The Shenandoah Valley

For the second year in a row, we went to Virginia to visit Kinnett and Chad.  They live in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, and we again got to stay in the Lutheran Retreat Center owned by my Aunt Carolyn’s family.  It’s located in Strasburg, Virginia, on the banks of the Shenandoah river. 

Snookie got some reading time with Sarah Ellen.  He can’t see and she can’t read, so I’m sure this made for some interesting conversation. 

Here’s the retreat center:

And the view from the retreat center:

The surrounding fields were filled with cows. 

And one excited little Buggie. 

Mom cooked New Year’s Day lunch, complete with a pork tenderloin fresh from the butcher shop around the corner from my sister’s house.  I’m willing to bet that pig was born, fatted, slaughtered, butchered, cooked and eaten all within a 5 mile radius. 

Kinnett and Chad have two dogs:  Lucy and Josie.  Ears up means things are OK. 

Ears down is a sign of distress:

“I’ll sit on you, but don’t pet me too much.”  Seems like a fair compromise. 

Hard to say, but Lily’s ears look down in this picture. 

Chad’s mom Sharon wrestling a medium-sized squirrel: 

Voila!