[?] Island

Midland Ont.

Aug.11, 1944.

Dear Ma Pa & Ruth:

Just a few lines to let you know that I am alright and that I received your letter to-day that you wrote on my birthday.

The weather is still staying nice here, but I guess it wont be long now before it will be getting cooler. Three weeks after this they will be closing up this place and then I will soon know how things are going to go after. I think I will ask Captain D a week before this place closes how to go about getting leave, and I sure hope that things will work out alright so I will get it. I sure am going to try all I can to get my leave because I sure want to come home: I have been looking forward to getting leave ever since I left Vancouver. I will be getting my next week end off two weeks from to-day. That will be five weeks from the time I had my last one off. I could phone you some nights on that week end off if you would like me to phone sooner I could do that on some night that I go to Midland. The only trouble with phoning before is that I am never sure just whether I will be able to take the Liberty boat until the very night it is leaving. If there is something that has to be done on one of the Liberty nights then I cant take it, but that doesnt happen very often, so I am usually quite sure that I will be able to take the Liberty boat on whichever night it goes which from now on will be Tuesday, and Saturdays Let me know when you think would be the best time to phone you all again.

Well to-day has been a fairly easy day, This morning I worked around the jetty on wharf, and in the afternoon I worked aboard the “Lady B” when it went down to Midland and came back on it arriving here at 5 o’clock. I had to get some packing for one of the boats here, and to-morrow we will be running the boat up on the beach to do a little work around the propeller shaft. The water is coming in through the shaft so we have to repack the shifting hose the same as we did to another boar about three weeks ago,

To-night I did some washing. I had to wash two of my blue sweaters—they were getting kind of dirty. I intended to iron my dress uniform too to-night but we had some tea so it is kind of late to do it now.

That sure is a lot of money to make on one fishing trip alright—there sure must be a lot of fish this year. The [?] [?] sure are having quite a time in Vancouver alright.

I havent been out fishing once on this island yet—I just never seem to think about going fishing I dont know after I have had supper there doesn’t seem to be much time for fishing, and [?] I haven’t got a fishing line on hooks so I can’t be bothered.

I didn’t get my parcel from Lorraine to-day either, so seeing as how her birthday is on the 17th of this month I think if I get to Midland to-morrow night I will get her a birthday card and send to her. Maybe I will just make a note on the card saying – “Present coming latter” and then wait until I get her present I dont feel like making the same mistake as I did with the bracelet. I guess she just hasnt got the money, I dont know, she probably hasnt got things so hot. Anyways I hope it wont be long now before I will be able to get leave so I can come home.

Well I dont know just what I will be doing to-morrow night if I go to Midland, maybe I will just end up by going to the show. It sure is nice going to “Midland” and it sure is a swell boat trip.

Well I sure havent very much news to-night so Im afraid this will be all for to-night so hoping that you are all okay at home I will stop here until to-morrow

Love to you all

Art