Sunday Salon...Home again, Finnegan

South Sister (part of Cascade range) as viewed from Elk Lake in Central Oregon

Home again, Finnegan...we got home at 6 PM yesterday evening after a lovely vacation in Central Oregon with my whole family. As we pulled into the driveway I announced, "Home Again, Finnegan," a normal exclamation from us after returning from a trip.  Where did that saying come from? I have no idea.  My parents didn't say it when I was young. I did a little on-line searching and still can't figure it out.  Is it from a children's book we read to our girls when they were young? Does it come from Father Fox's Pennyrhymes by Clyde Watson? We loved that poetry book and read it often when the girls were little but I don't have a copy of it so I can't check. Does anyone know?

Cabin on Elk Lake

Family reunion/vacation...for the past several years my parents have very generously organized a family reunion at a resort and paid for our accommodations. This year my whole family gathered at Eagle Crest Resort outside of Redmond, Oregon. There is lots to do in the warm Central Oregon climes...golfing, biking, hiking, shopping, boating, swimming, and miniature golfing. One day we drove to Elk Lake, a family favorite gathering place, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of this part of the country. Fifteen years ago there was a forest fire that destroyed the old cabin and all the trees surrounding it. If you look at the photo above you will see the remains of those trees behind the cabin. The trees near the water didn't burn.

Sisters: Another day my sisters and I (and our husbands) went to Sisters, Oregon, which has a quaint old west feel. In the photo below you see us posing with Sisters t-shirts that we didn't buy. I also have a brother, but he and his family floated the Deschutes River that day. I learned a new thing about my sisters that day...neither of them like bananas.  How did I not know this before?

The photo is of the sisters in Sisters.

Vacation reading:

• Short nights of the Shadow Catcher: the Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan. We finished this audiobook en route to Central Oregon. For any American history buffs this is a must-read! Completed.
• Period.8 by Chris Crutcher...another provocative book by Crutcher. This one is a thriller/mystery. A quick read. Completed.
• The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis...the 7th and last book of the Chronicles of Narnia. This book ends on an exquisite note.  Completed.
• Wesley the Owl: the Remarkable Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien...a book club selection about a biologist and her rescued owl pet. Completed.
• Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan...a disturbing tale out of Africa about an albino boy who is hunted for his "magical qualities." 1/3rd done.
• A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. The audiobook selection for our return trip home. A very quirky book full of memorable characters. Barrett Whitener, the narrator of the audiobook, does an exceptional job. 1/3rd done.

From the kitchen: Each night of vacation one family unit was responsible for dinner feeding the 18-22 person horde. Our night was Friday.  Menu: Marinated BBQ salmon, steamed green beans, potato packets, watermelon, and cherry dump cake. All easy to make and so yummy. Hit!

Silly cousins

No internet service: Our unit at Eagle Crest did not have internet service. We had to go to the lodge if we wanted to work on-line. We used our smart phones to check email but I only made the trek to the lodge once during the week so was essentially off-line for a week. My husband pointed out that not having Internet helped force us to get out and do things together so it was a bonus.

Our peace shall stand as rocky mountains. -Wm. Shakespeare