Day 62 Entry 8

I have been preserving Ruth's spelling and punctuation. It is remarkable to me how much it and her handwriting varies. Even things like the date on every entry, which you would expect to be consistent seems to vary in detail almost daily.

ENTRY 8

Monday July 27, 31

Gardoner [sic] Oregon

Matt said he slept well.

I was so burned its a wonder I didn't set the hotel on fire. I was cold inside and flaming outside – a good one on me who has boasted of avoiding a bad burning by care. It was dawn before I could really sleep.

Had breakfast about 9 o'clock at the hotel Grapefruit, ham and eggs coffee and milk.

Looked the town over and now awaiting the next ferry back to Reedsport.

This is a quaint little isolated town which the inhabitants, not least the hotel, hopes to boom as soon as the new highway is completed.

The country is beautiful, the Umpqua river very wide at this point (Matt says 1/3 mile)

I'd like to spend a summer here taking trips out in all directions from here.

Left the Hotel – packs on backs at eight minutes of four. Walked over the Roosvelt [sic] Highway going north. Scenery is beautiful here because of the high wooded hills in all directions and the many streams.

A man offered us a ride after we had hiked about a mile and a half and we accepted. He took us as far as the road goes to the bridge now in construction over an arm of Lake Tahkenitch. From here we hiked out over the sand dunes – waded the creek and argued as to a camping place in the woods.

We decided on a beach camp among the drift wood. We found the bottom of an old boat which we draged up and braced agains a log and a battered mariners guide. This protected us a little against wind and drifting sand.

The smoke from the fire in front of the tent bothered Matt a good deal his eyes became very sore.

Supper of boiled carots, bacon, large biscuits or pancakes made of pancake flour, bananas.

My watch doesn't work at all.

Matt guessed it was 10.30 when we got into bed.

We kept a big log fire going most of the night for warmth and cheer.

[in margin in red ink apparently added later] Tuesday July 28, 1931

Breakfast: cornmeal mush, bacon, apples and raisins.

Emptied the packs of everything and cleaned out the sand and repacked.

Matt is going now to whittle a clam shovel ready for low tide this afternoon.

The wind has died down a little but there is a cold gray mist hanging.