Hunting Sunday November 25th, 2007 09:00AM
Valley Green Farm

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell

Whips: Jill Wagenknecht, John Korenak, Gene Deutsch, Lee Deutsch
First Field: Mary Hensel (fieldmaster), Maria Brazil, Eddie Beyers, Sarah Zenisek, Leslie Granger
Second Field: Werner Kugler (fieldmaster), Michael Murphy, Mary Smithing, Deb Hogan
Jr. Field: Lei Ruckle (Fieldmaster), Geri Washausen, Sissy Calvrid, Diane Begemann, Tess Fleishli, Katie Young, and Kevin Young.

14 couple hounds

GPS readings 8.80 miles 1 hr 32 minutes moving 1 hr 12 minutes stopped. Total time 2 hrs 44 minutes. Max speed 23.4 mph
Moving average 5.8 mph

It was raining and sleeting as we drove up to Valley Green Farm. It was much colder than predicted. It was quickly decided to wear rain gear. I donned my duster and loaned my spare duster out to one of juniors. Lil elected not to go out so she untacked her horse and we set him up with a haynet in the trailer. Barometric Pressure was falling and the winds were calm and from the east. The temperature started at 34 degrees and went up to 37 degrees, although my truck said 31 degrees as we pulled in.

We headed North from the clubhouse along the back fence of the horse pasture. We cut through the pasture and around the pond and along the edge of the Wheat field. The Wheat was frozen with a layer of ice. We came back down the driveway and crossed the creek. I admired the Bluffs as we went past. We then turned Northeast again and waited for a while in that field. We then moved off and waited on the top of a hill at the edge of the woods. We could hear the hounds speaking and they were working their way toward us. As the hounds got closer we saw a coyote come out of the woods. He saw the riders and turned and went back into the woods down the hill. We moved off and had a good run. We stopped up near the pig farm and viewed the coyote again as he went across the far hill. There were deer behind him which confused the hounds at first but then they found the line and moved on.

It really rained the hardest as we were getting ready. After that it was just a light mist. No one really complained about being cold or wet.

Lil and I brought the brunch. We had Pumpkin Pie cake and scrambles along with croissants and other treats.