January 10, 1943

                                    Jan 10
Dear Folks:
            The weather is warming up again. The wind seldom blows hard here. Usually a gentle breeze from one direction or another. The .50 inch of rain was the first rain to amount to anything here since Sept. 19 according to the paper. They plowed the ground between barracks last week — Getting ready to plant grass I suppose. Also are clearing the brush and mesquite from the land just west & across the road from this barracks. Using Caterpillar bulldozers and piling the trash in big rows. The mesquite is full of “Killdeer”. They must winter here. Also some kind of “road runner” that looks like a pheasant hen and is heck on snakes. Saw a 5 ft. bull snake yesterday that had apparently been killed by a “road runner.”
            Finally got a bugle in this squadron. We also took up a collection to buy a loudspeaker to mount on the orderly room to call the formation with.
            Clyde Schimmel is now working at Beech Aircraft. They bought a house and have 6 girls in the basement. Bill Mayfield is in the Air Corp and is stationed at Coffeyville, Kans. Mrs. Schimmel picked out one of her 6 girls to write to me. As I remember she was somewhat concerned that summer I stayed there that I didn’t have a girl. Gary now rides a bicycle 3 blocks to school.
            Got your letter Saturday. Our haircuts are free. Got about a dozen cards for Christmas. Yes we have hymn books in the chapel. I am not distinguishable in that picture in “Life” but was standing where I could see the speakers stand. There was a terrace running from one side of the picture to the other about 200 ft from the front. Those of us on the terrace stood about a head higher than those around us. The insurance doesn’t cost anything. After we get a commission we pay for our insurance. The rest of my group that came on the train with me will go to pre-flight the last of this week. Doubt if I go because of the quarantine. Guess I’ll go lay in the sun this afternoon.
     P.S. Boy that had mumps is back from hospital. We kid him a lot & let him know the quarantine was his fault.
            Your truly
                        John