Norma found an AirBnB house called Raccoon Retreat that easily accommodated everyone. Hazel and Laah's family arrived first with Norma and I showing up next. Joyce and Jimmy came later after one of their kids finished a volleyball match.

Overall, it was a nice house, though there were a few things to be desired. The dishwasher utensil basket was partly broken, not enough spoons, not enough washcloths, the hot tub quit working after three days, and the beds were so high that they were actually a hazard for elderly people. But the place also had some great things about it. It was at the end of a quiet road, every bedroom had its own private bathroom, there was a small billiards table, and the place had three full size arcade machines.

The Massanutten resort area has a lot of activities. In this way, it reminds me of Mammoth Mountain. Both have a lot of natural beauty but they are a little too built-up and commercial for me. I'd much rather have less people, even if that means fewer amenities. But this weekend was about the kids.

Downhill skiing is one of the big draws and in the off-season, the ski lift caters to mountain bikers and folks like our group who want to get a nice mountain view without having to do a strenuous hike.

At least one of the kids was a little apprehensive about the ride up on the lift but Norma helped keep her calm.

Unfortunately, Daphne couldn't join us on the ski lift so she stayed back at the house.

After exiting the ski lift, we did a short and steep walk (see photo at bottom of this page) to Massanutten Peak. From here, we had a view of the Shenandoah Valley with the Allegheny Mountains in the distance.

Witch hazel flowers were in peak bloom.
In manufacturing, witch hazel leaf extract, bark extract, and witch hazel water are used as astringents to tighten the skin. They are also included in some medications to give those products the ability to slow down or stop bleeding. Those medications are used for treating insect bites, stings, teething, hemorrhoids, itching, irritations, and minor pain.
How does it work? Witch hazel contains chemicals called tannins. When applied directly to the skin, witch hazel might help reduce swelling, help repair broken skin, and fight bacteria.
- from WebMD - Witch Hazel - Uses, Side Effects, and More

Here's a view from the mountaintop.

Of course we had to get a group photo. I can't believe Joyce is actually smiling.

Half of us took the ski lift back down while the rest of us went afoot. It was an easy walk. We saw several deer, including a young buck.

Laah wanted to get a shot of the folks walking downhill at the snow-moving machines.

The three youngest girls posed for us on a giant Adirondack chair.

We headed back to the house, ate lunch, and rested up a bit.

Norma took us for a walk on Kaylor's Knob Trail which we picked up from the Massanutten Ridge Trail parking lot where we had a nice view to the south.

It was cold and windy. Definitely jacket weather.

Norma headed back with the younger kids which left Joyce, Jimmy, Daphne, the oldest kid, and me to venture on at our own pace. Actually, we were trying to keep up with Joyce who is a speed demon. She walks like she drives. I was hardly dressed sufficiently with just a t-shirt and long sleeve cotton shirt but once I sped up to Joyce's speed, I quickly warmed up. I set a time for us to turn around so we'd make it back before it started getting dark, and with the pace we kept, we reached our goal...Kaylor's Knob at 2980 feet.

One person described the hike as not all that spectacular. I would agree. But it was near the house so what it lacked in scenery, it made up for in convenience.

Our highlight of the day was a trip to Monticello.
Monticello, "Little Mountain," was the home from 1770 until his death in 1826, of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States. It is also an architectural masterpiece. Jefferson was one of America's first and finest architects and he created, rebuilt, and revised the house throughout his long life.
- from National Park Sevice - Monticello

Dogs were not permitted on the bus to the estate or in the buildings, so Daphne and I walked while the others rode. Then we visited the areas outside the buildings and met up with the others after their guided tour. Here is some of the stuff we saw.

Norma and I visited Monticello once before but I think it was the first time for most of Norma's family.

After reconnecting with our flock, we posed for a shot in front of Monticello.

Some of us took the bus back to the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center while the rest of us walked. We saw a small pond with pickerelweed and American lotus.

I mentioned that the place had video games. One of the kids made use of the video basketball game. This was a more modern game with numerous buttons to control the moves of the avatars. I'm very old school in that if there is more than just a joystick and a fire button, then I get confused. So I stuck with Galaga. There are really only two video games I am good at: Galaga and Galaga 3 (Gaplus). During our stay, I spent quite a bit of time cleaning up after meals, studying my Savage history notecards, and playing Galaga. I ended up getting the high score: 88,030.

I also shot billiards with the three older kids. Norma, Jimmy, and I tried to integrate the younger ones but they didn't have the motor skills to manipulate a pool cue. We mixed up the teams and over several games, Laah's son could boast that he played on every winning team.

Norma led some of the kids in a game of Quirkle while I played Uno. Even though there isn't much skill involved, Uno is a great game for the younger kids who were able to grasp the concept and really got a kick out of beating me.

One of the kids had a birthday so we gourged ourselves on ice cream.

In the kitchen, I admired the flowers that Laah grew. This one looks like it has lots of little flowers growing inside a big one.

After packing and cleaning up, we left the house and then met at the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This arboretum is part of James Madison University, Norma's college rival. This public, urban garden and forested greenspace preserves native species, provides opportunities for research, and promotes knowledge of the botanical and natural world.

At the visitor center, I saw what I'm guessing was some sort of egg or pupa case. Each pod was about a third of an inch long.

We walked on some of the well-groomed trails and found some mushrooms.

There was one section with all kinds of percussion instruments made for outdoor use. What kid can resist making a lot of noise?

An area with piles seemed like a good place for a group picture. I always like having a vertical, and not just a horizontal dispersion in my photos.

Jimmy spotted this red-tailed hawk which made a ruckus and posed for quite awhile.

We gathered at the arboretum to eat lunch we packed before leaving the house. Then we said our farewells.

It was good we all had a chance to get together. This outing seemed pretty easy compared to some of the previous ones. As usual, Norma masterminded almost all of it. I think I'm getting better at being her wingman. Dealing with more mature children is also helping. I've already got some ideas for next year's outing. Hopefully that will be even better.