August 5, 1940

Dear Mom and Pop:

Well, here I am at last. Every time I plan to write something comes up... Someone pops in or we go out and then a couple of times at home when I did get around to it, I found I was out of stationery. Letters may be shorter and fewer from now until the vacation cause I'm getting all in shape to move. I've been trying to get Grover to wax some floors and do a couple of little things done but besides being slow as time, he hasn't been feeling well, but he's going to get at it soon. So we'll be already to play by September 1.

The wife of the Seattle New Business man came in this afternoon and spent a couple of hours with me. They found out from Bob that I was from Cache Valley and she is an Alvord from Logan. She also has a cabin up at Pond's--close to Mack's, you know---and she is just on her way home to Seattle from there now. She is a woman around fifty and is married to a man by the name of Tommy Thompson--a second marriage. Who she was married to before and what her first name is, I don't know. She said she didn't know either of you but she talked about a lot of Logan names familiar to me. She knows the Stuarts at Mack's very well and thougth she would probably know Paul and Billie if she saw them. She spends a lot of time at her cabin and knows lots of people up on the river whose names she doesn't know. Paul would probably know her if he saw her. While I am on this subject, Bob and I were invited to one of the dealer picnics and the owner of the company is a man named Kershaw. I danced with him and was on the verge of asking him if this was his home town, but didn't because I couldn't remember where I had heard the name. Wasn't one of your aunt's married to a Doctor by that name? I wasn't sure, so I minded my own business.

About all we do for entertainment these days is picnic. A week ago Sunday, Bob went out to look at a farm down the valley to see if it could be refinance or taken over--want a farm cheap?--and I went with him. We couldn't see the man till evening so while we had a car we decided to take a trip. So we drove way down on the Columbia River. We could see the road on the Oregon side--do you remember that road across the river with so much traffic on and we wondered where it went and how they got across? It's the Washington side of the Columbia River and also goes to Portland. It's only about 80 miles from Portland. Down there right on a cliff overlooking the river is a place everyone calls the Castle. A famous old railroad character, name of Sam Hill, built the place with the intention of living in it, then came the world war#1 and they stopped work on it. He died before it was ever finished and gave it to the Sate to use as a Museum. So it was finally completed and Queen Marie of Romania stopped there when she visited this country and dedicated it. The place is full of gifts from Marie and lot of Europe's old royalty. It's an interesting place and maybe we can drive down and see it. About a mile from the Castle is a place called Stonehenge--which some of you may know about but I didn't. It is an exact copy of an old temple used for sacrifices in Old England by the Druids. It is supposed to be the oldest structure in England. Sam Hill had it built as the original structure was supposed to look.

So much for that. Are you getting in shape for that vacation? I'd better tell you about this crazy climate. I have been doing some inquiring. Fall comes to Seattle about the first of September but not to Yakima. So you'd better bring dark clothes which you will probably be able to wear most of the time--but, Mom, better throw in something lighter weight you can wear on the street here in the daytime without a coat just in case Yakima is still hot. This may be confusing but Yakima weather is so different from Seattle and I suppose you want to spend some time over there. Also bring slacks or old pants, skirt and blouse, old shoes, etc. to go on a picnic or two. We have to get out and see some of this country's scenery. Tom had better throw in his swim suit, he'll probably get some new kind of swimming around Settle. Well, I can't think of anything else just now except maybe a toothbrush--oh yeah, and yourselves.

Today is our nine month anniversary and Bobby is going to buy me an ice cream cone and take me to see Bette Davis in "All This and Heaven Too." So must go. Se you soon, I'll probably get in a letter or two also. Goodnight. Love to all, Louise