13 Note from the Editor
16 Indiana State Parks at 100
~ by Julia Pearson
20 The Thomas Treehouse
~ by Lee Edgren
26 Artist Diane Wigell Bledsoe
~ by Paige Langenderfer
30 Bobby Griffith and His Love of Horses
~ by Bob Gustin
34-35 Photos ~ by Tracy Todd
36 5th Fingerstyle Guitar Festival
~ by Paige Langenderfer
42-43 Calendar of Events
44 At Home in Brown County
~ by Mark Blackwell
47 Art Gallery Special Exhibits
50 Preserving Our Cemeteries
~ by Jeff Tryon
56 The Woodland Deck
~ by Jim Eagleman
62-63 Services Directory
64 Rita Simon, Champion of Volunteers
~ by Bob Gustin
Cover: contents
Lainy Clayton with daughter Thea at Brown Co. State Park ~ by Cindy Steele
contributors
Mark Blackwell makes his home in an area of Brown County where“ the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines and present a meatless, barren, backbone effect.” He was born in the last century and still spends considerable time there. He plays music with the“ Lost Shoe String Band” when he can get away with it, writes for Our Brown County, and only works when he has to.
Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, a former region reporter for The Republic, and a former bureau chief for The Huntsville Times. Born and raised in Brown County, he currently lives with his wife, Sue, in a log cabin on the edge of Brown County State Park. He is a Baptist minister.
Jim Eagleman recently retired from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources after 40 years as a naturalist at Brown County State Park. He hopes to finish his memoirs soon. He and his wife Kay have three sons, all graduates of Brown County High School. Kay and Jim enjoy all outdoor activities, especially kayaking.
Julia Pearson wrote for a secular Franciscan magazine for ten years and served as its human interest editor. She and her husband Bruce have made Lake Woebegone Country their new homebase for life’ s continuing adventures. Julie, Bruce, and four-footed Suki are adjusting well. Julia enjoys traveling and visiting museums of all types and sizes, with her children and grandchildren.
Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of The History of Clowns for Beginners and Dante for Beginners and illustrator of six other titles, including the forthcoming Dada and Surealism for Beginners in the ongoing“ for Beginners” series. He is an awardwinning editorial cartoonist for the Bloomington Herald Times, a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and a veteran circus performer. Joe lives with his wife Bess, son Brandon, George the cat, and his dogs, Jack and Max.
Paige Langenderfer is a freelance writer and communications consultant. She writes for numerous publications and is a featured columnist in The Republic. She earned her Bachelor’ s degree in journalism from Indiana University and her Master’ s degree in public relations management from IUPUI. Paige lives in Columbus with her husband and daughter Quincy. She can be contacted at < langenderferpaige @ gmail. com >.
Lee Edgren, writing since kindergarten, attended journalism school at the University of Michigan. Her career includes writing for a newspaper, for a government agency, and for UM Medical Center. She became seriously interested in yoga during the late 1980s and traveled widely. Lee has a master’ s degree in Wellness Management from Ball State University. She lives in both in Brown County and in northern Michigan and owns River Light Yoga studio.
Bob Gustin worked as a reporter, photographer, managing editor, and editor for daily newspapers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana before retiring in 2011. He and his wife, Chris, operate Homestead Weaving Studio in southern Brown County. She does the weaving while he gives studio tours, builds small looms, and expands his book and record collections.
featured photographs
Tracy Todd is a local writer and photographer. She received a BA degree in Anthropology from Indiana University. She also completed four years of photography courses from the New York Institute of Photography and four years of writing courses from the Institute of Children’ s Literature. She writes poetic reflections about Brown County and life’ s spiritual nudgings. Her work appeared at the Hoosier Artist Gallery in Nashville and she has been a guest artist with the Backroads of Brown County Studio tour.