This morning was the Thanksgiving Hunt Meet at the Kennels in Unionville, and dozens of carloads of folks braved the cold to enjoy the traditional pageantry of the horses and hounds.
For us spectators, it was glorious to see the snow-covered fields and to feel the warm sun. For the riders, it wasn't such a great day; Master of Foxhounds Mike Ledyard, in his welcoming speech, used the word "challenging" to describe the footing. It was fun to watch Ivan Dowling and Stephanie Boyer leading the eager hounds out from their kennels to start the day's sport.
I had a great time seeing friends and neighbors from so many circles. I'll single out two for their headgear: spectator Ron Fenstemacher in a turkey hat and foxhunter Richard Buchanan in a traditional black top hat (he changed into a helmet for the hunt).
There was also some serious tailgating going on. As I was walking through the rows of cars, I was offered Dunkin Donuts coffee, a Bloody Mary with celery sticks, Champagne (in glass flutes!), mulled cider and hot chocolate laced with vodka.
Most of the spectators were well wrapped up, although I did see one hardy kid in shorts throwing snowballs. And apparently not everyone expected they'd be walking through snow: I had to laugh when I heard one shivering young woman protest, "This is like the tundra!"
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