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

"Why don't we fight the thing that causes the trouble and not one another? Why don't we fight hatred and fear, selfishness, greed, all the things that destroy human happiness. Slightly modified, only removed who was talking and the between comments." Seven Secrets of Somewhere Lake‚ pg. 95Why don't we fight

"Love that is bestowed in compensation for some favor or blessings has selfishness mixed in!"Love that is bestowed

"Who has not stood at the glorious moment when it seems that God Himself has called him (or her) by name and directed him (or her) to an important task?" Too Much Salt and Pepper‚ pg. 218Who has not stood

(Duke) "Once in while I have reached the place where peace was close at hand that I knew where to seek it at last. It was when I forget myself, and as someone said, look through nature to nature‚ as God." Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo and Still-Mo pg. 38Once in a while

"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

(Duke) "You don't really find peace until you get close to Him‚ some way, some how, I wish I know." Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo and Still-Mo pg. 39You don't really find

"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

"Nothing is fully possessed until gratitude is expressed." A Tippy Canoe and Canada Too‚ pg 232Nothing is fully possessed

"When a wealth of heavenly good is wrapped up in that one word, friend. It gets interwoven one way or another with everything that is right and desirable in life."When a wealth of

"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