11/1/42

Dear Mother:

I received your letter the other day but this is the first chance I have had to write you since then. we had a 48 and I went to Winnipeg with the boys. We stayed at the Marlborough which is not one of the best hotels but at least it was only a mile and a half from the station. I sure don't like the place, it seems so dirty big. We didn't do much, went to a couple shows and saw Pride of the Yankees with Gary Cooper and it was a good show. We went to a dance at the Auditorium the largest dancehall in Winnipeg and had a fairly good time for 25 cents admission. On Saturday we went up to visit Austman's Aunt on River Heights the exclusive part of Winnipeg and we really had a good time and I was sorry to leave. They seemed to be a pretty ritzy crowd and have a very nice home the only thing wrong with it being that it is about 4.5 miles from the station. They were pretty mad at us for staying at a hotel and not coming to see them before we did. We have been invited there on our next 48 and I believe that I will go because we are finished our course here on Feb. 5 and I will get about 10 days then to come home on.

One thing I like about Winnipeg is the escalators in Eatons store, Austman and I rode to the top turned around and rode all the way down again just for fun. The Capitol Theatre is pretty nice to only trouble being that you have to walk for about a block to reach the seats. The halls are all covered with thick carpets and have all the modern lighting. We took a street car and rode to the end of the line which took 3/4 of an hour to reach just to see the city and we saw very little of it even then. I really didn't like Winnipeg very much until we visited Austman's aunt and then I really enjoyed myself.

We have been flying here every afternoon for 4 hours going allover the country and I believe it is a worse looking country than Sask. from the air and it sure is cold up there I pretty near froze today and we had to come down the pilot got so cold. I think that I have gained about 8 pounds since I have been here and I should put on a few more pounds in the next couple of weeks so I will be in good condition. Will you send me another of those airmail letters and a book of stamps as you can't buy them on the station at all so I can't write a letter to Melville. I guess that is all the news for now. Oh yes I got my watch and ring allright.

Orval