Long Beach postcards

Long Beach Facts

Long Beach weather chart

Long Beach

Long Beach Chamber of Commerce

they bring in a variety of vegetables, flowers, chickens , rabbits, Cider- Grape juice-Mushrooms-no heay meats. All nationalities seen. Had lunch at the El Patio Cafe- all Mexican Food. Had a special Combination Plate that started w/a tostada-a salad on a sort of flat Tortilla w/a paste and the salad on top of that - then one plate one Enchilada-one Tamale -one Taco-side dishes of Fried Beans and Fried Rice - $1.20. Bottle Mexican Beer 40c. To me it was not particularly appetizing but I wanted to see what it was like. The beer seemed weak and would take a lot to get feeling good. Wandered all over the town. Nice wide clean streets - no jay walking-everyone respects the traffic lights- seats at every bus stop for waiting passengers-mostly modern buildings - couldn't find any Skid Row district - a wonderful clean beach on the ocean - streets down town run North-South. East and West-population about 350,000. A 3% sales Tax on everything outside of medicines I believe so you always wind up with a lot of pennies. A lot of the old timers run around in small two seater Scootmobiles that operate on batteries. They operate on the sidewalks and the corner curbings have a dish slant that allows them to go up and down freely. I was most impressed with Lincoln Park and the Facilities for the Older People who are made to feel very comfortable. Check the figures on the sheets opposite and you can see the Long Beach is expanding tremendously. I couldn't see at the time the United Drug moved out here why they did it but I can understand it now. I suppose the answer to the whole thing is the universal answer that they will not go back East.

Tuesday July 19th

Long Beach

Left the house alone this morning to get the 9:05 bus. Arrived there at 9:25 and started my excursion of the City. Bus had made its final stop at Lincoln Park. This is a recreational development set up by the City for the benefit of the Oldsters. Imagine if you can a Shuffleboard Court with provisions for about 10 games at one time. These courts are of concrete waxed to a glasslike surface. A lot of skill is required and the Onlookers comment freely on this one and that one. The next game is a sort of croquet game called rogue. Quite a heavy mallet is used - balls must be of very hard rubber because at times they take an awful pasting. There are six of these courts and four play the game at one time. Another section is devoted to Horse-shoe pitching.A regular house enclosed the card players where they play anything. Watched a Pinochle Game for a while but they play with a double deck and their Scoring system is different. Another section is devoted to Checkers and Chess. When I returned there in the afternoon the place was full of people. There is a small annual charge for membership. On two days of the week-Tuesday and Thursdays-Growers from the outlying sections bring in their cars with trailers attached - small stands, roofed over - and

where art thou. Bob the Boss gets home thru some phenaglin about 4pm. and order is restored. Gals follow a bit later and the wheels start to turn again. Never saw such a house for eating. Hardly get thru one session and another one starts.

Big Doings

Last Thursday plans had been started for a Barbecue. Now a Barbeque out here is a major operation. First Kay has a general idea of what she requires so on the phone she gets with the invitations to about 22 or 23. Each one gets specific orders what to bring and the final admonishment to the guest is 'Bring your Own Beer'. Signing off temporarily at 8:10 pm will continue recording subsequently if and when stability and coordination permit. Signing in again. Barbecue a success by California Standards. Stability Good. Muscular Coordination Good. Head Clear. Everybody brought something. Potatoe Salad. Chips. String Bean Salad. Hamburgers. etc. Plenty left. Before John Mullen left we asked him to take some interior flashes of the house to incorporate in the record so we will have to wait and see how they come out.

Sunday July 17th

Supper-Beans and hamburg - our usual Saturday night supper which had lost out to the Turkey Supper. After supper - Poker again- Gladys sticking w/her deuces wild and again gathering in the sheckles. Bob and I a few snifters and then to Bed to get Bob in condition to back to work Monday morning. Vacation Over- Too bad.


Monday July 18th

House awake pretty early on account of the Boss going to work -All that is - except the ladies who like their Bed too well and only get up after forceful measures are undertaken. Plans are for the Ladies to go shopping at the Lakewood Center w/the Captain taking the six kids to the Movies. So, everybody gets shined up-piles into the Ranch Wagon. Results-no Movies open - tried three or four -so we compromised. Back to Quigley's about two miles from home -Captain takes the five oldest- plows thru all the stores-winds up buying double decker Ice Cream Cups and start the long treck back Home. Captain works on the log. Kids  watch Television - doors banging - Kids banging each brot other. Tranquility

got home about 2 AM and to bed. Hugo and his wife will contact us next week and make arrangements for the gang to visit and see his home.


Sunday July 17th

To Church with Helen at 10:30. Our folks are in a new parish St Joseph's cut out from their Old Parish. Our Lady of Refuge. As they tell me the story-their present Pastor was a curate at the old Church and one day he received a call from the Chancelly telling him that he was now the Pastor of St. Joseph's turned over a piece of land and a bill covering the cost $26,000 and that's all. Nothing else. So he's in business and has to find temporary quarters for church which he finally arranged for by renting the Public School Cafeteria. So now Bob and Kay are Pillars of the Church and on different organizing committees. Lunch consisted of Turkey Sandwiches w/stuffing. Subsequently all took a ride to a Shopping Center which incidentally are open all day w/the Liquor Stores- 5&10 all included. Couldn't quite get over this but that seems to be the custom. Imagine running out of Beer on a Sunday and without any scrounging around drive to a Liquor Store and pick up anything.

Saturday July 16th

After the home hunting spree returned home and got ready for the Turkey Supper which had roasted to a beautiful brown. Mashed Potatoes. Boiled Onions. Sauerkraut. Home Made Cake - Coffee. The kids sit around the Television on the Coffee Table. The grown ups at the Dining Tables. Everything was fine.

After supper Hugo and his Wife Dorothy-next door neighbors Gabby + Betty Simpson Bob and Kay- Helen Gladys and I went to the German Beer Joint and sat around until 11:30 drinking beer that came in large pitchers for $1. Three pitchers at a time-cost plus tax $3.20. After all how much beer can you drink and eventually there was a steady run to you know where. Left there and went to "The Clock" an eating place on the Pacific Coast Highway. A very nice place-reasonable. I and the Simpson's had Chili Con Carne w/beans-40c. Hugo the same altho he said it was too highly spiced for him Kay and Gladys had deep dish Boysenberry Pie with a big slap of Ice Cream - Helen had griddle cakes. Dorothy had Fried Shrimp. Total Bill for the nine of us a little over $5.00. I enjoyed the Chili and in fact bought a can the next day to try out.

Facing the front of Bob & Kay's home. Picture at left shows entrance thru the gate Garage faces the street. Side entrances- picture on right. Flowers all around the place. From the curbstone to the sidewalk planted with Ivy.

Thru the gate showing main entrance with picnic tables in front of door. Note the full length windows. Grassed lawn.  


 Another view of side of house showing more detail of full length windows. Beautiful Flowers all along the side.

Custom out here requires that there be a wooden fence about 6ft high separating the houses. This to insure privacy when the family entertains or has barbequed meals out doors. usually the owners get together to split the cost and these fences are all of varying design. All houses set back from the sidewalk and the entrance can be on the front or either side. This House has the entrance on the side with a service entrance on the other side . All have fireplaces of varying designs- linoleum in the kitchen and Bathrooms- some have Fire Warning Bells altho what good they are I don't know. But as Bob says every new development has some kind of a new gimmick. In this house they have wrought iron furniture - Hollywood Beds (no back boards or footboards). The new homes for sale are all built around the Kitchen. They are out of this world. Large enough and still compact with plenty of top working space and loads of cabinet space. I suppose they plan the Kitchen will sell the wife and that's more than half the battle. Provision is made in the kitchen for a Washing Machine and Clothes Dryer. Some have  gas - others Electric Stoves - others nothing at all depending on the price of the house. When the man of the house comes home the first thing he does is water the lawn and the flowers. The loam here is terrible-it looks like gray mud full of alkali and if not continually soaked bakes down hard like adobe mud. I will endeaver to take some shots of Bob and Kay's interior to give some idea of the layout. My reaction to the new home deal is that they cost a hell of a lot of money. Exteriors are all the colors in the rainbow and the interiors correspond

Saturday July 16th

Laid around a good part of the day in preparation for the turkey supper. After the bird was well along in the oven Kay - the Ladies and myself went house hunting. A tract being developed not far away had five model houses all set up ready to move in and I show  on the enclosed Circular the various prices. Remember these have no cellars. All of these homes have Instant Hot Water and forced Air Heating. Some have built-in Electric Ovens and Dishwashers. Others none. Couldn't get over the amount of Closet Space these places have. There isn't a bit of wasted room. Most of them have an enclosed tub and shower glassed in either w/Sliding Doors or a regular door. Tiled of course. Each house has a two car garage which has to take the things you normally put in a cellar. These all have the overhead type of door. All the houses conform to a definite color scheme and no variation is allowed. This tract had 16 houses in various stages of construction and most will be sold before they are completed. Lots vary in size as will the price house thereon. Many home out here have the lawn sprinkler system built in to avoid hand watering. Simply turn on the valve and shut it off again. Another thing, you do your own landscaping except on the $20,000 homes

Friday July 15th

Spent a good part of the day recuperating from the Reunion but finally decided to go w/Bob to the Plow Boy Market for Vegetable Shopping in preparation for a Turkey Supper Saturday night instead of a big meal on Sunday. Kay had gone to work at the Hospital from 11PM Thursday night to 7 AM Friday morning. Slept until about 1:00pm and then took off w/the ladies for a shopping tour. Bob and I took off w/the two boys for the house shopping and I jotted down some of the prices. Beets 1c per bunch - white turnips 1c bunch - watermelon 2 1/2 lb - strawberries 10c box- bacon 4 lbs for $1.00- string beans 3 lbs for 10c-cucumbers 1c each. That gives you some idea. All those vegetables are from a farm operated by Japs who confine themselves principally to this line of work. Try to those prices back in Boston. So back home - Fried shrimp and Halibut for Supper w/French Fries and Strawberry Shortcake - double deckers. Poker after supper with Gladys and Bob taking the dough. At least a restful evening.

goes back to the car and brings in a jug of Canadian Club-soda-Seven up - and some beer. Dorothy had recognized the wife at once so after introductions all around we sat down for a talk fest. The Canadian Club disappeared and Hugo insisted on going down the street. Bob and I went along - and this time it is "old Crow" which my friends is a potent drink. Back we go and start again. That's when Hugo told me of his experiences from Boston to Maine to California which I have already set down. We talked all about the gang in the Choir that he still remembered and particularly of Frank Michel and Johnny Scalcione. Hugo said he would never come back to Boston except for a visit which might be next year. He spoke of the wonderful opportunity that brought him here where he now makes $30 day - $150 for a five day week. So far he is living in his third home-still owning the second one. He re emphasized the fact that if a man is willing to work there is all kinds of opportunity to get ahead. He spoke of his oldest boy in his second year of High that he started to break in as a Plasterer by carrying a hod. Starting pay $10 a day pushed up in a matter of weeks to $16 and Hugo says he will get $20 before school opens. A problem now has developed however in that the boy doesn't want to go back to school in the fall so he has another headache there. We talked ourselves out about 1:30 and he left with a promise to come back Saturday night to go to "Hoffman's" a German Beer Joint. Anyway he was in tough shape when he left and I a little worse. So that's the saga of Hugo Northiesen "A nice Guy." It will take his wife 'Dorothy' a long time to get over the way she was hood-winked.

Eventually found the House-read the notice on the door for Salesman-Canvassers etc not to disturb. Rang the bell and Hugo's wife Dorothy answered the bell. I asked if this was the home of Hugo Notheisen and she answered. I asked if I might speak w/him and she said he was at work and would not be home until 5 o'clock. I then asked if Mrs Notheisen was at home. and she said she was Mrs. Notheisen. She didn't remember me altho I did her. So I told her I was quite anxious to get in touch w/Hugo and would he please  call this number (Bob's phone) at 6:00 PM. I had already introduced myself as "Herman Busch". So she carefully wrote the name and phone number down as we prepared to leave the house. "Well," she said "this is all very mysterious" and I agreed w/her. She said afterwards that she ran to the job Hugo was working on and quickly asked if he knew of a Herman Busch which of course he didn't. At five o'clock the call comes thru for Mr. Busch and Bob took the call and gave it to me. So I said to Hugo 'I would like to sing you a song and see if you can remember it. So I sang first "Es war einmel ein Muellerin" and he said he recognized that so I said here's clue 2 and I sang "Ein Prosit" and then he started to think. So I gave him the last one "Ruedesheimer Wine." He broke in to say "Is this Johnny from "Casino Hall' I wouldn't admit anything but asked what he was doing that night. "Not a darn thing  " he said so I had Bob give him the address and directions. About 7:30 the bell rings and he asks Bob for Mr. Bush and Bob calls me. Well Hugo and his wife come in and she looks at me again. Hugo looks for a minute and says to his wife "Didn't I tell it was Johnny but I couldn't remember his last name." She called me everything. Then Hugo

California - finally arriving and finding everything OK as per agreement. He remained in the Shipyard and when the emergency was over and passed up his Civil Service rating and started looking around. Today he is a Union Plasters - averages $150 per week. owns two houses - and as he says is really living. The tremendous boom in Home Building has helped to give life to his success but when you are willing to work you can always make out. All this background is being given to set the stage for the next act. Before leaving for California I had checked amongst all our friends for Hugo's current address and came up 12631 Edith Drive - Garden Court - Calif. Upon checking found this was only a matter of ten miles or so from where we are so this Thursday Bob drove me and the kids to find this place-which we finally did only to find that he had rented this home to the present tenants with an option to buy. They did to manage to dig up the new address and volunteered the fact that they had an option to buy, which was all right with us. So off Bob and I and the six kids galloped again to the new address. 11191 Sumac Lane-Anaheim-Calif.

make good money finishing up as a First Class Shipfitter. All this time they were dying from the freezing cold and wondering how in hell they would get out of Maine and give it back to the Indians. During the war there was a great shortage of Ship Workers on the West coast and the Government was recruiting workers to go out there at government expense. Hugo held out until they would include in their agreement the promise to find a furnished apartment. This they did and Hugo got set to move. There is an interesting side-light in connection w/this trip. Hugo of course was born in Germany and had two brother in World War II fighting for Germany. One had been killed in a mine field explosion and the other had been sent to fight the Russians and was transferred from there to No. Africa where he was wounded and captured. Sent back as a Prisoner-of-War he was sent to Oklahoma and Hugo had been in touch with him. So on the treck Westward Hugo stops in Oklahoma and finds that his brother had been transferred the same morning to Arkansas. So off they go and finally caught up with him there. They had a nice visit and finally Hugo -his wife and three kids take off for

Thursday July 14th

Hugo Notheisen
Dorothy Notheisen

Richard  16 yrs
George   15 yrs
John       14 yrs

In the initial phases of planning this trip next to visiting our own folks was the compelling urge to locate one Hugo Notheisen. I have know Hugo over a period of roughly twenty or twenty five years. We originally got together when we both sang in the Church Choir and Maenercher at Holy Trinity our German Parish Church and he also sang in the first base section w/me. Hugo has what is known as a 'Green Thumb' and at the time was living around Upham's Corner. He received permission to farm an underdeveloped plot of land handy to the house and the vegetables he planted always seemed to come thru I remember particularly the Kolrabbi's that he raised w/abandon  and anybody who visited him always left w/an armful of vegetables. Hugo married an Irisher who had gone to Holy Trinity School as did the rest of us. Well Hugo wasn't getting getting along too well in Boston so he had an opportunity to go as a partner in a chicken -raising ranch in Maine. From that time on he seemed to go in obscurity but his memory lingered on. The venture was not a success and then Hugo really started running into trouble w/a Capital "T". Things went from bad to worse until the war came along and he got the chance to work in a shipyard where he started to

Thursday July 14th

No big doings  planned for this day so Helen - Gladys and Kay took the Ford and went with the Ford to Long Beach for the day shopping. I don't know enough about shopping values to discuss comparisons so the ladies will have to discuss that amongst themselves.

Bob and I took the kids in the Ranch Wagon and went to a Long Beach resort they call "the Pike." Revere Beach style with all kinds of gimmicks that you could spend a fortune on. The one I think they enjoyed the most was the "Maze" where you start thru a passageway of plate glass rooms. The point was to find the way out and we could see young Bobby bang his head against the glass three or four times thinking it was the way out. They also went in the Children's Roller Coaster and then thru Davy Crockett's cavern. Bob and I were leg weary by then - he especially since he had to carry Patty-Ann on his shoulder because of a blister on her heel. We finally left there about 3:30 getting home around 4PM when Bob started the supper going.

up high with a sort of organ. Remember that this church is and has been in continual use. The Stations of the Cross are all the originals and most of them have the original frames. The altar itself is beautiful and originally came from Barcelona - Spain. By the way these colored post cards may be removed in order to read the description on the  reverse side. They are still excavating and finding new spots they had no record of. This must have been quite a busy place in its day for much of the commerce came thru here. The Vats where the tallow was boiled off the hides - the channels in the walks to drain off the water  - the smelter where they made their own metal for keys-locks and many other things. The Stone and Adobe barracks where the Soldiers lived who acted as guards when the Padres went thru the country. To those people who sometimes doubt the existence of a God - I wish they could pay a visit here just for a day - wander around alone -spend an hour in the church in silent contemplation and I am sure they would leave with a different feeling for the spiritual. This mission parallels the main street of San Juan with thousands of cars speeding by every minute - but once inside the grounds you feel divorced from all the rush of our civilization. Altho the entrance had been locked we were free to walk around to our hearts contents until we were ready to leave thru a one way turnstile. While in the church we lighted candles and said a prayer of Thanksgiving for the wonderful trip we have had so far free from any sort of difficulties. When we finally  left -car after car stopped trying to get in so they stood on their cars trying to see over the high all. I forgot to speak about the beautiful flower gardens - the flowers in bloom - bushes and flowering trees that we could not identify

As you enter the grounds of this mission there immediately appears to be a feeling of tranquility and quiet reverence for this mission has established a name for itself in history which will never die out. The accompanying map shows the general layout and we followed the numbers as listed and read the description on a wooden sign. There are hundreds of white doves flying all around the place and you may purchase food for the pigeons who will eat out of your hand. The swallows they have reference to have nests built into the ruins of the original church and each year when they return on March 19th start immediately to repair these. The original church was started in 1797 - dedicated 1806 and destroyed by an earthquake in 1812. The Sacred Garden they refer to are closed in by high thick walls and I imagine were used by the priests in their meditations. Sort of rough plain tile for the walks w/grass growing between. The Sales Rooms for Post cards - souvenirs etc were in process of being closed shortly after we got in there so didn't have enough time to select the things we would have liked. All these rooms of course are stone  high ceilings - and the Sales Girls sprinkle water on the tile floor to keep the place cool. The exhibit room showed many old pieces of furniture and was originally the Community Room where travelers were entertained. The Vestment Room shows the original old brocaded Vestments and other altar furnishings belonging to the original church. The current church that is still in use with the sanctuary light always burning to indicate that the Blessed Sacrament is in the Tabernacle. You can see by the colored prints the richness of the altar - the carved wood decorated statues. everything about this church is reverent and holy. I could almost imagine Mass being said here by the Spanish Priests and the Indians sitting in the pews. The choir loft seemed to be way

San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano

Wednesday July 14th

San Juan California

Old Mission at Capistrano

This is one of the most outstanding historical places that we visited. Luckily we got there at 5:30 and had an opportunity to purchase Cards and such before they locked the doors to these rooms at 6 pm. We roamed around the grounds for a long time before we went thru the exit. I went want to do justice to this mission for I have never seen anything to compare it with .Grownups paid 50c-nothing for the children.

San Diego Zoo

we wanted to get going in order to visit the Capistrano Mission. Boston suffers by comparison with this San Diego Zoo. Everything beautifully kept.- restrooms very clean. I tried to pick up a descriptive circular about the zoo what it encompasses and some facts about it. All they had was a thick bound book that I didn't want to carry around.

Wednesday July 13th

Another busy day planned. This time a trip to the San Diego Zoo. This has a world wide reputation and is owned and operated by a non-profit organization. It takes in all sorts of buildings that contain museums of all kinds of beautiful Spanish type buildings all set in lovely shrubbery and flower beds. We had brought along a picnic lunch and then went first to find a picnic area. Bob went back and hoisted the two freezers and basket over the high wire fence and we all had a nice lunch. Canned ham - lettuce- tomatoes. Cucumber. Coffee, Milk- a boysenberry jelly roll. Repacked everything left it on the table and took off. We decided but fast that we could not cover the place on foot so we all climbed into an open bus where the bus driver has a loud speaking system to describe everything. Again it was stupendous. All the larger animals like the bears are as we have them at Franklin Park only  many more types. Again here they have here an ampitheatre where they put on daily shows (animal) for the public. We saw a monkey and seal act. By the way admittance charge for adults 50c-nothing for the children. We had seen what we could of the Zoo but again it would take a full day and

Knotts Steak House menu

Had this made up in the print shop for 25c. This Thomas Mullen is my grandson and as you can see is quite a character with a bad reputation.

Knotts Chicken dinner Menu

Knotts Berry Farm

Knotts Berry Farm

Knotts Berry Farm

Knotts Berry Farm

Knotts Berry Farm

Knotts Berry Farm

We all went thru a replica of a gold mine and came out where you for 25c you could pan your own gold which they put in a small vial. The workers are all in costume. Took a ride on the train -narrow gauge- w/old time engine - baggage car and four coaches. Two bandits came thru shooting guns to hold up the train and demanding your valuables. 50c for adults - 25c for children. This must be a gold mine. Next took a ride on the stagecoach. Big Bob sat w/ the driver,- Tommy-myself and young Bob sat on top of the stage coach behind the driver - Kay sat on the top back facing the rear w/Jean and Kathy on either side. Helen and Gladys sat inside the coach w/ Debby and Patty. Four horses - ride lasts less than five minutes. Two mounted bandits held the stage up also. Everybody put their hands up and the driver handed them the mail bag. 50c for grown ups-25c for children. The beauty of this place is that you don't have to spend a cent and still see everything. They have a small natural ampitheatre where free shows are given and all around the top rim are old Conestoga Wagons that still have water barrels axes-shovels all fastened to the sides. Seats inside to watch the performance which we did not see. I could fill a book alone on what there is to see here and actually we didn't get o see it all because were leg weary.. Left about 5PM. Only about half hours drive. An unforgettable experience.

in a matter of minutes. Next man chops off the legs and burns off the small pin feathers. They are then hooked to an overhead conveyer and go into a glassed in room where a lot of women disembowel them - cut them apart- wash them and they are ready for the kitchen. The complete operation in less than five minutes. We did not have chicken for dinner but rather a small dinner steak which I have checked on the menu. We had put in our reservation in about 11AM for a table for eleven and we didn't get called until after two. They page you by a loud speaker system. The salad served you first is more than you can eat and the lettuce was cut in chunks - their own salad dressing was delicious. A basket of hot rolls which kept disappearing - a small cup of soup - a jar of boysenberry jam on the table and then came the steak  large enough w/ French fries or baked potatoe and green peas. A small paper cup of mint sherbet was served with the dinner and coffee. No other desert. The dining room was Spanish style w/all kinds of Indian portraits on the wall. Our table had a sort of frond roof supported by four posts at the corners. We sat on drum heads of rawhide with low supporting back. See the picture in the Menu book

Tuesday July 12th

Everybody up early. Big doings-going to Knott's Berry Farm. With all the excitement didn't actually get going until after eleven o'clock. This place defies description so I have inserted here some of the descriptive literature and post cards that I picked up. It is really fabulous - all started from nothing  - all run by the one Corporation- setting in the Old West tradition and out of this world. No admittance charge and you actually need the whole day to see everything. We wandered around until we came to the chicken processing plant. There are 750 workers in the organization and in the chicken plant alone I would say they had about 50. The chickens are put into a one way pen and on the opposite side a gate is lifted. One man grabs a bird by the head and body and pulls the neck down over a projecting knife cutting the head off. He then stuffs it into a metal receptacle until they are bled and stop kicking around. He handles about a dozen at a time. Next they are placed in a sort of large covered strainer and dunked into boiling water for just a few minutes - automatically timed. Up comes the container and three men take them and hold the bodies against a round revolving rubber drum that takes off all the feathers

Monday July 11th

Woke up about 8 AM. Showered and dressed and we planned to take it easy. It didn't work out that way. About 1:00pm Bob and Kay decided to go to the beach with all the kids and I went along with them. A beautiful spot in a cove - ocean water- playground for the kids- my first time in the water and I pick up unconsciously a horrible sunburn. Didn't realize it until after we got back to the house and brother was I in trouble. That was four days ago and only now am I getting over the effects of it. Just a plain damn fool - no brains. Did nothing the rest of the day and night but sit around and talk and talk and talk. Got to bed after twelve - nice deep sleep -comfortable bed - good pillow - all alone.

Had an opportunity to look around and see the building that is going and it's absolutely crazy. A development Company gets a tract of land - lays out the plans and then the wheels start to move. Everything is on a mass production basis. Will try to dig more into this construction phase a little later with some idea of what they cost.

metal stand - same as we have in Boston Offices only that the water contains Fluorine. That is what everybody at least in this home drinks. Being a Nurse Kay has been conscious of the poor teeth and not long after they came out here they started going to a young modern dentist with the result that the three eldest all wear what they call spacers. They are actually false teeth on a plate to fill in the places where their first teeth had been pulled. This insures when their permanent teeth come in they will be straight and not our of line. Bob feels there has been a definite  improvement in their teeth since they started using the Fluorated water. Back in that dentist Period they spent nearly $300. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are quite an organization out this way and at the time the kids join up the parents are given to understand but definitely that this is a cooperative affair and the the parents expected to take an active part in cooperation w/the other parents. Big Bob is a Chief and he is called Thunder-Wonder and young Bob is called Little Thunder-Wonder. Bob is a Union Plumber and the Union Scale calls for $3.34 per hour. No Saturday work unless a real emergency. On rare occasions they might work nine hours per day. His work will vary from 5 miles to 17 miles from home. Kay as a Registered Nurse works in the Los Freitas maternity hospital usually as night duty from 11 PM to 7 AM. There is a tremendous shortage of qualified Nurses out here. The two oldest go to school -Patty Ann to Nursery school and if she returns to work in September, Debby the 3 1/2 yr old will also go to Nursery School. It all seems to work out all right. Kay has a woman come in once a week for general cleaning @ $1.00 per hour. They pay the Bank $83 monthly which includes Taxes and Insurance.

My left arm from driving became sun-baked and I should have had some protection either by an awning or covering of some kind. Burned thru in one spot and it will take time to get it back in shape. Outside of that everything was fine-nobody got sick. Should mention at this time that Bob and Kay have four youngsters- Kathy 8-Bobby 7- Patty 5- Debby 3. Now imagine these four plus our Jean age 10: Tommy age 8. Six children plus five grown ups-eleven in all so you can imagine how we all fit in -but we do. About 98% of the homes have garbage Disposals which means they have no Honey Collections  such as we have. This takes care of everything but large bones. Have just found out that the Central Fireplace has a gas starter. They do not use newspaper to start the fire as the chimneys have no dampers and the soot from the papers would plug up the spark screen on top of the chimney and stop the necessary draft. The water here is hard to take. It actually is Colorado River water and in my case keeps me quite constipated. Bob's kids had been having a lot of trouble with their teeth so at the suggestion of their Dentist they obtained a separate supply of water that comes in a 5 gallon caroy with a self cooling arrangement. Sets on a

We had planned to do a lot of cooking out along the road and had taken along two picnic freeze boxes. We might just as well have one of them home and possibly the other as well for each time we stopped to cook out we had to unload the trunk -picnic basket-dishes-freezers-when we got thru dishes had to be washed-packed away and all back in the trunk of the car again. Don't think it was worth it and probably won't do it on the way home. The most important things were the two jugs. The half gallon jug was glass lined and did not hold the cold so well. This we would fill with ice cubes-put in two cans of frozen concentrated orang juice  and this they would feed during the course of the days trip. It would start to get warm about 2 PM and then we would dilute it with water from the gallon jug. The gallon jug was stone like a crock and kept cold much longer. The children preferred this to the orange juice, Periodically Helen and Gladys would wet a napkin and I would wash my face to keep me awake. They would also wash the top of my head and the back of my neck to keep me awake. These were indispensable.

As I said before we covered 3641 miles in 8 1/2 days. We lost some time in visiting places like the Meramar Caverns and the Grand Canyon but they were well worth it and I think it has made the same impression on Tommy and Jean. I must say that all in all they behaved well on the whole trip and on the last end of the trip had them sitting up front with me. Generally speaking we averaged over four hundred miles a day and could have done better if it weren't for the wind -resistance that the load on the top created. Average speed was between 55 and 60. Then of course was the almost continual hollering by the ladies to slow down followed by a whack on the noggin to emphasize their point. Their never ending worry was about the tires which they were afraid would blow out and we would all be killed. These are the original tires that came on the car and had gone 17,041 miles We had no tire trouble of any kind - not  a skip in the motor and I added only one quart of oil for the engine and quart for the Ford-a-Matic