August 20, 1977 (Letter from Cheryl)

Sittin' here spacing out, & was writin' letters to everyone so here I am writing to you.  It's been almost a month since I heard from you, longer since I wrote you.  Hope this finds you in good health, and stayin' loaded and not working to hard.

We're all doin great here.  Shorts still works in the mine, and still likes it; the kids are getting' ready to go back to school the 29th, and I'm looking forward to alot of time on my hands, come then.  Don't really know if I'm gonna like it or not tho.  Guess I have no choice tho.  I'll figure something out.

We went to Billings about oa month ago, then last wk.end we went to Missoula.  Had a really great time & saw "Star Wars" which is really a good movie, bought some albums & went to the "top Hat" & heard a really good country band.  Saw my aunt & uncle & one of my cousins which I hadn't seen in over a year.  She'd gotten married since I saw her last.  Marriage seems to change people for some reason.

My brother popped in about 3 wks ago and it sure was good to see him.  He's gonna try and get on in the mine, which he'll probably do, cuz he's worked there before and all the college kids are quitting next wk.  Summer is always a good time for me.  People come to see us or we go to see them.  Too bad it's so short.

We're going to Banff National Park over Labor Day and I can hardly wait.  None of us have been to this part of Canada, and from what I here it's really beautiful up there.  A lot of mountains and big trees.  Should be a good trip.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Our pot crop is really bad.  I've had it planted since May and it isn't even 3 foot high yet.  We've had a really hot summer, too, but from all the other plants & fruit trees up here on the hill; it seems like they only grow & produce every other year.  So, if that's the case, next year we'll have one hell of a good crop.  At least I Hope so.  Not that I'd wanta live in the big city but from what you say, your crop is doin' really good.  Wish I had some of your green thumb on pot.  The dope situation out here is really good the past 2 weeks as far as speed.  There's been a lot of it around, and for a good price, but we try and stay away from it any more.  Well, as much as we can.  Mostly just on the wk.days.  The weekends get pretty wild.  It's one hell of a party and a lot of fun.

Haven't heard from George in a long time, but I know from his ma, he's still in the joint & not doin so well.  Guess the warden sent his ma a letter with a bunch of questions, so she wrote back and they sent the answers to the shrink there.  They think he's crazy.  He is, but it's not good for any one to know it but his family.  Oh well, such is life.

Was glad to hear you had such a good time with all your people & friends.  Too bad you couldn't take a long vacation & come out here to visit.  It isn't nothing like the big city, but it's nice & mellow & the people are great.  I'd like to see you again, one of these days.

Well, we're goin' to visit somne friends so I'm gonna go for now.  Take care of yourself and write soon.

Just out of curisoity's sake, how much does pot go for?  An ounze (the spelling's not right) it's goin for $60 here for Columbian.

July 15, 1976 (Letter from Cheryl)

Sorry it's taken so long to ans. your letter, but alot has been goin on.  Saw George for 4 days last month and it was so good to see him.  He really enjoyed seeing & being with the kids and believe it or not him & Shorts got along good.  Everyone took it good except me.  I wanted to go back to him so bad & wanted him to stay but he couldn't.  He already broke his parole.  He left and we haven't heard from him since.  I just hope he's okay.  No one has come lookin for him yet either.  I wonder why cuz they usually do.  Maybe they figure their better off without him.

We went to West Yellowstone and it sure wasn't like all the years before.  No one was there I knew except one person and millions of pigs.  They even had guards there from Deer Lodge, with dogs.  We didn't stay there, we went camping.  Had alot of fun doin' that.

Georgie's birthday was the 7th and we had a big party with cake, ice cream, presnts & spankings. Sure was fun -- he was 11.

We'll be movin in 30 days but I'll still have the same p.o. box number.  What happened is the landlady's son just got out of the navy and he's gonna buy this place and she wants to move in here.  She gave us an eviction notice and the whole shot.  So everything we put into this place we're tearing up, or down or takin' with us.  It was a junk pile when we moved in, so that's the way she'll get it back.  I don't mind leavin the house, it's the area -- the mountains & peace & quiet -- but we'll find something (I hope).

So how ya doin?  Real good I hope.  Still goin' to junk stores?  They opened up 2 new ones here and they got some neat stuff in em.  But we got to much stuff already.  It'll take a u-haul trailer to move us & our junk.

Well, I've gotta go -- only have 2 pieces of paper left and 2 more letters to write.  So you take care of yourself and write back sooner than I did.  If I hear from George I'll tel him hello for ya.  Bye for now.

May 13, 1976 (Letter from Cheryl)

I'm finally gettin around to ans. letters.  Usually I'll ans. the next day, but lately I haven't been doin much writing.  I only owe about 7 letters.  I enjoyed your last letter -- it sounds like your happy and doin great -- and I'm happy for you.  Myself I don't think I could live in a big city any more.  Too many people, cars and cops.

I've been doin alot of stuff outside lately, the weather is just beautiful.  The mountain behind us is just full of flowers and it's really pretty.  I've planted all my flowers and my garden and their all doin really good.  We've kind of got 2 pet blue jays who hang around here, and I had trouble with em at first with the seeds I planted.  Mostly the corn & pot seeds.  But they've kinda mellowed out now. But it's really neat to be able to have a pet like that.

For some reason the welfare lady has been hasseling us the past wk.  She keeps insisting me & Shorts are married and I have a strange feeling she's gonna kick me off.  She even called my Aunt and wanted to know if I beat or abused my kids.  She's really a bitch.  I don't care if she kicks me off but I'll sure miss the food stamps -- oh well, maybe things will work themselves out.

We took some people to Columbia Falls, Mont. last wk. end and really had a good trip. We stopped off in Missoula Friday nite and just got loose.  Then Sat. we went cruising around Msla, bought alot of albums and a bunch of junk (that ya can't get here, including downers -- yellows). Sat. nite we did the downers by Flathead Lake.  Was really fun. Me & George caught some fish and cooked em up.  They were pretty good to. The country up there is really pretty; I took alot of pictures.  We're goin back to Missoula over Memorial Day wk.end for my cousin's graduation.  It should be a good party.

George wants to go see his dad that wk. end but I don't know if we are.  He wrote & asked his dad if he could come see him, but so far he hasn't ans. back.  If he doesn't ans. back then we aren't goin, but I hope he does.  It would really hurt Georgie's feelings.  I suppose I wouldn't mind seeing him either but I don't like to think about that very hard.   His mom wrote me yesterday & said he goes to board the last wk of May & that he has a job & a place to live promised him, so he's pretty sure he'll get out.  He also said it'll seem strange not to be with me and the kids.  It's really going to be a hard trip to go threw, esp. if he comes here.  I still love him very much but.....

There's really alot of old furniture and antiques around here, which I really like.  In the mountains behind us, you ca take a shovel and just dig any where and find old bottles.  I've gotten so many in just the yr we've been here I don't have any room left to put any more.  But if we find more I won't threw em away.  George was in the mountains last wk with his friends just messin around & they saw a bear.  It really freaked me out cuz I'm really afraid of bears, but they thought it was neat. Just so they stay up there & don't come down here.

Well it's almost time to get George up for school, so I'd better go for now.  This is the best time of the day.  I get up at 6:00 to get Shorts off  to work and it's so quiet and peaceful.  I really enjoy our life here.  Anyway, take care, don't work too hard & write soon!  Bye for now.