Today’s guest post was provided by a correspondent who wishes his/her identity, gender and species to remain confidential, due to the usual scorn that accompanies such reports.
THE CORNUCOPIA BEE
August 27 2011
Cornelia Copacetic Gossip Columnist
Calls came pouring in to the Cornucopia Bee, as well as the Bayfield County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office reporting sightings of a group of baboons roaming the Bayfield Area Peninsula over the weekend. Five adult baboons and one small dog were reported at a cabin on Roman’s Point on the South Shore of Lake Superior, the Big Top Chautauqua near Bayfield Thursday evening, and the Village Inn in Cornucopia Friday morning. Sightings of groups of 2 and 3 baboons and the dog were reported at area trails, beaches and shops, as well.
Although all the callers noted that the baboons were very odd, they were not destructive to people or place and simply seemed interested in scenery, as well as sites of interest in the area. The small dog seemed particularly interested in one baboon, but our research regarding interspecies attachments have shed no light on this phenomenon. Callers did note that these great apes consumed great quantities of food, beer, wine and coffee, but that as long as they were supplied with the above named items they were placid and chatty.
Spies outside the Cornucopia cabin reported hearing singing, conversations about books, authors, music, baboon children, relatives, area history, and baboon divorces. Food also seemed to be of great importance to the apes. While no actual baboons were captured or photographed, the visitors pictured below confirmed the sightings and claimed they were under the impression that such creatures were plentiful in the region.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
L to R; Linda, Steve, tim, Krista, Jacque
Dear Bee Readers, should you sight baboons on the peninsula again, please give Cornelia a call first, then call the Sheriff should that be needed. As far as we know baboons are not native to the peninsula. Other speculation did reach my ears, however, that this may have been a group of Big Foot (or would that be feet?) invading our fair village.
If you saw Bigfoot (or Nessie or a Flying Saucer), would you report it, or keep mum to preserve your reputation?
I hope the Sheriff and the Cornucopia Bee are not taking the reports of those five people in the picture too seriously. I have heard those people are likely to say just about anything and might not be completely truthful. I wonder what the people who say they saw baboons in the area actually saw? Maybe it was people having so much fun that they were causing local people to think they were baboons due to the way they were behaving. Could that be it?
I don’t have any reputation to preserve so I don’t have to worry about spoiling it by reporting that I saw Bigfoot or something like that. I think I probably would not report seeing something like that. I think it would best not let the authorities know because authorities do not usually react well to such reports.
Excellent report, and kudos to our indeterminate-species correspndent. Might she have short stubby legs and mirror-image brown/blue eyes?
My research tells me baboon migrations are common this time of year, and they tend to overgraze one area and move on to another. They often follow the same path from year to year, so indications are there could be a sighting opportunity south of the metro in a couple of weeks, probably around St. Peter.
linda i think your observations are accurate but i think there may be a bit of sensitivity about the short stubby legs. i hope the correspondent doesn’t take it personally.
Reports of the newly discovered creature baboneous envionus verde have come in from several places: a large bipedal creature so stopped, its knuckles nearly, but not quite, scrape the ground; who always has one ear cocked towards Lake Superior, seems to hear music on the north wind, and who strums vaguely at an air instrument while going dumbly through its weekend routines. Some reports have it as a strict herbavour, but some seem to be more carnivorous, most milqetous-intolerant.
I think I might know something about the baboneous envionus verde creature that you have reported on, Krystal. I may have been in contact with some of them this weekend. I think with one ear cocked to the North they were having problems staying in balance and were keeping their nuckles close to the ground for support. I don’t know about milqetous-intolerance. I think they can be a little intolerant but I think at least the carnivores ones will eat just about anything.
I thin I saw one of the envionus verde around my yard while I was thinning irises and canning 15 quarts of pickles this weekend. It sighed quite a bit and had a wistful expression on its face.
Dearest Kristal K, I came in from my morning walk with the dog to browse the blog. You made me choke on my breakfast and you nearly sent me to the ER I laughed so hard.
I have observed these migratory baboons from time to time. They tend to congregate where there are large quantities of food or the potential for food nearby. I have found them to be generally friendly and well mannered. But I’m not sure anyone would believe me…I am prone to tall tales. Sometimes.
I actually have a rare species sighting–indeed, TWO–from this gathering of baboons. Yesterday I drove home with Linda (you know, the ostrich) as a passenger. Our first surprise wildlife sighting was a flock of wild turkeys along the road, close to Lake Superior. Wow! They didn’t use to get that far north. And then I spotted a lynx hunting in the grass next to the road. In a long lifetime among wildlife, I’ve seen just one wild lynx.
I won’t be blogging much. My problems with hand and wrist pain are back.
THANKS to all the cheerful folks who were so much fun this last week! You are welcome any time again.
what a fun weekend. thank you to steve for the masterful stewardship of the weekend, enough slack to allow for indivudal choice ( along with acting a shuttle to points of interest) and expert guide to point the spots out that offered potential activities. the weekend was to short the list too long and the company so enjoyable my only regret is that we were not aware of the big gala event at the tiki bar near the hotel where jacque and krista were staying on friday night when they left steves at a reasonable hour and discovered they had returned to party central at their hotel. maybe all for the best. linda and i got to do the hiking in a perfect weather situation with no bugs, warmth that was pretty close to perfect while krista and jacque did the other babooon verson of their ideal days hikes and pursuit of nirvanna. steve sat back like the benevolant master and smiled down upon us. thanks to all.
I think there are more baboons in the wild than most people think. If I saw an exotic animal I would keep quiet except to tell my most trusted friends what I had seen. Too many hunters out here . We rarely get humming birds out here but I saw one on Friday in the Monarda. It must be migrating.
the s&h just reported in that he saw “ours” for the first time today as well. It must be getting to be that time. Around the Place I’ll Know that Fall is Here.
And just so you all know, I smuggled ALL the leftover Amish friendship bread out in my duffel bag and had three slices for breakfast today. Let me just say, yum. Thanks, Krista.
Absolutely – I’ll bring some along. (Which reminds me – our next meeting is slated for 9/11 – given the numbers going to Rock Bend, should be move the date?)
There was an e-mail conversation a couple of weeks ago about moving the date. I believe some people were okay with either the 18th or 25th, but the preference was for the 25th. Did you get left off that e-mail? Must’ve been an oversight. We can’t herd ourselves.
Plainjane – shoot me a note at akb at pobox dot com, and I’ll loop you in on an email string to get this hammered out… (and I will endeavor to remember to have a couple starters ready and waiting for folks).
Ah, I’ve been snorting since the first sentence. I believe I have seen some of these baboons in various sightings, and yes, there has always been copious amounts of food.
If I saw Bigfoot (of a Fairy or Deva for that matter), I would report it, reputation be damned. I would be so excited I wouldn’t be able to contain that kind of information. My mother-in-law (m-i-l, I presume) saw a fairy out on her farm when she was little, made the mistake of telling about it at the supper table, and was teased mercilessly, never heard the end of it. She told it right to the end of her life, never as “I thoughtI saw a fairy”, but “I saw a fairy”.
Yes, thanks to all, especially to Steve for his hospitality (as so well described by tim). It was just a beautiful experience and, I’ll say this again and again, I’m so grateful to have gotten to know all of you! I will say that Linda doesn’t look at all like her gravatar picture. 🙂
Tickets have been purchased in advance for Everybaboon for Rock Bend Folk Festival, September 10 and 11, Minnesota Square Park, St. Peter. When you arrive, no matter what time, you will notice that all of the gates have been removed and that you can wander in, stake your claim to a small patch of ground with your blankets, lawn chairs and coolers, come and go as you please, check out the arts and crafts vendors and the food booths, listen to some great music and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere that pervades the Rock Bend experience. The only things not allowed (due to the City of St Peter rules) are pets, even on a leash. Please come and find me at Joyce’s North Tree Stage. You can check out the schedule at rockbend.org. Click on the tabs for “Saturday music” and “Sunday music.” Jim’s son-in-law, Zack Kline’s band, Orange Mighty Trio, plays at 2:15 p.m. on Joyce’s North Grove Stage. Mike Pengra will play drums with City Mouse to start the Festival off from 12 noon until 1:30 or so on Saturday on the Pavilion Stage.
It will be harder for me to post regularly for the next couple of weeks but I’ll try. See you all at Rock Bend!
I would be there again in an instant, but will be out of town … Waaaaahhh. It’s the weekend of my mom’s going away party at her current residence, before she moves up here, which will be good, just ill-timed.
Ms KK – i’ve been in deep lurketude – mostly hiding from the ‘Squatch – all over the front page of the Cloquet Pine Knot (now called “Pine Journal” but we all know it is the Pine Knot)
i’m hoping my loud laughing at all your funny comments won’t draw the creature in to our yard.
Barb, did you see the story from Mankato about two 10 year old girls who stole a goat and were keeping it in their closet? I don’t know how to do linke, but I bet you could find it on line.
Did anyone hear ‘This American Life’ over the weekend? It was about gossip and one story in particular where the reporter decided to keep her mouth shut.
I had two neighbors see a UFO for several minutes out in the middle of nowhere on their snowmobiles one winter night. They both vowed to never say anything again.
I would keep my mouth shut. I’ve learned my lesson. Many years ago I saw a giant pileated woodpecker. This thing was amazingly huge,(I was close enough to it that I had a good idea of how big it was) and when I described it to a friend of mine, she about laughed her head off because she “knew” I was lying. So, best to not say anything.
I wrote this for the October 4, 2010 trail baboon so I really am repeating myself.
But it is applicable again:
John Rezmerski wrote in his short book:
‘THE SHERIFF NEXT DAY ANSWERS THE REPORTER’
and it contains the lines,
“And what I saw, you’d say, some people would say if I said it, is what a nut would say.”
Also,
“And I know enough to know when not to know is better than anything you might think you know. I know that.”
Morning all…. sounds like a fabulous weekend for all. I’d be jealous, but teenager and I had our traditional State Fair outing on Saturday and had a great time as well.
Not sure which day will be good for us for Rock Bend… waiting for teenager’s work schedule to come out in a couple of days. What are other baboon plans?!?!?!
I once saw a beaver on W 7th St in St Paul. I was returning from a gathering at a local watering hole where I consumed more Diet Coke than usual. It was spring-a time when young beavers leave the den and look for new digs, I think this guy turned the wrong way from the river.
I made the mistake of telling other folks. Never has one of my observations been so discounted. If I got this guff from a reasonable report I can only imagine what folks would say if I were to report a fairy or Bog Foot.
Maybe Dale, as News Director at KFAI, would like to be the first one to get any reports we have on seeing Big Foot or on any other unusual sightings. We could even give him the exclusive rights to our reports. Does anyone have anything for Dale? With our help Dale might be able to make KFAI the number one news statation in the Cities.
Clearly, Jim, you missed your calling as a news station manager, doing the deals, facilitating the exclusives. It’s not too late. KFAI might want a volunteer manager.
I would be delighted to give Dale the exclusives to anything I see, should I ever want to discuss it. Possible sightings from Jacque:
Fox in the back yard
Very large Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, even in a weird gardening year
My husband sneaking a cigar under the deck
Loomis Beechly campaigning at my door prior to elections
Bart the Bear in my garbage
The excitement of all this just might make news careers.
Trail Baboon 
Rise and Shine Baboons!
Scary looking group of reporters in the picture!
As a child I heard something scary and never said a word to anyone, ever.
That’s my plan now, too.
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you could tell us now if you want.
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Yes, it’s safe now.
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Good morning to all,
I hope the Sheriff and the Cornucopia Bee are not taking the reports of those five people in the picture too seriously. I have heard those people are likely to say just about anything and might not be completely truthful. I wonder what the people who say they saw baboons in the area actually saw? Maybe it was people having so much fun that they were causing local people to think they were baboons due to the way they were behaving. Could that be it?
I don’t have any reputation to preserve so I don’t have to worry about spoiling it by reporting that I saw Bigfoot or something like that. I think I probably would not report seeing something like that. I think it would best not let the authorities know because authorities do not usually react well to such reports.
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Frankly they look like most everyone I saw in my many visits to Cornucopia. Maybe a little less touristy and a little more trustee.
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Excellent report, and kudos to our indeterminate-species correspndent. Might she have short stubby legs and mirror-image brown/blue eyes?
My research tells me baboon migrations are common this time of year, and they tend to overgraze one area and move on to another. They often follow the same path from year to year, so indications are there could be a sighting opportunity south of the metro in a couple of weeks, probably around St. Peter.
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linda i think your observations are accurate but i think there may be a bit of sensitivity about the short stubby legs. i hope the correspondent doesn’t take it personally.
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YOu must either be psychic to know where the baboon mass will next appear, OR you know a lot about the Rock Bend Festival managed by baboon Krista.
I choose to believe you are psychic and can predict the future.
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Reports of the newly discovered creature baboneous envionus verde have come in from several places: a large bipedal creature so stopped, its knuckles nearly, but not quite, scrape the ground; who always has one ear cocked towards Lake Superior, seems to hear music on the north wind, and who strums vaguely at an air instrument while going dumbly through its weekend routines. Some reports have it as a strict herbavour, but some seem to be more carnivorous, most milqetous-intolerant.
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snort
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I think I might know something about the baboneous envionus verde creature that you have reported on, Krystal. I may have been in contact with some of them this weekend. I think with one ear cocked to the North they were having problems staying in balance and were keeping their nuckles close to the ground for support. I don’t know about milqetous-intolerance. I think they can be a little intolerant but I think at least the carnivores ones will eat just about anything.
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I thin I saw one of the envionus verde around my yard while I was thinning irises and canning 15 quarts of pickles this weekend. It sighed quite a bit and had a wistful expression on its face.
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Dearest Kristal K, I came in from my morning walk with the dog to browse the blog. You made me choke on my breakfast and you nearly sent me to the ER I laughed so hard.
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Krista, those strictly herbivorous ones are often bipedal and bicyclical too.
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Kristal I meant Kristal.
Darn keyboard.
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I have observed these migratory baboons from time to time. They tend to congregate where there are large quantities of food or the potential for food nearby. I have found them to be generally friendly and well mannered. But I’m not sure anyone would believe me…I am prone to tall tales. Sometimes.
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I actually have a rare species sighting–indeed, TWO–from this gathering of baboons. Yesterday I drove home with Linda (you know, the ostrich) as a passenger. Our first surprise wildlife sighting was a flock of wild turkeys along the road, close to Lake Superior. Wow! They didn’t use to get that far north. And then I spotted a lynx hunting in the grass next to the road. In a long lifetime among wildlife, I’ve seen just one wild lynx.
I won’t be blogging much. My problems with hand and wrist pain are back.
THANKS to all the cheerful folks who were so much fun this last week! You are welcome any time again.
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Ha! Told you I spied wild turkey (not the booze) flock. What a thrill to see the lynx.
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Dead skunk in the middle of the road too.
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please tell me it was also “stinking to high heaven”
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If ya got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road, that’s probably what’s it’s gonna do.
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So thrilling to see a lynx, Steve!
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what a fun weekend. thank you to steve for the masterful stewardship of the weekend, enough slack to allow for indivudal choice ( along with acting a shuttle to points of interest) and expert guide to point the spots out that offered potential activities. the weekend was to short the list too long and the company so enjoyable my only regret is that we were not aware of the big gala event at the tiki bar near the hotel where jacque and krista were staying on friday night when they left steves at a reasonable hour and discovered they had returned to party central at their hotel. maybe all for the best. linda and i got to do the hiking in a perfect weather situation with no bugs, warmth that was pretty close to perfect while krista and jacque did the other babooon verson of their ideal days hikes and pursuit of nirvanna. steve sat back like the benevolant master and smiled down upon us. thanks to all.
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tim, anyone who comes to my cabin with your positive attitudes and singing voice is welcome over and over!
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I think there are more baboons in the wild than most people think. If I saw an exotic animal I would keep quiet except to tell my most trusted friends what I had seen. Too many hunters out here . We rarely get humming birds out here but I saw one on Friday in the Monarda. It must be migrating.
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the s&h just reported in that he saw “ours” for the first time today as well. It must be getting to be that time. Around the Place I’ll Know that Fall is Here.
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And just so you all know, I smuggled ALL the leftover Amish friendship bread out in my duffel bag and had three slices for breakfast today. Let me just say, yum. Thanks, Krista.
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If you have a sudden urge for some starter for friendship bread, let me know – I can hook you up. 😉
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Anna, I’d love to have a starter. Perhaps you could hand it off at the next book club meeting?
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Absolutely – I’ll bring some along. (Which reminds me – our next meeting is slated for 9/11 – given the numbers going to Rock Bend, should be move the date?)
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There was an e-mail conversation a couple of weeks ago about moving the date. I believe some people were okay with either the 18th or 25th, but the preference was for the 25th. Did you get left off that e-mail? Must’ve been an oversight. We can’t herd ourselves.
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i am ready for a starter too anna, the school year started and my wife is a rock star at the teachers break room with the friendship bread
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If you announce the change of date via emails to only those baboons who attended in the past, I’ll be in the wrong place at the wrong date.
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Plainjane – shoot me a note at akb at pobox dot com, and I’ll loop you in on an email string to get this hammered out… (and I will endeavor to remember to have a couple starters ready and waiting for folks).
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And we usually announce it on the blog too, right?
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Ah, I’ve been snorting since the first sentence. I believe I have seen some of these baboons in various sightings, and yes, there has always been copious amounts of food.
If I saw Bigfoot (of a Fairy or Deva for that matter), I would report it, reputation be damned. I would be so excited I wouldn’t be able to contain that kind of information. My mother-in-law (m-i-l, I presume) saw a fairy out on her farm when she was little, made the mistake of telling about it at the supper table, and was teased mercilessly, never heard the end of it. She told it right to the end of her life, never as “I thoughtI saw a fairy”, but “I saw a fairy”.
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Yes, thanks to all, especially to Steve for his hospitality (as so well described by tim). It was just a beautiful experience and, I’ll say this again and again, I’m so grateful to have gotten to know all of you! I will say that Linda doesn’t look at all like her gravatar picture. 🙂
Tickets have been purchased in advance for Everybaboon for Rock Bend Folk Festival, September 10 and 11, Minnesota Square Park, St. Peter. When you arrive, no matter what time, you will notice that all of the gates have been removed and that you can wander in, stake your claim to a small patch of ground with your blankets, lawn chairs and coolers, come and go as you please, check out the arts and crafts vendors and the food booths, listen to some great music and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere that pervades the Rock Bend experience. The only things not allowed (due to the City of St Peter rules) are pets, even on a leash. Please come and find me at Joyce’s North Tree Stage. You can check out the schedule at rockbend.org. Click on the tabs for “Saturday music” and “Sunday music.” Jim’s son-in-law, Zack Kline’s band, Orange Mighty Trio, plays at 2:15 p.m. on Joyce’s North Grove Stage. Mike Pengra will play drums with City Mouse to start the Festival off from 12 noon until 1:30 or so on Saturday on the Pavilion Stage.
It will be harder for me to post regularly for the next couple of weeks but I’ll try. See you all at Rock Bend!
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Oh, the question! Would I tell? Certainly not! With reporters like Cornelia Copacetic and Kristal Kaopectate around, my lips are SEALED.
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I can attest that this is one fine experience – for newcomers, I wrote a bit about it in the last half of a guest blog last fall:
http://daleconnelly.com/2010/10/07/a-tale-of-two-festivals/
I would be there again in an instant, but will be out of town … Waaaaahhh. It’s the weekend of my mom’s going away party at her current residence, before she moves up here, which will be good, just ill-timed.
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Oops, was supposed to go under Krista’s…
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Notice no barb in Blackhoof today. hMMMM?
http://bigfootevidence.blogspot.com/2011/08/finding-bigfoot-minnesota-town-hall.html
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Ms KK – i’ve been in deep lurketude – mostly hiding from the ‘Squatch – all over the front page of the Cloquet Pine Knot (now called “Pine Journal” but we all know it is the Pine Knot)
i’m hoping my loud laughing at all your funny comments won’t draw the creature in to our yard.
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Barb, did you see the story from Mankato about two 10 year old girls who stole a goat and were keeping it in their closet? I don’t know how to do linke, but I bet you could find it on line.
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my Steve sent it to me this a.m. – poor goat.
thanks for keeping a goatie eye out for the news, Renee!
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The girls were 5 and 7, only had it for a few hours.
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Sounds like a great weekend.
Morning!
Did anyone hear ‘This American Life’ over the weekend? It was about gossip and one story in particular where the reporter decided to keep her mouth shut.
I think I would too; why spoil a good thing?
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Missed it. Is available on line somewhere, does anyone know?
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Hi PJ,
Yes it is online, right here:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/
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Thanks, Ben, I appreciate it.
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I had two neighbors see a UFO for several minutes out in the middle of nowhere on their snowmobiles one winter night. They both vowed to never say anything again.
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I would keep my mouth shut. I’ve learned my lesson. Many years ago I saw a giant pileated woodpecker. This thing was amazingly huge,(I was close enough to it that I had a good idea of how big it was) and when I described it to a friend of mine, she about laughed her head off because she “knew” I was lying. So, best to not say anything.
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I believe you, Edith – there’s one down in “our” park here… looks like Woody Woodpecker.
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I wrote this for the October 4, 2010 trail baboon so I really am repeating myself.
But it is applicable again:
John Rezmerski wrote in his short book:
‘THE SHERIFF NEXT DAY ANSWERS THE REPORTER’
and it contains the lines,
“And what I saw, you’d say, some people would say if I said it, is what a nut would say.”
Also,
“And I know enough to know when not to know is better than anything you might think you know. I know that.”
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Ben, I have heard John Rezmerski do story telling and I think he knows what he knows, but I don’t know if I know that what he knows is know to me.
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Morning all…. sounds like a fabulous weekend for all. I’d be jealous, but teenager and I had our traditional State Fair outing on Saturday and had a great time as well.
Not sure which day will be good for us for Rock Bend… waiting for teenager’s work schedule to come out in a couple of days. What are other baboon plans?!?!?!
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I am thinking about Saturday, or possibly both days. I’d be open to carpooling if an opportunity presented itself.
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I will be there on Saturday and probably not on Sunday.
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I once saw a beaver on W 7th St in St Paul. I was returning from a gathering at a local watering hole where I consumed more Diet Coke than usual. It was spring-a time when young beavers leave the den and look for new digs, I think this guy turned the wrong way from the river.
I made the mistake of telling other folks. Never has one of my observations been so discounted. If I got this guff from a reasonable report I can only imagine what folks would say if I were to report a fairy or Bog Foot.
Lesson learned.
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I like Bog Foot, I wanta see one. 🙂
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I’d rather see than be one.
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Maybe Dale, as News Director at KFAI, would like to be the first one to get any reports we have on seeing Big Foot or on any other unusual sightings. We could even give him the exclusive rights to our reports. Does anyone have anything for Dale? With our help Dale might be able to make KFAI the number one news statation in the Cities.
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Clearly, Jim, you missed your calling as a news station manager, doing the deals, facilitating the exclusives. It’s not too late. KFAI might want a volunteer manager.
I would be delighted to give Dale the exclusives to anything I see, should I ever want to discuss it. Possible sightings from Jacque:
Fox in the back yard
Very large Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, even in a weird gardening year
My husband sneaking a cigar under the deck
Loomis Beechly campaigning at my door prior to elections
Bart the Bear in my garbage
The excitement of all this just might make news careers.
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Good, Jacque. That’s just the kind of stories that Dale might need, right? I’m sure Dale will want my help and yours as well.
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No spilling of the beans here. A good secret is only good if it’s secret!
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