Paradise Camp on the McKenzie River August 14, 1966

Dear Family,

Mother almost homesteaded on the Umpqua River, where I last wrote. It was so beautiful that she did not want to leave. We did break away last Monday and went on into Sutherlin, where we stayed with Ona June and Ed until Friday.

Mother had wanted to pick up Ed and Ona and go fishing, however Ed is not much of a camper and we were reluctant to insist. We enjoyed the stay with them though. Mother got to know more about my family and we took rides around the countryside to visit the sites of Grandfather Davis’s home, (which is still standing but in a tumbled down state of repair) and other places on interest, family wise.

We were in accord, (after much pro and con arguing), that we would not go to Bill’s at this time, but would follow the Coast to San Francisco, but on the morning of departure we picked up the paper and saw that the weather at Bill’s was cooling off and that great fires were raging along the Oregon coast, so in a moment we changed our plans and we are now in route to Utah.

As we came up the beautiful McKenzie River country toward Bend Oregon, Mother suggested that we camp one night and try our luck fishing, as my seven day license still had a day to run. We found a camp almost as pretty as the one on the Umpqua, in the midst of skyscraping Douglas Fir trees, the music of the river lulls us to a deep dreamless sleep every night. We have been here three days and may leave to-morrow if the spirit moves Mother. We caught some fish, but this big, rough, water is not what I am accustomed to. It is just too much river for a man used to fishing in Blue River and similar streams.

The last evening we were at June’s she invited the relatives and we had a pot luck supper on her back lawn. My Cousin Cliff, who is a least 10 years older than I, looks 10 years younger. His wife however, has been and still is very ill. I doubt that we will see her again. Virgil, Ruth’s husband had another stroke and I doubt that he will be here when and if we return. Mother is talking now, about coming here for the months of July and August. I believe she would be perfectly content to camp out on one of these beautiful rivers for that time.

As I write Mother has been planning our Itinerary. She just took us through Pocatello to the Flaming Gorge and to Roosevelt by the back way. She has it planned that we will go to Marion’s when we leave Bill’s by Reno of course, (I think she still has designs on the one armed Bandits), then to L.A. and home. I only hope the car and I hold out.

Mother joins me in sending all our love. Carol we pray that everything will be fine. Mother says the next change of the moon, to-morrow or next day, will be the day. We will try to call about the 16^th or 17^th to see if there is news.

Vaya Con Dios,

Dad