Midland, Ont.,

June, 14, 1944.

Dear Ma Pa & Ruth:

Just a few lines to let you all know that I received a postcard and your letter to-day.

Well this I s Wednesday night and I am still in “Midland”. I am expecting every day now to hear the C.O – (Commanding Officer) tell me to leave for “Minnicog”. The part that worry’s me is that if I am stationed at the island, whether it will interfere with my going to Toronto to see Rubert and phoning you this week end.

Seeing as how it will be Friday or Saturday when you get this letter I had better say ere that if I can go to Toronto this week I will phone you  Saturday night between 8 and 10 o’clock your time. If the phone call doesnt come through within that hour you will know that I wasnt able to go to Toronto this week end and that I am on “Minnicog Island”. If I am at the Island and cant get away Saturday I may be able to go to “Midland” on Sunday and would then be able to phone you from here, shall we say anytime after 4 o’clock your time. It sure is the bunk not knowing how things will work out this week-end, but if it turns out that I cant phone you about the times that I have mentioned, I want you to know that there is nothing to worry about, because it will mean that I am on the island, and was unable to get to town to phone. I will be writing every day though so you will know how things are going. I sure hope that I will be able to see Rubert again this week end but if I cant make it I will try all I can to see him on the following week end.

It sure was swell of Lorraine to phone you last Sunday Ma, so that you would know that I had been to see Rubert. Lorraine was saying that Mr. Moore was in the hospital but I didn’t hear what was wrong with him.

It is swell that you and Joe, Ruth, had nice weather for your boat trip on Sunday. You sure must have had to go a long ways in the boat though. There sure were a lot of tourists (American) here to-day. Two big boats came here this morning and they were both full. They were just excursion trips though one the boats only stopped here for about 5 hours. It looks like just when these are a lot of people coming here I have to leave for the island.

I had a letter from Jim to-day and he sent me a few snaps of some pictures he took while we were in “Buffalo”. He sent me two snaps of each and he said in his letter that he was sending two of each because he thought I might want to send a few of them home to you. That sure was swell of him to send me two of each wasn’t it? Jim sure was a swell fellow. He is in “Cornwallis” now and is taking a course on “Diesel Engines” so he says he has a lot of studying to do. That sure is a swell building isn’t it? That is in “Buffalo” too. The other picture shows “Rainbow Bridge” at Niagara Falls. Jim & I walked across this bridge and were then in the U. States. The side shown on this picture is the Canadian side and when a person walks across to the other end of the bridge he is in Niagara Falls U.S.A.

I sure have a lot of writing to do these days. Dune Ogilivie wrote me the other day so I have to write to him again. It sure is swell getting letters though, and I enjoy writing them too.

Im sure glad your garden is coming along good these days Pa. I hope your banana squash came up all right, they sure tasted swell. We will be able to have some when we come home on leave. I guess the apples are beginning to show on the tree now too, eh?

How is your garden these days Ma? Ill bet the flowers sure look swell now. How are the pink roses? are they out yet? And how are your carnations, or is it too early for them? I see in the letter you wrote to me that you are out in your garden a lot Ma. I sure hope that you are not working too hard these days. It sure is nice that you and Ruth are going to Victoria for a holiday. it will do you both a lot of good.

I didn’t speak to Laurie very much Ma. He was busy as usual so I didn’t have long to talk to him.

Well I guess this is about all for to-night so hoping that you are all alright I will stop here until to-morrow night.

Love to you all

Art.

P.S. I will do all I can to try and get away to see Rub this week end and also to phone you around the times that I mentioned before in this letter. Don’t worry about Rub & we are both okay.

Love Art.