The conditions for cross country skiing could not have been better. 

A nice blanket of fresh soft snow covered the golf course just south of Old Forge, where we've gone a couple times before. The air was brisk and refreshing, and the sky was a bright, cloudless blue.  The intensity of the colors was so strong it almost hurt your eyes, and every view could have been used for a poster or Christmas card.

On a prior year, we were treated to an impromptu air-show by a private pilot doing strafing runs over us as we trekked around the course.  No such luck this time, so we had to settle for just the scenery.

The boys did great, with this being the first time on skis for a couple of them, and the dogs had a blast, covering 4 times the distance as any of us because of running to & fro so much.

Checkers, Chess, Risk, Poker... You name it, we played it.  Board games are a cornerstone to our winter trips, and amazingly the kids seem to not only survive, but thrive in the complete absence of electronic entertainment.

SHOCKING!

It's always a treat to have Mr. Decker along with us, and on this trip he not only was instrumental to the preparation of a fantastic Italian dinner, he also brought up his ham radio set and taught the kids all about it, establishing communications with
who-knows-where.

(It's worth noting that 5 of the adult leaders on this trip don't even have sons in the troop.)