April 5/43

Dear Mother:

I am sorry that I didn't write you from Montreal but we found that we had no writing equipment of any kind so I thought that I may as well wait until I got here. We didn't have a bad trip down. the only trouble being that I saw more trees and hills than I ever want to see again. That trip is sure a monotonous one and hope that next time I can fly back. We had about an hour and a half to spend in Winnipeg instead of the 45 min that dumb thing at the information desk told us. We had from 11 o'clock Sat morning to 7:30 at night in Montreal. It is a pretty nice place and I wouldn't have minded spending a couple of days there. We had a dinner in one of the big restaurants and you could have beer or liquor as a appetizer. We had quite a time ordering what we wanted because of the French waitresses but we finally got what we wanted. It sure seemed funny listening to all the frenchmen gabbing away. We asked a policeman the way to the station but the big dope didn't understand English so we had to find our own way there. I had quite a time getting a booth from Winnipeg to Montreal, after Jim and I chased the sleeping conductor around for a couple of hours we finally got one. Never again am I going to believe that girl at the information desk there. When I got here I found out that someone had gotten into my kit bag, stolen my cigarettes and all my hankies at least I think they did but then maybe you found them around the house someplace. I can't find my pen around anyplace either so if you find it send it along will you. You can expect my suitcase along any day now as they bluntly refuse to let us take them. I will keep it as long as I can and then send it to you. I don't know how long I am going to be here so I haven't even send out my laundry. Well I guess that is all for now so until I here from you goodbye.

Orval

#IY Depot Hdl. fox N.S