Tarheel hash 691 - Our Annual Winter Holiday Hash - hared by Pedifido and Endangered Feces
Lickety
2025’s Annual Winter Holiday Hash was a raving success, with a great crowd and a visiting couple who had been members of Sir Walter’s hash before marrying and moving out of the Triangle. On their holiday travels this year, however, they swung by for the event, and those of us who remembered them extended a warm welcome.
Tarheel Hash 691: Our Annual Winter Holiday Romp, December 20th, 2025
Who was there:
Hares: Pedifido and Endangered Feces
Newbies, Guests, and Visitors: Misty “Looney Tunes” and husband Rich “Falsies” McNally-Sir Walter’s hashers who moved from the Triangle, married, and have resided in Kansas City, Missouri for the past 22 years.
Après Arrivals: Field & Stream
The rest of the Pack: Big Box; Jerkules; Mutant Gene; Swings on Wood; Short Shaft; Bullysticks; Just Guy; Taste the Rainbow; Erin; A$$ Clown; Just Tom; Dicktaphone; Just Lucy; St. Rollherover; Slow Hole; SeeNoEno; SpeakNoEno; Just Deb; Butt-Parking Device; Ready for Love; Scrubjay; Comfort; Mr. Cream Jeans; Lickety Spit
Photo Album:
Below is the photo album in Flickr.com for Tarheel Hash 691. This photo album is a collection of photos taken as we gather, on trail once we’ve packed off, and concluding at the Apres, where we mingle and enjoy great refreshments courtesy of the hares. The pictures come with captions which can be viewed by hovering the mouse near the bottom of the photo. The link below will deliver you to the illustrated summary of this wondrous hash event:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/147890119@N04/albums/72177720331544579
Summary
Meeting and Greeting with Festive Intent
At Tarheel Hash 691, our annual Winter Holiday event, jolly hashers gradually gathered in Endangered Feces’ and Pedifido’s driveway. Many arrived decked out in holiday attire, while others opted for bright colors—whether in seasonal spirit or as a practical nod to hunting season. As greetings were exchanged and long-overdue catchups unfolded, the waiver made its rounds and smartphones were busy capturing the moment.
The circle may have been delayed—though perhaps not in any way worth measuring. It could have been a kindness extended to late‑cummers, ensuring no one missed the start. More likely, however, the pause allowed time for warm reunions, particularly with a visiting couple who had once been avid Sir Walter’s Hash members before moving away at the cusp of the 21st century: Misty “Looney Tunes” and Rich “Falsies” McNall. Passing through during their holiday travels, they stopped by to share in the merriment of our Winter Holiday hash and to reconnect with familiar faces while meeting new ones.
At Endangered Feces’ signal, the gathering finally circled up. Introductions came first, followed by his chalk talk and a few tantalizing hints about the trail ahead. With that, the pack was turned loose, released to seek out Tarheel‑style marks winding through the hares’ neighborhood and setting the tone for a festive romp to come.
The Course Begins with Some Fits and Stops
Trail began easily enough: it wasn’t hard to follow flour dusted on trees and wooded pathways, some of them pedestrian easements threading between residential properties. That early confidence carried us forward—until we popped out onto a street, where a single, oversized dollop sat planted at the corner of an intersection, with nothing obvious nearby to guide us onward.
This, of course, meant the only option was to range farther out, pounding the pavement in widening arcs until the next hint of flour revealed itself. When we heard a triumphant “On‑On!”, we surged in that direction, relieved to be back on true trail. Soon we were leaving the sidewalk to be once again swallowed by foliage, to follow dollops on more easements that ultimately spilled us into an open field, encouraging us to stretch out and pull out all the stops.
From there, we wandered into another patch of woods, where bare winter trees opened up views of fair skies beyond, underscoring what an ideal day it was to be frolicking outdoors. For a time, we milled about uncertainly while Endangered Feces and Pedifido lingered near a tree, grinning in that unmistakable way hares do when they’ve successfully turned the pack around and are enjoying the moment.
Before long, a Hash Halt came into view: two H’s chalked onto a slab of concrete leaning against a steep hillside, its surface slick with damp leaves. Once all hounds were accounted for, it was time to head uphill. The climb required a careful ascent, with hashers grabbing whatever roots, branches, or solid ground they could find to keep from sliding back down.
Reaching the top rewarded us with—more trees. Still, the pause proved worthwhile when Just Guy spotted a bald‑faced hornet’s nest attached to a nearby trunk. Despite the name, these hornets are actually a type of wasp. By the onset of winter, the nest had already been abandoned, allowing for safe curiosity without consequence.
Abundant flour soon guided us onward, transitioning to a sewer line.
A marsh paralleled one side, where a tiny island was barely discernible, camouflaged by other vegetation rising from the muddy water. A swath of trees bordered the other side of the sewer line as we pressed on, still very much on the hares’ chosen course.
Just as we were starting to wonder when we would reach the Beer Break, a shallow rivulet appeared with a small board bridged across it, and on one end, in chalk, the letters “BN” were clearly written, lifting our spirits.
It wasn’t long before we ascended from the woods to a small and quiet parking lot, with the privacy to enjoy cold beer discreetly, along with an assortment of snacks in the car’s back hatch. As the afternoon sun’s warmth radiated upward from the black asphalt where we stood, the lively energy of our group, fueled by the hash, had mellowed into a relaxing vibe.
When it was time to reluctantly down the rest of our drinks and toss those empty cans into the recycling bin, we took off to look for true trail once more. Over a field and then crossing a main road, we wound up back on the residential streets of the hares’ community. The streets are never too far from the parks, and soon the concrete was replaced by gentle, grassy slopes and playgrounds – the first of which we passed by, but the second was a pleasant stop, where the hares indulged us in a recess where swings, seesaw, and monkey bars seemed to be in perpetual motion.
Recess was followed by a run past a house where yard ornaments cowered in the presence of a skeleton, but some of us gravitated to another home where family outside milled around with their feline counterparts -and our group’s cat-lovers just had to stop long enough to be introduced. After reluctantly moving on, we passed through a small plaza where a parked car bore the license plate apropos to the hash: “ABEER”!
Nearing the trail's end, a lake's gently rippling surface filled with reflections of the surrounding trees and light blue skies overhead, with soft white wisps. Seeing the flour phrase “ON IN” on bare ground confirmed what we already knew: by now, the Après was indeed quite near!
The Hares’ Hacienda: On-In for a Hashy Holiday Feast
After we wrapped up the course, the evening unfolded most invitingly, and Field & Stream joined us in the post-trail festivities. We first gathered on the screened‑in porch, settling into the generous seating as the post‑run chatter began to rise. From there we drifted into the kitchen, drawn by the aroma of chili warming on the stove, and then onward to the adjoining room where a long table of festive fare waited — a spread so abundant and colorful it stopped us in our tracks. Every dish felt like a small celebration in itself.
Once darkness settled in, the night took on that unmistakable winter‑hash magic. We carried our beers out to the backyard bonfire, its glow pulling us close as the air turned crisp. The fire’s warmth, the easy laughter, and the gentle hum of conversation made for a perfect finale. Our visitors from Kansas City joined us there, and around those flames we not only shared old stories but sparked new memories — the kind that linger long after the embers fade.
And so, with full bellies, warm hands, and spirits lifted by firelight and friendship, we closed the book on a trail that gave us everything we love about hashing — challenge, chaos, camaraderie, and a truly memorable Après.
Attached are recipes for these iconic delights: Pedifido’s ginger snaps and Endangered Feces’ Frostbite Chocolate Chip cookies. We enjoyed these at the Winter Holiday hash, but you can now enjoy them any time with these recipes. Yum!
Acknowledgements
Assisting Photographer:
I appreciate the many photos taken by Mr. Cream Jeans, and he has been credited on the photos he contributed. Thanks, Mr. Cream Jeans!
Culinary contributions to the hares’ selection – and for the rest of us to savor:
See and Speak No Eno prepared a tray of treats reminiscent of the Anglin Winter Holiday hashes – Peggy’s dill pickles and cream cheese wrapped in blankets of thinly sliced ham. I watched as SeeNoEno put on the finishing touches on some trays to be included in the assortment of goodies prepared by the hares. I got smart and helped myself early right away because, no doubt, they would get scarfed up soon. Deee-lish!
Out-of-town Visitors from Sir Walter’s Days of Yore:
Misty “Looney Tunes” and her husband Rich “Falsies” McNally made an appearance during their holiday travels. They were active in Sir Walter’s when a few of us were hashing with them, approximately a couple of decades ago. Then, they moved away - married and settled in Kansas City, Missouri. Seeing them again brought back many happy memories (for those of us who knew them), and now they could also meet and mingle with the rest of the hashers that day, into the evening. So good to see them again!
The Hares – also our Holiday Celebration Hosts:
Massive kudos go to Pedifido and Endangered Feces for crafting a trail that felt fresh at every turn. Even the familiar spots — the playground where we let our inner children loose, the lovely lake mirroring trees and sky, and the neighborhood streets dotted with whimsical holiday ornaments — became scenes we were delighted to revisit.
After completing the trail, we gathered at the hares’ home to begin the post‑trail celebration. Light conversation filled the screened‑in porch before we drifted into the kitchen, where chili simmered invitingly, and then into the adjoining room, where a generous spread of festive dishes covered the table. As night settled in, the bonfire out back became the perfect finale to our Winter Holiday hash — a warm circle of flames, friends, and easy laughter.
Thank you, Pedifido and Endangered Feces, for making the 2025 holiday season all the more special. Cheers, and On-On!