June 5 Saturday

Janet had her baby about 1:15 pm [ a girl. They put it up for adoption. Bob and I went to Stuart Hall], then to the house at the top of Maple Ave in Ste Anne's [Bob knew people there].

 

June 12 Saturday

At the Vaudreuil quarry with Mike, Peter, Bruce, Louise, Heather and Mish (and a blond).

Mich and I were jumping in the water from a small ledge [she did, and two guys nearby said to me I'd better jump too or she'd get away].

 

June 14 Monday

The company Mike and I applied to February 3rd called to see if I wanted a janitor job at John Abbott in Kirkland [I took it and started the same day. The job was easy, there being only a few people there every day during the summer. One day while cleaning the windows at the front entrance there was a small bat outside asleep. Another time there was a couple camped at the back in a tent. Basically I would clean in the morning and read (every Asimov book I could get my had on) in the afternoon (except the day my boss caught me).

 

It was at this time (and probably because of this job) that I began to wear my hair in a ponytail. It would stay that way until I cut it in 1981...

 

BTW, both Ralph and Rob had janitor jobs this summer also... ].

 

June 18 Friday

A large party at Peter Fiset's [in D.D.O] (inside and outside on their raised deck). [Through 1976-78 I would buy hash from him. During this year he was a fan of The Tubes].

 

June 19 Saturday

Vaudreuil quarry, cut my foot on some rocks.

 

June 25 Friday

At Bennie's upstairs. The van leaked gas. [one night after dropping Bennie at home I squealed the tires rather loudly. Her parents thought I was a madman.

 

One time in the lounge at Abbott, Bennie said she had been grocery shopping. I jokingly said it was good practice for the future and she hit me...].

 

Letter from Heather Cashin to Ralph, dated June 26/1976, but not received until March 1977, when Heather sent it along with a more recent letter written from Salt Spring Island, BC

 

Dear Ralph;

 

HELLO! Gee the flood of mail from you and all those questions, I don't know which ones to answer first! [this is intended sarcastically: I hadn't written- as usual] I don't know if this letter will get to you because of the pilots being on strike, but I'll try anyways.

 

Right now I'm looking at a thunder + lightening storm and a rainbow at the same time. I'm at the Island on the Ottawa River that Louise always goes to. We're staying for a week and I'm having a really good time. It's really country life. Last night there was a square dance at the village hall. The whole family puts on their fancy courtin' clothes. It was to celebrate St John the Baptiste Day + it was really fun. Today I'm going fishing, as soon as everyone else wakes up. So as you can see, I'm having a lot of fun, what about you? The last I heard was through Mike + you were sitting in someone's back yard watching rabbits. [I think this is a lost-something-in-the-translation reference to the motel in Holland where they kept rabbits on the grounds as an ecological alternative to mowing the grass. I did write someone early one morning from the back porch of the motel room marvelling at the vast herds of rabbits grazing on the lawns.] I really hope you get a lot out of your trip to Europe. I don't see how you couldn't.

 

Well I know I hate it when I get a letter which contains nothing but a list of questions asking what I'm doing, because I know what I'm doing. What you want to know is what's happening out here right? Well hmmmm let me see -- Andy got a motorcycle [a Suzuki 300, if I remember correctly], that's about all the news I can think of. Oh yea, Willie sold the Maples Inn, and its really starting to change.