May 9, 1943

                                                            May 9
Dear Folks:
            Its cloudy and cool this morning, almost foggy. Had the usual inspection and parade yesterday. For something “special” a General came through on an inspection in the afternoon but most of us had gone to town. An old 1926 plane landed here Friday. It was about the oldest plane I’ve seen still flying.
            The farmers in the irrigated district were cutting alfalfa last week. From the looks of the wind-rows it would be quite a crop. Most of them use pick-up balers. Somebody killed a big 4 ft. rattler out here. It was about 3 in. through and had 6 rattles but at least that many had been broken off.
            Haag and “Junior” Gunn were eliminated last week. Were flying upside down some and more stuff got lost — notebooks, pencils, seat cushions, etc. One man lost his sun glasses. Our class is back here working off the home field and the underclass has moved out to the auxilary fields. Some of the under classmen have soloed.
            Did you rent Fowles pasture again? Got a letter from Josephine yesterday. Said Chris was sitting at the window shooting birds out of the garden.
            Afternoon. Is still cloudy & uncomfortably cool in shirt sleeves. Static is so bad we can’t use the radio. About half the congregation were cadets this morning. Nobody had gotten those photos yet so I guess they are just slow. The foreign news sounds good to-day.
            The laundry situation has gotten pretty bad. It takes 3 weeks to get stuff back — and don’t always get it all back. Consequently, we do our own washing.
            I see where city people are supposed to raise chickens in their back yard to relieve the meat situation. Doubt if that will lower the price of eggs much!!
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
P.S. Got the Dispatches last week.