October 10, 1977 (Letter from Lar)

I haven't heard when the return flight will arrive in New York.  It come in on Wednesday, November 23rd.  I've been expecting to get a letter from Militair to tell me what time the return flight comes in.  I will write them a letter today.

It was Dad's birthday today.  Mom and Dad went to Alfie's in Jamestown for supper.

Today was a paid holiday for Dale.  (Columbus Day)

I'm pretty well set for the trip.  It's just a matter of getting everything together and packing.  I still have to get travelers checks.

As soon as I find out what time the flight comes in, I'll drop you a line.

You still plan on meeting me in New York on the 23rd, don't you?

August 28, 1977 (Letter from Lar)

I'm sitting at home in my recliner watching Jacques Cousteau on TV.  It's been awhile since I've written, so now is a good time.  I've been busy working as much as I can.  The extra money will help when I go to Europe.

I can fly round trip to Europe for less than $300 on a military flight.  I should be leaving Oct 27th and coming back on Nov. 23rd.  The weather will probably be cold but I plan on being prepared for it.

I bought a new sleeping bag.  It's a fiber-filled bag, I got it from L. L. Bean.  I need a good parka now.

Mike, Bruce, Monty and I had a corn and venison roast at Washington Park last nite.  We stayed there til after midnight.  We wanted to do something different for a change.  We had a good time.

My writing is kind of sloppy cause I've got the pad in my lap.

It's Monday afternoon now.  I'm going to try to finish this letter now.

It is thunder storming for the past hour.  We needed the rain, things were starting to dry up a bit.

Frank is on vacation for two weeks, so I'm working by myself.  Frank will be retiring next January.  It won't be long til I take the show over.  I'll have to have some help in the summer.

Bob Nelson moved into the small apartment at the Myers old house.  He will do yardwork for his rent.  I won't have to be mowing there anymore.

Mrs. Crary plans on having a showing of Mr. Crary's photographs on Sept. 16th.  We were framing some pictures today.  There is still a lot of little things to do before the exhibition.

It has stopped raining so I'll ride my bike to the store.

May 12, 1977 (Letter from Lar)

Thanks for the card.

I am still getting the New Times.  That's one magazine I wouldn't give up.

As far as I can tell, Mom and Dad don't have the book "The Lutherans in North America".

I had a nice birthday.  We had trout for dinner at home.  Mom made a rice pudding with honey which was very good.  Mom and Dad gave me a set of colorful sheets and a fireproof strongbox to store important papers in.

Mom made a spice cake and put vanilla ice cream between the layers and topped with whipping cream. I wouldn't have any frosting on my birthday cake.

Supertramp is a pretty popular group in Buffalo.  They used to play a lot of the Crisis? What Crisis? album last year.

I just heard on the radio that the Moody Blues have a new double album out.  Three sides are live and one side is new studio music.

Dad was feeling down yesterday.  He's upset about the church.  The attendance is down as it is in most other churches.  Dad blames himself.  He would like to retire early.

Dale doesn't like working at the Process.  He'll get his first paycheck tomorrow, maybe he will like it a little better.

November 9, 1976 (Letter from Lar)

We had 6" of snow yesterday.  I think the weatherman is right about forecasting a cold, snowy winter.

The Printz Co. in Warren is closing.  I made some sale signs and received $170 worth of clothes for my work.  I was in need of some new clothes, since I don't send much on clothes.

Mom & Dad got a letter from Barb today.  She seemed pretty upset.  She is thinking of moving back on base.

I've heard a couple cuts from Al Stewart's new album, they were both excellent.  There hasn't been much in the way of new music.  They sure made a lot of hype about Stevie Wonder's new album.

I'm not in a letter writing mood, but I wanted to get one off to you since it's been quite awhile.

I just went downstairs to hit my punching bag.  After I hit it for awhile, I feel very relaxed.  I was chilled, hitting it for 5 minuets warmed me up a lot.  I got the idea for it from Johnny.  My duffle bag is ripping so I'll have to get a new one soon.

Sunday, September 26, 1976 (Letter from Lar)

Dale let me use his stereo set while he's at school.  I listened to "The Royal Scam" for 5 days straight, and I'm not tired of it.

I just wrote a letter to Barb.

I went bowling today.  Got a 181, pretty good for not bowling in quite a while.

Mike & I had supper here tonight.  We had squash from my garden with cheese, sweet corn, Mom's rye bread, and Mike had steak.

Mom, Dad & I are going to Rose's for supper tomorrow.  Mel & Levina will be there too.

On the radio at 10:00 on Sundays nites is our old time radio hour.  They have comedy programs from around the 40's.  Some are good and some aren't so good.

Since I have Dale's stereo, I'm listening to albums a lot more.  The only problem is I don't have much of a record collection.

It's been raining all day.  It hasn't let up at all.

Not much else going on in Warren.

June 16, 1976 (Letter from Larry)

It's a rainy nite.  We've needed the rain for about two weeks.  Everything was so dry.

I just got home from a retirement party for a lady who worked at Printz.  Dale & I went.  We stuffed ourselves.  We had a real good time.

The family from Sweden was here last week.  They were fun to be with.  The girls gave me their address in Stockholm.  I do plan on visiting them.

I received my first issue of New Times.  I read it cover to cover.

I enjoy my job now more than ever.  I'm getting the feel of everything.

I visit with Mrs. Crary a lot.  Sometimes we sit and talk for hours.  She's very interesting.

I was planning on having another garden on Quaker Rd. but I couldn't find enough time to get up there and do some work.   With my own garden, yard work, and the extra work at Fort Myers I don't have time for much else.  I like being busy, I'm happiest when I'm working.

Not much going on in Warren that you'd be interested in.

May 25, 1976 (Letter from Larry)

Thank you for the birthday present -- even though I haven't received an issue yet   Mom told me it was New Times.  I wanted to get a subscription myself but didn't want to spend the money.

I bought a dresser today for $15.  I got it at the Watson Home.  It's big so it will hold some of the clothes I had laying on a chair for almost a year.

I wish there ere a few good FM station here to choose from.  Right now I am listening to WBNY.  It's the easy listening station next to QFM.

I've been doing yardwork after supper but tonight it is raining so it gives me a chance to write some letters.

I watched the Ali-Duran fight last night with Mrs. Crary.  I've been going in to see her two or three nights a week.  I like being with her and she enjoys having the company.  She gets lonely having to be by herself all night.

That's all for now.

April 27, 1976 (Letter from Larry)

Mom and Dad are still excited about having seen the Kind of Sweden.  They're collecting as many newspaper clippings as they can get a hold of.  Even Mrs. Crary was more excited than me about the king coming to this area.

I'm glad you love your job.  Everything is going great with my job.  Mrs. Crary and I are getting along very well.  We've had some long talks and we've been trading different reading materials lately.

It's nice to have a place of your own, something that is an extension of yourself.

I was given a TV so I made a TV room out of my spare room.  I doubt it I'll be watching it much, but it'll be nice to have for when there is something special on.

It jumped from summer to winter.  The weather put a stop to my gardening activities.  Luckily, nothing has frozen.

Did that girl from Binghamton get a hold of you?

Mom & Dad are relieved that Dale doesn't have to go to jail anymore.  Dale is looking for a full time job now.

August 6, 1975 (Letter from Lar)

I've got some spare time so I'll write you before I go to bed.  I haven't had much time to sit and relax lately.

My garden is doing good.  I've picked a lot of squash (zucchini & yellow) and beans.  The tomatoes are just starting to ripen.

Had a nice time in New England.  I always like going to Ed & Gen's.  John is getting big.  He's doing alright for being over protected.

I really enjoyed going thru Vermont & New Hampshire gain.  It's such beautiful country.

It was nice to get away from Warren for a week but I was glad to get back.  Especially to my job, which is the thing that keeps me in Warren.

I got a Swedish album from the library.  Barb has been listening to it a lot but I've only had a chance to hear one side.  It's an excellent album.

Today is Wednesday.  It's been raining all way.  We needed the rain a lot.

I bought the book "The End of Affluence" by Paul Ehrlich.  I recommend it highly.

July 7, 1975 (Letter from Larry)

I recently received your letter.  I owe Barb a letter but I wanted to write to you in reply to your letter.

You didn't enclose the cartoon in the last letter.

Bruce, Mike, and I went to Allegheny State Park this weekend.  We met the girls from Buffalo. We always have a good time with them.  We went to see them in Buffalo about a month ago.

It's been hot, humid, and dry here.  We need some rain.

I'm glad to hear you're getting along good without your car.  I wish I didn't need my truck, but if I didn't have it I wouldn't be able to do yardwork and haul stuff for my garden.

I was surprised to hear that your stereo isn't the valued possession it once was.  It is nice to have when you live alone.

I would really have to make a drastic change to buy a TV.

The tone of your letter sounds like something from The Mother Earth News.  If you can get a hold of Mother Earth you should read the interview.  They're great.  Like Paul Ehrlich No. 28, John Shuttleworth no. 31 & 32.  Paul Ehrlich as a couple good books.  "The Population Bomb" and "The End of Affluence".  A book I think you'd really like to read i "The Great Frontier" by Walter Prescott Webb, copyrighted in 1951. I got it from the library but never had a chance to read it.

Your letter didn't sound too preachy.  I've felt that way for a long time.  Something has to be done about the fucked up way this world is run.  I think we're in for some hard times ahead.  The simpler we live in the future the easier it will be to make it if and when times get bad.  That' why I want to learn as much as I can about growing my own food.  To me that's one of the most important things in life.  We could have a good life if technology was used properly instead of abused.

It's Tuesday nite.  The only time I get to write is before I go to bed.

I think the reason the straight press doesn't write about the greed of the big corporations is because they are controlled by big money.

People are like sheep. They will follow anything.  People are afraid to change their ways, unless it b ecomes "in style".

There are times when I'd like to leave this country and go to Sweden.

We can't go on consuming at this rate.  There has to be a big change coming in the future.

I'm enclosing a letter from the Cousteau Society.  I think I'll join it, the money would be put to good use I'm sure.

June 29, 1975 (Letter from Larry)

It's about 8:30 Sunday morning and I thought now would be the best time to write.  I've been real busy and haven't had much spare time.

There's nothing unusual to tell.  Mom's probably filled you in with everything that's been happening lately.

Dale looks nice with his haircut.  I think he will start settling down after the summer is over. High school friends have a lot of influence on him, but I think Dale will be less influenced in the fall and start using his head.

Barb was home a couple weeks ago.  She really looked nice.

Do they have Mother Earth News in the prison library?  I've noticed in the personal columns where prisoners want to correspond with  Mother Earth type people.  I'm sure there are a lot of prisoners who'd like to read the magazine.

We're having our class reunion at the Youngsville Fire Hall.  I'm looking forward to going.

I'm hoping Mom and Dad go to New England this summer cause I would like to go.

Hope things are okay out in Montana.

April 16, 1975 (Letter from Larry)

Georgetown Lake, south of Philipsburg, Montana (Spring 1975)

I've wanted to write you for awhile, but there hasn't been much to write about.  I don't have anything special to say, but I wanted to get a letter off anyhow.

It doesn't seem much like spring here.  Down in the 20's at night and up in the low 40's during the day.

They're starting work on the house the Crary's are building.  It should be done by fall.

How was your trip to Berkeley?

Dale went to a concert in Erie tonight.  Mom didn't want him to drive but she gave in.  It's Dale's birthday tomorrow.  Now' he'll probably be going to Jamestown a lot.  He seems to be more settled down.  He did take a girl to the concert tonight.

Mike Brindis should be here in about two weeks.  It will be good to see him.

February 18, 1975 (Letter from Larry)

I'm not doing anything so I decided to write you a letter.

It's been warm the past couple days and most of the snow is melting away.  It felt like spring today, working outside.

I made 2 rabbit traps about a month ago.  The rabbits like to eat the roses and other vegetables.  Finally got one today.  Frank showed me how to skin it.  I had half of it for supper tonight.  I froze the other half.  It was good but leaner and tougher than domesticated meat.  You have to chew it more.  I had asked frank, if we got a rabbit,k if he would show me how to skin it.  It's something that I feel I should know how to do.

I've been learning Swedish.  If I stick to it I should be able to speak it fairly well.  It's quite easy.

I'm going to pick up an order for the Jamestown food coop either this Saturday or next.  I've save a lot of money buying from the coop.

I'll be starting to do some yard work on my own soon.  I have to prune some grapes and an apple tree.  That has to be done in winter or early spring.  I'm looking forward to planting my garden.  I sent for the seeds two weeks ago.  It will be a couple months before I do any planting.

I hope to do more yard work on my own this summer.  It's like a hobby that pays well.

I've been wanting to do some woodcarving for awhile.  But haven't been in the right mood for it.  Barb gave me some woodcarving tools for Christmas but I've used them once.

I think this  year is going to be a good year.  Mainly because last year was a bad year.  It was a time for searching and getting myself together.  I feel a lot more confident about my future.  I feel alone because there's nobody in Warren I can really relate to.  The people I've met at the food coop are basically into the same thing I am, but it's hard to really get to know them when they live in another city.  I do want to become more involved with the coop.  Then I can get to know some good people.

January 23, 1975 (Letter from Larry)

How's things in Montana?  It's cold here.  Was down to almost 0 this morning.  I'm sitting my the heater while I write.  I keep my place at about 65.  I just got out of the shower and felt a little cold.

Thanks for the "Family" album.  I've been looking for the Can album but can't find it around here.  Bruce said he saw it in Cleveland.  Bruce and I plan on going to Cleveland in a couple weeks on a Saturday.  Then I could pick up the album.

Dale got expelled for two days for skipping a class.  Dad was kinda upset but he's getting used to things like that.

I'm taking Mom and Dad out to eat on their anniversary this Sunday.

I made out my income tax last night and I'll be getting $100 back.

I've started reading some of Eric Sloane's books.  I really enjoy his books of early Americana.

October 20, 1974 (Letter from Larry)

I wanted to tell you about the plans Barb and I have.

Even if we're married we still want to get some land together.  Barb says she plans to sell her car, pay off her loan and then start saving.  I'm starting to be more careful of how I spend my money so I can save as much as possible. Dad might be retiring in  3 years so maybe he would want to go in on the land also.  He did mention about getting a house trailer when he retires.  That would make things nice if we found some land without a house on it.  I think Mom and Dad decided that building a new house would be too expensive, especially with the price of lumber and building materials.  It would be nice to get something like Ed's aunt's farm.

If you wanted to go in on it too, it would be nice.  By then you'll probably be out of Montana. Maybe you'd have a job in New England.  It's hard to say what everybody will be doing 3 or 4 years from now, but it would be nice if we could all be together.

Barb and I were thinking of going to Sweden after she gets out of the navy.  I'm sure I could take the time off from work.  Frank will probably be here for four more y ears and it would be bests to tke the time off before he left.  The Crary's might not even be living in 3 yeras.  If both of them died I would most likely leave Warren.

Well, I just wanted to tell you my dreams (and Barb's.).

Have a good birthday.

October 1, 1973 (Letter from Larry)

Enclosed in an article from Prevention which I hope will help you.

In reply to your 2nd letter:

I watch very few sci-fi stuff on the boob toob.

I've never had an idol, but there's actually a kind of fear about meeting anybody for the first time.

I'm not looking for an easy, guiltless way to reject Jesus.  I started rejecting Jesus in my early years of high school.  (If used to pay "in Jesus name" but I quit that cause it didn't make any sense to me.)

You say you can't attribute the voice of guidance in yourself to Christ or anybody else's philosophy.  Either am I.  That's why I stoned praying to God and started praying to myself after high school and I was on my own and really thought a lot.

I'm surely not replacing Daniken for Christ, that would be just another idol, which I couldn't have.

I agree with your completely "to worship an image or idol is to deny the self".

I guess I have a spaceship mind like Daniken cause I think man came to earth via spaceship.


I'm listening to golden-oldie night on WRRN.  It's good.

September 19, 1973 (Letter from Larry)

Your opinion of the book "Chariots of the Gods" and Daniken doesn't alter my opinion of him and his book(s) one bit.  You suggest to me that I should read it again.  I suggest to you that you read his other book "Return of the Gods".  Daniken may not be a writer, but he's just trying to get across his ideas as best as he can.  Some of his points might be hard to grasp to people who fear or are narrow minded.

I'll go into my ideas based on this man's finding.  First, I don't believe in the Bible, as most people do.  It's just a history book which has been greatly misunderstood.  I have no "fear of God", a God that isn't even real.  My God is my conscience and everything around me (earth, sun, stars).   Jesus Christ was just a human.  With so many religions and false gods it's easy for me to feel this way.  To give some example about the Bible (I could never understand the Bible when I was young).

For instance.  Can you imagine people blowing horns and having the walls of Jericko (sp) fall down.  Scientists have developed a sound-vibration machine that could crumble a whole building.  Doesn't it seem more logical the other intelligences were on Earth with a similar device and crumbled the walls of Jericho that way.  But it got written in the Bible as people blowing the wall down with their horns!

A couple of weeks ago on TV there was an hour program called "In Search of the Ancient Astronauts" based on Daniken ideas.  It had evidence, movie pictures of of many things around the world that support his ideas.



I can only believe that Earth has been visited by other intelligences and we are most likely descended of beings form outer space.  It's so much more logical than the Adam and Eve bullshit story.  If you look at the Bible from a different perspective things can become much more logical.  I could go on and on but I'd just be quoting Daniken.

Even before reading Daniken books I was searching for an alternative to present day religion.

A very moving thought came from a Navajo Indian I went to school with.  He said "We have no Jesus Christ, our God is the earth, people, animals, everything."  And "Why should we worry about how we got here or what we came from, we have enough to worry about with the present and the future."

It was after talking with him that I knew I couldn't believe in Jesus Christ anymore or fear God.  I believe nobody should fear anything.  When I was young I couldn't understand how we could fear and love somebody at the same time.  It just didn't make sense.

The main thing to get through life is faith.  People need to have faith in something so they have faith in God, Jesus Christ and the Bible, but to me this is blind faith.  All the faith should be in yourself.

A few more ideas from my head.  Astrology was taught to us by intelligences from outer space.

Every invention every thought up has been thought of before by other intelligences.  I think that their knowledge has been passed on in the brain since they first interbred with us.

I think I could explain myself better in person.

October 19, 1971 (Letter from Larry)

I just read your letter and I wanted to write to you while my thoughts were fresh in my head.

Pink Floyd is coming to Cleveland on Nov 6th and I'm hoping I get to see them.

School is going okay but it's a rinky-dink ass school.  I'm trying to do my best but the teaching and administration is fucked up.  It isn't really worth the money but I'm going to make the most of it.  I'd like to go to Ken State after I get out of this school but it depends on the money situation.  It's supposed to be one of the best architectural schools in the nation and besides that there are a lot of freaks down in Kent.

Did you hear that Ford and June bought Bambenek's cottage at Lake Spread Eagle.  Mom and Dad were hoping they would rent nit out so they could go up to the lake for 2 weeks t his summer.  I"d really like to go with them.

About my bad trip -- it really fucked me up.  I don't know what Mom or Dad told you but I'll you the whole story.  I've only touched the chemicals twice -- both times acid.  The first time was out here in Cleveland.  I was over at these guys apartment and just about everybody dropped.  I dropped 1/4 tab and went home by myself.  It wasn't too bad of oa trip.  I just got a lot of cramps and I felt weaker than hell.  I didn't plan on droping again for quite awhile but about three weeks later I dropped with Monty and some other guys.  It was about 2:00 Sunday morning when I did it.  I didn't want to do anything cause I knew that I would have to go to church in a few hours.  Anyhow they persuaded me to, they told me when I first took it that it was mesc, but after about a half hour they told me it was really acid.  I didn't really care then, I wasn't pissed at them for doing it.  But I started peaking about an hour later, I thought I was going to die, I had such bad cramps I could hardly breathe.  I told one of the guys I was with to check me (I was lying in the back seat of a car) every once in awhile to make sure I was still alive.  It really fucked me up.  Things began to be a little beteter when I started coming down but I had terrible cramps.

I went home about 10:30 Sunday morning and nobody was home so I went to bed.  I was still really fucked up, I would hear bells, hammering sounds, motorcycles, just about anything in my head and there was nothing around making the noises.  I thought I was going to be fucked up the rest of my life.  I even told Mom and Dad that they should take me to the State Hospital for observation.  But they wanted to wait a day to see how I'd be.  I didn't start getting back to normal til about 5:00 Sunday nite.  I still wasn't sure if I was going to be normal or not.

It took me about 3 or 4 weeks to get my head clear.  Like about a week or so after this experience I had a couple beers and I laid down and I hear swoshing and cricket like sounds in my head.  Even when I smoked some hash I'd hear cricket sounds but it's been about 7 weeks since that and it doesn't affect my head cuz I don't drink or smoke anymore.

What could have caused such a bad trip is that the acid was probably cut with strychnine (a rat poison) cause it is supposed to cause the bad cramps.

I'll never do chemicals again -- I'd be afraid that it could kill me.  I'll never stop smoking (no reason to).

I listneed to a program on one of the underground radio stations about drugs.  It was a talk session with Cleveland's chief underground toxicologist.  (He inspects the dope in Cleveland that people bring to him.)  I just want to give you some true facts about dope all over the United States.

You've probably never had mescaline before because it done't exist on the street.  If you really have had it, it would have cost about $25 a hit, that's about how much it costs to synthesize it and it is rare in its pure form.  THC doesn't exist outside a laboratory and that would cost $75 per dose cause it is a complicated synthesis.

You won't always get pure acid, a lot of time it's poor quality acid cut with speed or strychnine nto give it strength.

There's no reason why you should get involved with downs or speed -- they can't do anything for you.

Eve the grass is dangerous if it's sprayed or soaked in a chemical.  It's even more dangerous when you smoke a chemical.

The toxicologists does public service announcements on the station so most everything I said is quoted from him.  But I read articles form different people who say the same, so it's not bullshit.

I don't have anything against your taking acid but there's no way in hell that you are sure that it's acid.

It is possible to retrip on LCD under extreme tension.

I would take mesc if I was sure it was pure and could afford it.  But I'd be afraid to take pure acid, I'll never buy any chemical off the street.  The only thing I buy is grass or hash and even then I can't be sure if it hasn't been stepped on.

That's enough of that -- I just wanted to tell you how I felt and a few facts that you might not have known.

I hope everything that I've been writing makes sense.  I wrote down things so fast and I don't plan on proofreading 5 pages.

Mom might have told you I got my hair cut -- I just got about an inch or so of the back so it would grow in more even.

I hope you didn't think I turned straight from what Mom and Dad said.  I could never do that.  I don't' have to take the chemicals to be a freak.

i'm still working at school as a janitor but I'm going to have to have someone start helping me out cause I've been working over 40 hrs/week plus going to school 25 hrs/week that doesn't leave me much time to do anything.  Well my hand is getting tired so i"ll probably see you Christmas.

I hate to bug you about this but know what you're putting down.

This is the longest fuckin letter I've ever written.