Sam and the Boundary Waters

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Terry

About six months ago I was given the name of Sig Olson’s youngest son, Robert Olson. He and his older brother made up the composite character Sam affectionately called Sandy “The Squoip”. Sam and Sandy used to torment Giny mercilessly with a little batty routine about a certain boid and woim. Although it drove Giny crazy then, when I read this story to my kids, they almost die laughing as I give my best Sandy”The Squoip” impersonations.

This weekend (January 14-15), I am very fortunate to be able to interview Sig’s youngest son about his memories of Sam and Giny. Steve Yahr, who is writing the companion book on Sam’s life, will be going with me on this trip. So many questions run through your mind before an interview like this. To be sure, it will become a memory that we will not soon forget.

Quotable

"Animals are individuals to me, and I am glad I think of them not only as serving man with flesh and hide, but also as co-partners in the glorious revelation of the infinitude of life."Animals are individuals to

"Sometimes, in the important matters of forgiveness and returning good for evil, our forest brethren are more obedient than we are."Sometimes, in the important

"Nature abhors the congregation of her creatures. She fights against the evils of our population. In the hearts of her children she plants an irresistible instinct for spreading, searching out new lands, seeking, ever seeking what lies just beyond the horizon." Tippy Canoe and Canada Too‚ pg. 69Nature abhors the congregation

"Many and beautiful are the gifts of spring, not the least of which is the silent suggestion of the omnipotence of life."Many and beautiful are

"How values change. A week ago these things (gas rations stamps) were more valuable to me then gold notes. Now they aren't even good wastepaper!" A Tippy Canoe and Canada Too‚ pg. 158How values change

"Our failure to understand the true nature of things has put so many creatures on the undesirable list that if all were destroyed of which people do not approve, there would be little wild life left." A Tippy Canoe and Canada Too‚ pg. 71Our failure to understand

"But hold on, Hi-Bub, don't let the world snatch your treasure from you. Fight for your right to love the forest, and it will never fail you." A Tippy Canoe and Canada TooBut hold on

"The biggest compliment is to tell someone that they are perfectly natural." Too Much Salt and Pepper‚ pg. 252The biggest compliment is

"I am often led to speculate on the evidence of Divine design there is even in the small events of our lives." Tippy Canoe and Canada Too‚ pg. 157I am often led

"One of the inexplicable things in nature, at least to our present limited understanding, is the strange faculty of instinct found in both animals and men. In men instinct has been smothered and lost in self-consciousness and, with questionable benefit at times, compromised with reason."One of the inexplicable