Norma picked up a couple of well-maintained used bicycles for the kids that didn't have working bikes. Then we took them all to Broadford Park so they could try them out. It was a little challenging because we needed an allen wrench to lower the seat on one of them but didn't have one. We ended up purchasing a set later that day.

Here's the youngest. Something tells me she might not need those training wheels much longer.
Afterwards, we had dinner and hung out back at Hazel's house, our base of operations. Hazel is Norma's mother.
We slept in tents outside. There was quite a bit of drama in the girls' tent. In contrast, the boys' tent was quiet.

Norma's sister, Laah, joined us for the remainder of our stay. We drove out to Herrington Manor State Park and then paddled canoes in Lake Herrington.

There was a lot of aquatic vegetation, especially watershield.

For some of them, this was their first time being in a boat. They were a little nervous but we kept them calm.

We were out on the water for maybe 45 minutes. After that, the kids played at the beach and I took out a rental SUP. Daphne was not allowed to join me. I paddled back to where we turned around but continued upstream. That's where things got really scenic. I saw a small raptor attack a merganser on the water. I think the raptor saw me and then flew off, leaving the merganser a little dazed but otherwise fine. I saw it fly away later.

I also saw five beaver lodges and two dams. I portaged over the first, which appeared to be unmaintained. I turned around at the second, which was pristine and holding back a foot of water.

On an I-beam section of a bridge which I paddled under, I saw things that reminded me of markings I saw on the boulders at the Conowingo Islands on June 10, 2023. Recall that I described them as resembling a place that a barnacle might have clung. I still don't know what they are.

That afternoon, Norma organized a tie-dye activity. Everyone got a white t-shirt and white bandana. Norma mixed up the dyes and gave everyone rubber bands. Then we put the dye on the white garments. I hadn't done this since the sixth grade.
I assisted others and took care of the cleanup. The kids were neater than I expected.

We drove out to Laurel Caverns. Daphne was not permitted inside so I stayed with her while they did the short guided tour. Then I joined them for the unguided tour while Hazel stayed with Daphne. Here's what I saw.

We didn't see any bats. I did see one tiny stalactite.
It was an easy walk that anyone can do.
Total path length: 2,100 ft.
Path elevation highest to lowest: 82 ft.
Path texture: natural, sandy, uneven
Average ceiling height: 18 ft.
Steepest floor slope: 16%
Number of steps: 56 down / 36 up
The strenuousness at its maximum equates to walking up 4 flights of steps.
- from information sign

We spent much of the afternoon at Ohiopyle.
The nine of us (including Daphne) ate lunch in town.
Then we crossed the bridge over the Youghiogheny River and walked on some of the trails to an area where the kids could wade around in the cool water.

I saw some exuviae and lots of caddisfly larvae nets.
The most interesting things I saw were impression fossils.
Pennsylvania, 300 million years ago, was a tropical swamp with huge ferns that grew more than 80 feet tall.
Look carefully and you will find the fossilized remains of tropical plants trapped in the sediment of an ancient sea, long since vanished. Gradually, erosion wore away the sandstone that entombed these fossils, exposing them for you to see.
- from "Tropical Pennsylvania?" sign

We crossed back over to the south side of the bridge and the posed in front of the town's mural. Someone was in a bad mood. Can you guess who?
Before leaving town, the kids got to play in the water again.

Daphne was really enjoying the water...probably because it was cool and shallow. She doesn't like to swim.

Back at the house, I showed my nephew some fitness exercises. He was really getting into it so I ordered him a calisthenics book when I got home.

On our final day, I spent a lot of time washing and rinsing the tie-dye garments. It has a tendency to bleed so I made sure to give each a very thorough cleaning. What did I learn? The biggest thing is that using a lot of dye is good. Don't apply it sparingly. The dye needs to get to a lot of the fabric wrapped up in the rubber bands. Also, the rubber bands don't need to be too tight. If doesn't need to be any tighter than what a young kid can apply.

I also put away all our camping gear and got things packed up for our drive home.

While I was doing a lot of clean up and put away, Norma and Laah took the kids to Broadford Lake for one last chance to play in the water.
By the time they returned, the tie-dye clothes was done.

During our canoe trip, we saw some spatterdock flowers. Some people call them yellow pond lilies. Native Americans had another name.
Called "wokas" by the Klamath Indians, the seed pods were gathered and the seeds popped like miniature popcorn, or dried and stored, or ground into flour. They were also used to make gruel and thicken soup. Tens of thousands of acres of wokas were harvested by the Klamath, and presumably other tribes as well.
- from Eat the Weeds - Spatter Dock

I've never had success popping spatterdock seeds like popcorn.

One final farewell and then we were eastbound, heading home. Hopefully, we left the kids with some fond memories they will cherish all their lives.