[?] Island,

Midland Ont.,

July 25, 1944.

Dear Ma Pa & Ruth;

Just a few lines to-night to let you all know that I am alright. There isnt very much news to-night so this letter may be kind of short.

To-day I have been busy re caulking the deck on the “Lady B” and it sure is going to be quite a job. I had to work to-night until 7.30 and so it is around 8.30 now. The boat stayed in to-day so I didn’t have to work on it while it was running. I think to-morrow morning though that it will be going into Midland and return to the island about noon time. To-morrow night I expect the “Lady B” will be the Liberty boat to Midland seeing as how the ”Haida” went in on Monday night. They usually switch around like that, one boat going in one night and the other the next. The “Lady B” is the best though because it is a lot faster. I think I will go to “Midland” to-morrow night again if I get the chance, and go to the show.

It was a hot day here again to-day, in fact it was a little too hot for working on the deck. The meals here on the island are a little better now than they were for a while. To-day we had a pretty big slice of watermelon, and for supper we had blueberry pie:

Well I finished eating the rest of my cherries to-day and I have still five oranges left. I think to-morrow night I will buy another dozen to bring up here because they sure are nice to have.

I don’t think I mentioned in my other letters that last Sunday I was down walking around “Little Lake Beach”. I believe I sent you a post card of the beach a little while ago. It sure was nice down there on Sunday. It was a hot day but down at the beach there are a lot of trees so it was cool there. There sure were a lot of people there too, being Sunday, and there are a lot of people camping there with lots of picnic table. The picnic tables made me think of when we used to go on picnics.

Well how is the weather and everything in Vancouver. I guess the little “Fluffy” is beginning to get pretty bit now. I sure would like to see them. I wonder if “Fluffy” will remember me.

There was very little mail coming to the island to-day so I didnt get any. I guess the train was held up so the boat couldn’t for it. I will get the mail to-morrow anyways, especially if I go to Midland on the “Lady B” in the morning. I comes in kind of handy to be able to travel and work on the boat the same time during the day. I have done it quite often now.

Well I sure havent much news to-day so Im afraid I will have to stop here, so hoping that you are all alright at home I will stop here and write to you all to-morrow night.

Love to you all

Art.

P.S. I will write to Rubert now too, I sure hope he keeps getting both yours and my mail regular now. I wonder if he has the chocolates yet.