Midland Ont.

June 9, 1944.

Dear Ma Pa & Ruth:

Just a few lines to let you know that I received your letter to-day. I am still working in Midland but I dont believe it will be long now before I will be going to “Minnicog Island.” It sure would be swell to be able to stay here at Midland until the end of this month and then only have to spend July and August on the island.

Im glad to hear that the weather is better there now. I sure hope it stays that way, especially when you go to Victoria for a few days on the 19th.

Well you will probably get this letter on Monday, and so by that time I will have spent another week-end with Rubert. I asked the “Commanding Officer: if I could get an out of town pass to go to Toronto, and he said that it would be alright. So tomorrow I will leave here at 2.15 in the afternoon and will be in Toronto just abbot 6 o’clock. Rubert wrote me that he was on duty watch Saturday so he wont be able to get off until Sunday noon. I figure that if I get the 2.15 bus alright I will go to York around 7.30 Saturday night and see Rub then for a couple of hours at least. Then I will be able to go back to York on Sunday and then Rub and I will be able to look about Toronto. We are able to travel free on the street cars on Sunday there so we can see quite a lot of Toronto. It sure will be swell to see Rubert again this week, I was kind of worried that I wouldn’t be able to make it this week, but it looks like I will now alright.

I see in your letter Ruth that one of the pictures that you and Ma saw on Monday was “Jane Eyre”. I saw that picture here too, but didn’t think much of it either. I hope I will still be here in Midland on Monday night because I would like to go and see “Buffalo Bill” on that night. It looks to me as if it will be a swell picture—it I s in technicolor too.

Ruth says in her letter that your garden sure looks well Ma. I can just imagine how swell it must look now with all the roses coming out and your other flowers. I sure hope that you have a good holiday when you go to Victoria Ma. Where do you figure on staying at over there. It sure is nice of you   Pa to get your holidays and watch the house so Ma & Ruth can go on a holiday. Its too bad that you couldnt all go for a holiday. I guess your garden is coming along fine these days too, eh Pa?

Well Larson and myself sure have been working hard this week. We have been working hard this week. We have been scraping the teak deck of the “Chimon”, and boy! It sure is hard work, especially on the knees. Oh Well! one more day will finish the job, and both of us sure will be glad when it is done.

Larson and myself are going to go dancing t the “Parkside” to-night. We haven’t been there for a couple of weeks now, so it will be kind of nice to go again.

So Mrs. Johnson know we are in the “Navy” now. It sure took a long time before she heard about our joining the Navy. It is over three months now since I joined up. I hope the next three months go fast so I will be able to see if I can come home on leave. Maybe if I am lucky they might post me on the West Coast. Gee! that sure would be swell. I sure hope they post Rub to the West Coast too, otherwise it wont be so swell. It sure would be swell if were both posted to Vancouver or Victoria. Anyways it will probably be over soon, and then it wont be long before we will be building houses again. It sure is swell to look forward to the day that we start building again.

Well folks, I guess this is about all the news for to-day. I will write my next letter to you all from Toronto tomorrow night I’m sure glad to read in your letter that you are all alright, and I want you to know that Rubert and myself are alright too. Well I guess I will have to stop here so hoping that you are all okay I will stop here.

Love to you all

Art.