the journals of alan rhodes

Its brighter inside and they sell food, and the price of beer went up a dime. I don't know how much more it will be changed when I go home.
- I'm a high school graduate!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope.

[Louise Tremblay's handwriting] Hi Ralph. Its Lou speaking. I guess your having a good time in europe. I envy you.

[Heather's hand] Hi again. That last sentence was written about three hours ago by Louise. Since then we went out on the river in a dingy and went swimming. Then we came home and I smoked half a splif by myself because no one else felt like smoking. So now I'm writing you again. My sister (132) is going to have a baby in February. That means I'm going to be an aunt. I hope to go out and visit her but I have to get a job first. I'm planning to look for one when I get home but just because I'm planning doesn't mean I'll get around to it. Hopefully I will though because I know I could learn alot [sic] about life in general and myself from talking to her. She's got her head together and a far out philosophy holding it their [?] one which I'd like to hear more about.

What about you? Are you learning alot about life and yourself by being out and off on your own? (Well sort of on your own, I know you'll be with your parents until the end of July [early July, in fact]. Maybe you'll meet a nice chic [sic] who you can glow [? -grow?] with. Yea, that sounds good ey?

Mmm I'm sitting outside in the hot sun and Monique the girl we're staying with is playing her flute. Here, she's going to say Hi. [The letter, which was never finished, ends with a paragraph en français by a total stranger who wishes me well and advises me to get the help of "une des jolies française" if I have any trouble understanding French. Monique also informs me that the island where they are staying is Ile du Grand Calumet (roughly an hour's drive northwest of Ottawa).]

The album 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination' by Alan Parson was a hit...a nadir. Also Steve Miller's 'Fly Like an Eagle' and Blue Oyster Cult's 'Don't Fear the Reaper'.

July 3 Saturday
Went with Heather to a show in the sandpits of St Lazard. The groups were Maneige, Octobre and Offenbac. [saw Chuck there but didn't speak to him. Met Sue E there, drove her home. Heather stayed later].

July 16 Friday
Saw the runner with the Olympic flame on Lakeshore Road [the rain was wonderful too].

July 17 Saturday
[Peter and I watched the opening of the Montreal Olympics on TV in my basement].

132. Ralph's note: Heather's elder sister was a year ahead of me at JRHS and was in my NAL class. She had moved out to Salt Spring Island, BC, after high school, joining a number of JRHS alumni who had set up some kind of commune there. My sister Nicolette knew some of these people, including Jeff Watling, the older brother of the future guitarist with The Big City Band- the unacknowledged Maples Inn houseband. Heather would fulfill all these plans by the beginning the following year. I'm not sure if she ever did get a job but, after her farewell party on 15/01/77, she did go to Salt Spring and wrote me from there in March '77.