Bah Chautauqua! Wet and Warming For A Day

Mitchell Flying High On His Snow Board

Hayden, Granny, Beth and Marisa

Hayden, Halle and Coco

Baba and Marisa

Halle Bissell

The Bissells

Up at 7:00 and it's now 7:30 and Evie, Drew and Jill are also awake, as the Bissells have to drive home today to Bristow, VA, on what looks like a rainy day the entire way.  It seems to be warm enough, 35º and in the thirties most of the way to avoid ice but they are going the long way, taking #86 to #90, then #79 down to #80 before going down through Altoona and back roads most of the way home.  It's a longer drive in terms of mileage but the same in terms of hours.

Yesterday was cold early but it warmed up as the day moved along, so that by 2:00, it was in the 30's and the snow started to melt some.  We all got up at various times, Drew and I first, Tyler the last, so Evie made breakfast in shifts.  Home made oatmeal for the girls, bagel and pea meal bacon sandwiches for the guys.  Everyone wanted to go skating after breakfast, so we went out for a good hour or two, the lake smooth enough to skate, the sky blue and the sun out.  All ten of us were on the ice, horsing around, skating, and enjoying the outdoors.  Evie and I love that the kids enjoy being outdoors so much, that it's not difficult getting them outside.  In fact, we have to make them come in.  The girls have gotten much better at skating, are not afraid to fall, and love racing around the lake.

Around noon, the girls came in with Evie and decorated Valentine cookies while Drew and I built another fire with the help of Tyler and Mitchell.  We then grilled hot dogs, on a very hot fire, and we planned on eating out side but it was too cold to just sit around so we had dogs and soup inside, finishing up the last of Evie's vegetable  and corn chowder soups.  They were big hits with the grandchildren.

Valentine cookies

Drew Grilling Hot Dogs

We spent a good part of the afternoon sledding on the Woodlawn hill.  It was a riot, watching the girls and guys wipe out, sled single, double and triple down the hill.  It's was warm enough so that Mitch was in short sleeves.  He had brought his snow board along and did amazing runs on the hill even building up snow jumps, so he could lift into the air and do tricks.  He is amazingly good and even Drew was able to take a turn and take some rides and falls.  We came back and the girls wanted to ice skate one more time before dinner, and Mitch, Tyler, Jill, Beth and I went cross country skiing down to Wells Bay and back, passing the ice boats and the Johnson boys ice skating with a parasail, pulling them along the ice.

For dinner we went to our old standby, the Seezurh House, and had a good time, lots of wings, seasoned fries, tobacco onion rings, burgers, beer and pop.  The girls loved their children's meals because they came with a scoop of ice cream.  And we had only two chicken wings left, so we ordered well.

Wings at Seezurh House

We  got home around 8:30, the girls played games on their IPADs till 9:30, I told them a bad boy story, then to bed, though they were wild and Evie had a hard time settling them down, as it was their last night together.