Building on the Past

My girls and I were in Cove this past week for Spring Break. All the times I’ve been there with my girls, I’ve never shown them “around” the valley, showing them all the places I used to go to explore and play. One of my favorite things to do back then was to explore the old, broken down buildings on farms and in the mountains. We took pitures of a few while I was giving them their little tour.

We drove backroads around the circumference of the whole Grande Ronde Valley, from Cove to Union, through Hot Lake Resort, into La Grande, then out to Summerville, Imbler, and back to Cove. The girls were pretty excited about seeing all my old ‘haunts’, and listening to the stories I told them about some of the places.

It was so odd for me, to be taking a trip I have taken hundreds of times before, but this time, showing it to the girls, when before I was always so carefree and having a great time with my friends. It was nostalgic, sad, but heartwarming all at the same time. I loved sharing something that meant/means so much to me with the girls.

History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days.
~Winston Churchill