Murray was released from the Army in 1946, and they headed back to Puget Sound, hoping to find an affordable place to buy near the water, preferably on an island, and preferably near their best friends, the Goldschmids. In the meantime, they found a winter rental of a summer cabin on Maury Island. This proved good preparation for the house they did buy the next year. Winter power outages, often lengthy, were a feature of life on a dead-end road in South King County. By the time I was old enough to remember, they were better prepared for days of lantern light and fireplace cooking.
Dear P, O, & J,
We cannot come to visit you this weekend, and it would be inhuman of us to beg you come here until we get a new supply of coal and candles and handkerchiefs. Every day we hope someone will patch up the line and turn our electricity on again, but they haven’t since early on Monday. We have used up all our candles and all the coal we could find around neighboring houses, and our fireplace is a mess from the variety of things we have cooked in it. Murray and Kelpie (formerly Pac) mushed into Dockton on Tuesday (the road has been closed since the first day of the Great Snow) and brought back supplies but not enough to last through the winter. I stayed in a sniffling huddle by the fire.
Phyllis, who took care of you when you had the flu? Was Johanna sick too? Couldn't we have been of some help then?
I am looking into the care and feeding of homing pigeons. If we had a pigeon station at Shelton and one at Rosehilla we wouldn't have to depend on the U.S. mail. Pigeons never get snowed in.
The outside world may be galloping to pot while we sit here throwing more logs on the fire and adjusting long army woolen undergarments for greater comfort. Across the bay one ship has moved out and another has come in, so eagle-eye Murray deduces that the shipping strike is at last settled.
We do not feel so much escapists this week as deserted. From the luxury of electric range, heaters, refrigerator and daily milk and paper delivery, this was a jarring change. Successful Spartans are not made so suddenly, I think.
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| Murray and Kelpie at Dockton with the Morgan household essentials -- dog, fireplace, typewriter and record player | |
About buying one of the San Juans and establishing an ideal society, I am for it -- only we must be careful to choose one with water on it, many of them are dry. Your letter arrived on the day following the election when it seemed that there are so few people of good will they had best escape while they can and start the race over again. Actually, I do agree with and we have asked for membership cards in the I.C.C. (or P.A.C.). Perhaps it will all be better in 1952. If the Republicans unseat Bilbo, that will be some compensation. And the chance of a third party for liberals looks hopeful. The saddest surprise for us was the way this state went, discarding Mitchell and Coffee and DeLacy & Savage.
...
Our families are coming for Thanksgiving but will go back to Tacoma Thursday night. Could you come on Friday and stay two nights? We have 2 hot water bottles for beds, and lots of long woolies.
Murray says we must get into our boots and be on our way to the store now if we are to mail this tonight. It takes two hours to walk to the store and back and we want to be back before dark.
All love,
R&M
from Murray -- If you bring a shotgun and a hunting license
or a bow and arrow and no license we may be able to feed you duck. We have a
million mallards in the front yard. Kelpie has already caught one hawk, very
dead at moment of capture.
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