It’s been five years since we lost our Little Jail Bird, Edith. I think of her often and whenever I tell someone about her, I say what a hero she is to me, that she made a courageous decision to go ahead with the risky surgery rather than live the rest of her life with her illness (her words). In her memory, I’m running her most iconic posting on the Trail.
Until last fall, I had never been to Banning State Park. I had driven by it dozens of time, because when I head up to my sister’s house, I always turn off 35W and take Highway 23 into town. I didn’t know much about Banning, but when I was looking for a day trip, it seemed to fit my needs perfectly.
First, I wanted a park where I could drive there and back in one day without getting too tired. Second, I wanted a park that didn’t involve driving several back roads, because I knew that I would be driving in the dark due to the shorter fall days and my night vision and sense of direction is bad enough that I would get lost unless I kind of knew where I was going. And third, I wanted a state park because I had a state park sticker and wanted to use it as much as possible to get my money’s worth out of it. Banning fit all of those qualifications. Plus it has a waterfall, which is a big plus in my book.
So, off I went, one sunny morning in October. When I arrived, I stopped at the visitor center to get maps and ask where the best spots were. I was so excited. It seems that often when I go north, I am early for the fall colors and often find myself driving home just a few days before “peak” and this time I was not too early! I said something about that to the woman at the desk (while trying to not jump and down in excitement) and she shook her head woefully and told me in a discouraging tone, “You’re going to see LOTS of brown out there.” Gee thanks, way to burst my bubble.
Of course, since I drove all the way up there, I figured I better go on the hike anyway even if I would see mostly brown. I drove to the parking area and when I stepped out of the car and looked up, I knew it was going to be a good day (see header photo).
I hiked all the way to the falls and back and shot lots of photos. It was an incredibly beautiful day: that clear, deep blue sky that you only seem to see on autumn days and – surprise! – lots of colorful leaves on the trees. It can be a challenge shooting in bright sunlight, but I was so overcome by the beauty of it all that I just took that in my stride. There was that wonderful northwoods smell in the air – pine trees and dead leaves. Nothing like it! and nothing else invigorates me like that does.
It was getting pretty cool and the sun was going down quickly by the time I was heading back on the trail but the golden evening light only made things more beautiful and the colors more intense. I went home pleasantly tired and very happy and glad that the woman’s prediction of “lots of brown” wasn’t true.
Any comments / reflections on any or your heros welcome
Trail Baboon 
I think about edith and how she pulled photography out of her hat. She took a class fell in love with it and shined. Her eye for composition was incredible. I think she amazed herself.
Her bleeding hearts say hello every spring .i say hello back
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Beautiful photos. RIP, LJB.
Chris in Owatonna
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Yes, I too love how she found that part of herself before she left us.
There are so many people gone now. My folks were some of my heroes. Another Mpls. friend who passed the same summer as Edith was one – she knew how to navigate all the social service agencies, so if we knew someone who needed help, Pat was the one to ask, and she’d steer you in the right direction.
Gone. Too. Soon.
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I try not to idolize people as heros because a truly 100% virtuous person is rare if not non-existant. I admire heroic actions or deeds or careers. EX: Tiger Woods, one of the two best golfers of all time, was heroic when he won the 2008 US Open on a broken leg. But we soon found out that his personal life was far from “heroic.”
The founding father were heroic to stand up to the British Empire and fight the American Revolution. But many were slave owners, adulterers, etc.
“Great” Presidents come and go, but we eventually find out their private lives have more than a few skeletons in the closet.
Rich and powerful men like Andrew Carnegie fund libraries, universities, charities, foundations, etc. But how did they acquire that wealth? By overworking and underpaying their workers and not sharing any of their massive wealth with the people who earned it for them.
Admire the words and the deeds, but reserve labeling anyone a true hero unless you know their full history.
Chris in Owatonna
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You are right on, Chris. Write On! JacAnon
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Idolizing someone seems like such a adolescent concept to me. I shudder when I think of the various idols I had as a teen. Virtue was not among the traits or characteristics that I admired. Good looks, charm, and athletic or artistic prowess of some sort, were.
These days I look for entirely different qualities in people. Kindness, generosity, and wisdom are near the top.
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Exactly, Chris!
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Somehow, it seems longer than five years ago that Edith died. So much has happened in the interim. Covid hit, and then LJB’s buddy and mentor in photography, Steve, passed on, too.
Can I just correct one thing, please? It wasn’t a “risky surgery” that killed her; it was a bone marrow transplant. I somehow find it comforting that the procedures itself was pretty benign and not painful. It was Edith’s body’s rejection of those cells that was so catastrophic and devastating. I take comfort in knowing she didn’t suffer long. As we learned at her celebration of life gathering, she had crammed quite a bit into that too short life of hers.
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Excellent.
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Rise and Shine, Baboons from JacAnon,
I still miss LJB and I appreciate having had her friendship. Like tim mentioned, Edith’s Bleeding Heart, a massive and beautiful shade plant, graces my garden, too. I named it “Edith” planting it in three different places and I say hello each spring. I just love that. I also admire that she wanted to live until she died.
As ever, my “Heroes” are my aunt and uncle who helped my family so, so much as we struggled with my dad’s MS and my mother’s mental illness, that elephant in the family room. But then, at that time, there was nothing to be done about it. Mom, Aunt Donna and Uncle Jim all died in the last two years. What a change that has been. Uncle Jim’s obituary tells this treasure of a story: ” The family lived in Dearing, Kansas for most of his childhood years where he, his brothers and friends found adventure along Onion Creek. Jim walked the railroad and pumped a handcar to get to school in Coffeyville, Kansas.” That was seven miles. He was a great uncle and completely disrespectful in expressing his strong, right-wing political views. So, in the spirit of what Chris expressed about heroes, that was the negative behavior.
OT. Phoebe’s vet visit was productive (and expensive). The vet changed her anti-biotic. Thanks to VS’ suggestion of a product to use to get the medication into Phoebe, I was able to use it to administer the first dose. This morning she was hungry enough to eat her breakfast, then displayed far more interest in life than she has in a few days. There is still a long way to go, but she is better this morning. Tick-borne illness is nothing to dismiss. I am relieved and hoping this recovery continues.
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Check eden prairie mission animal hospital
They’ll work with you on pricing
Great vet
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So glad Phoebe is on the road to recovery.
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So glad Phoebe is better today, Jacque. Yes, vet bills can be staggering.
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Ot
Renee was your dad a founding father of luvurne hot dog days. Started 62 years ago?
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No, but he liked the extra business. He was sort of contemptuous of the Main Street merchants.
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My hero’s these days are vs and Renee for keeping the bog running for us
I may not be able to get posted as often as I’d like but it is an important lifeline
Thanks
Dean Phillips beat eric paulson in Minnesota federal congressman spot
He was special from the get go
I was impressed enough that I hoped to have an opportunity to vote for him as president one day
It came and went when he said someone has to run in opposition to Biden for the coming election
If no one else would he offered himself
Now we know why
I can’t imagine being involved in the government
It is broken
I hope we learn from the sorry state these verbose me me me politicians display
For the people?
Let’s give it a try
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VS and Renee are heroes to me, too, for the same reason.
I would kind of like to know, VS and Renee, if something were to happen to you and we could no longer enjoy your daily posts….what posts of yours would you like to be remembered as “iconic”?
The rest of us, relative slackers, could probably be pegged without much effort. But the two of you have posted so frequently, how would we arrive at a consensus of which post was most iconic?
Enquiring minds.
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Hear, here!
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A lesson in heroes: JFK in Profiles in Courages named Edmund Ross as a hero for saving Andrew Johnson from being voted out of office. But it was poor scholarship. Other republican senators were prepared to vote not guilty. And Ross rather clearly took a bribe for the vote.
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I agree about hero worship. I don’t idolize people, but there are many whom I admire.
My former partner, Morgan, changed the way I see the world. I will never be able to see environmental issues the same way again. He opened my eyes in a lot of ways.
An RN I worked with at FRC in the 1980s and ‘90s, Wes, was an amazingly skilled and compassionate nurse. I learned a lot from him, like how to do things with great patience and kindness.
I agree that VS and Renee are Trail Baboon heroes! Thanks for keeping it going!
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I have been in Bismarck all day at a meeting of my regulatory board, including meeting with the Labor Commissioner regarding making licensing quicker and less onerous for applicants, so I haven’t been on the Trail
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July 6, 1974 was the first broadcast of the Prairie Home Companion Show, live from the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center at Macalester College. I regret I wasn’t there, but by sheer chance I caught in on the radio about half way through the show. A few weeks later I attended my first show, and I was hooked.
GK is one of those flawed heroes whose personal life doesn’t hold up to the “100% virtuous” test, but he sure created a lasting legacy of brilliant entertainment.
Below is a link to the broadcast of that first show. It’s a pure delight; technically a little rough around the edges, but so much fun. Note how different GK’s voice was back then. If this doesn’t lift your spirits and take your mind off our current troubles for a while, you may need professional help.
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Agree.
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This is BiR…
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