Wayne Baldwin's Amazing Story: Baldy's Eual Eldred Baldwin
I have been planning to start this thread for about a year, but first I wanted to finish AN AMAZING STORY. I am close, but we were terribly busy last year then I had the scanner quit, e mail trouble, hard drive crash etc. I hope to get back on that and finish before spring is out. In the meantime, Bill Van had asked whether or not my Dad was listed in the encyclopedia. I don't know. When I first got on BRF he wasn't. But that was a long time ago, the list is too long to check and he's gotten lots of mentions between then and now. However, there are some things never brought up, and some fun things I'd like to try. When I first started the post AN AMAZING STORY, I was just excited about finding the very motor I wanted an example of for my boat racing room. There was never a plan. The story just evolved with help and participation from many other members here. If it were not for my Dad, I never would have raced boats. During his short time of leadership he made some lasting impressions. He was both loved and criticized. But he was never ignored. What I plan to do is start out with our emergence into the sport and along the way throw in some of his greatest recipes he treated boat racing guests to from Minnesota to California, Florida to Wisconsin, Canada, Australia and West Germany. And there will be tales of hunting, chasing outlaws, and other funny stories. So get ready for another long run. This one may take some time.
I can't wait for this one
This will be a very enjoyable thread, for both those that knew him, and especially those that didn't. I am sure there will be some "amazin' stories", some of which I know when told, I will be "Baldied" in. He was one of the best friends I have ever had, and also one of the most "gotcha" people I have ever known. If you ever did anything you didn't want anyone else to know about because of stupid stuff on your part, DON'T do it around him. I am reminded of at least a half dozen that I would dearly like to forget every time I think of him.
Even though we had some strong disagreements about various things in boat racing during the almost 20 years I talked to him on a regular basis, both while he was involved in racing and after he left it, he was never mean spirited about those disagreements. You could have a very heated discussion with him about something you felt strongly about, and then go right back to being the best of buddies after the discussion was over. It certainly did not hurt that he made some of the very best Gumbo I have ever tasted, steaks that would feed 4 people, all for you by yourself, and the "piece de resistance", Oysters ala Baldy. Add in a wonderful place to test in the middle of the winter, great company and wonderful hospitality, (and if you loved to bird hunt that was just more icing on the cake) and any visit to his place was looked forward to and savored for long after.
My biggest disappointment was not having the opportunity to see him in the last couple of years he was alive, and both Eileen and I felt we had lost a family member when Wayne called to tell us of his passing.
I am really looking forward to this thread.