 1 hour 53 minutes moving, 1 hr 3 minutes stopped Total time 2 hrs 20 minutes.

Lunch/Brunch – Catered lunch organized by Marilyn Carney MFH. Lovely appetizers including Marilyn’s tasty Salmon. Brunch included salad, pasta, brisket, bacon, and biscuits and gravy.

It was a warm day but everyone turned out in their finest for the blessing of the hounds and opening hunt. Eleanor had graduated to Seamus after her injury. It was 70 deg. F when we started. The wind was from the Weat at about 6-10 mph. It only warmed up to 33 degrees by the time we stopped but it felt like it was getting colder. Barometric pressure was rising.

From the clubhouse we headed north and jumped the post and rail and headed west along the top of the ridge while Eleanor worked the edge of the woods. We jumped the coop into the horse pasture and then the coop out of the horse pasture at the bottom of the hill. We went toward the top of the field while Eleanor worked the woods. We came around the little pond and waited in the beginning of the next field. We had been sitting there a few minutes and Jean Mutrux spotted a red fox come out of the edge of the woods. Hounds were working slowly behind but then they caught the scent and took off screaming. The fox was viewed by the people on the hay wagon and also the people hunting with the Three Creek Bassets who had come up to be blessed and hunt rabbits. We had a quick, fast run but it was so hot and dry that they soon lost. We circled around the woods and crossed the creek and worked back to the north along the bluff with no luck. We then worked our way toward the hog farm. Past the hog farm, we heard one hound start speaking in the woods. Eleanor wasn’t sure it was right and then finally more hounds honored and they really sounded good and Tess viewed. We had a really fast run and lost her on one of the turns. We headed toward the sound of the hounds and ended up in Tim Brown’s corn field after quite a run. At this point the hounds had circled behind us and were to our West and South. We turned back toward them again and Eleanor came up behind us. By this time we did not hear hounds speaking and Eleanor only had two couple of hounds with her. She stopped on the ridge at the hog farm and blew her horn to gather more hounds. We headed in slowly while she continued to blow and collect hounds.