the journals of alan rhodes

Always hovering in the background this year were the events of Watergate. I hearings began in May, I remember at least one occasion at Donna's watching them (and possibly Andy's).

Jethro Tull plays the Forum June 2nd, but they were out of favour with us because of "Passion Play"...

What follows are the only events for the months June, July and August for which dates exist.

June 6 Wednesday
Ralph, Dave, Lesley and I went to my parent's farm for the day, driving there in the Lincoln. Paul's mother is there, and probably drunk, freaked us out (there are stories of this woman lifting her shirt on airplanes). On the way back we stopped in Hawksbury for gas, pooled our money, and got about $3 worth. The attendant wished us luck. We did make it, hitting 100 mph on the Ste Anne's bridge. Dave sang.

Dave and Alan

June 12 Tuesday
From Ralph's photos. Dave, Phyl Douse [see below] and I were at Ralph's. I bought a pair of platform shoes this day [which still exist].

On November 30, 1996, Gillian finally came through with the first excerpts from her journals covering June 1973 through 1974.

From Gillian:
June 25 Monday
Today Alan drove Donna, Ralph and I to the A&W. Then Ralph and Alan came back with me until 5:30.

June 28-29 Thursday-Friday
Sheila visited. One night we had the Lincoln parked on Golf Ave (Gillian was away). I remember Sheila (visiting) and Andy there, though there were more. Andy said it would be funny if a group of clowns came up, each in large clown shoes, picked up the car and threw it in the pond. The police came and told us to move. We had hash and thought we were going to get busted. We piled everyone in and drove away. We passed the police again later.

Sheila, Dave, Ralph and I were in the parking lot of the A+W in D.D.O (where Donna may have already working), sitting in the car. We saw Alex Mitchell, the school rich boy (he drove a Bentley) and one of its drug dealers. Ralph and Dave made loud comments in his direction (Alex had had a guy at school, George, beaten up because he had scratched his Bentley. Violence was not an accepted thing with us), he came over and threatened me instead. He poured what he said was gasoline over the car (I'm sure now it wasn't), and said if I told anyone he'd put a bullet in my head. Alex died of drugs in July, 1976.

Filmed a time-lapse trip to Dave's. Sheila and I were in the front seat (the camera was on a tripod in the backseat and fell over once turning a corner. We stopped at South West One and picked up Andy, Ralph and Donna.

Picture booth photos taken at Fairview survive of Sheila and myself, Ralph and Andy, and Maggie [the first one], June 29th.

From Gillian
July 6 Thursday
After supper I went to Ralph's and then to Ken's, and then home.

July 6-7 (?) Thursday-Friday
Filmed outside my place, Dave, the cat and marijuana tea.