December 18, 1944

Roswell Field

Dec. 18, 1944

Dear Mother:

I started to write this letter last night and got as far as the date and then quit because we had a couple of visitors. With all the gab and the tall stories flying I just couldn't concentrate on a letter.  I guess you have the same trouble.

I want to tell you about Ruidoso N.M. We were going down to Mexico but didn't get our plans made early enough to make the trip.  Now I guess we will never get there.

The bus going up leaves at 1230 and our last class ended at 1200 so we figured it would take a lot of hurrying and fast talking to get in on time.  We had to get a pass in the form of a V.O.C.O. and had to sign out.  We also had to wait for a ride so we missed the bus.

Well seeing the next bus was at 2000 we decided much to my dislike to kind of stand on the side of the road and look very hopeful and maybe get a ride.  We got a ride all right with a young lady traveling from Nebraska to San Fransisco.  She was going to see her husband who is in the signal corp stationed out there somewhere.  She was a very attractive young lady and I might say that she had a lot more courage than a lot of women I know.  We asked her how tall she was and she said 5 ft and weighed 94 lbs.  She said that she wished we were going to Calif so she could rest from driving all the time and know that there was someone to change any flat tires.  Her car like most women's cars was a little rickety but I am sure it would get her to Calif all right.

She took us to the junction to the town and from there we took a taxi.  The two of Ruidoso is not anything wonderful except that it is very quaint and a typical movie town.  Except for a few modern buildings which would look out of place the town could be taken for a real live 1890 boom town.  It has one theater, 3 bars, 1 pool parlor, and a couple of drug stores.  There are novelty stores about every five steps so there are plenty of places to buy things.  They have rollerskating rinks to go to but the were not open.  Of course this town survives because of the tourist trade and therefore there are about a thousand cabins in and around the town.  The principle residents of the town are ranchers, Indians and the bar tenders and waitresses.

We got into town at about 3:30 PM and got steaks at a drug store and they were the best I have eaten in a long time.  They were cooked on a grill in the window of the store.  This drugstore had most of the amusement in town as it had a jukebox and lots of hot chocolate so we spent a lot of time here.  The owner also didn't mind us talking to his waitresses as long as we drank hot chocolate and played the music.  It was rather cold so we didn't do too much running around. 

Right now there is a slack season because there is no summer crowd around and not enough snow to draw the winter crowd.  We looked around and found skis and toboggans and sleds in all of the lodges so when snow comes we will go back.

I had the softest bed I have ever slept on.  I sat on it and almost disappeared into the mattress.  It was one of those beds I have dreamed of, one that you don't need covers on because the mattress flows over the tops of you when you get in.  Of course that stretches the point a little bit it was a very soft bed.

We went horseback riding Sunday (By we, I mean, me, Sanput and another buddy, Ernest Punis from Tenn.)  Sanput the Texan had never ridden and neither had Punis.  I had ridden once in Phenix so I got the most spirited horse.  They were western cow ponies and very small compared with what we have at home but I'll be they would take on all comers for their spirit.  We had no more than got on when off they went in a trot, which developed into a gallop with no urging on our part.  You don't steer these horses by pulling on the reins but by pushing them from one side of the neck to the other.  The harder you push the sharper they turned and we later found out that the only way to stop them was to put them into such a sharp turn they had to slow down to turn.  These horses gallop at very little urging and stop only with the greatest effort.  I think they find it easier to run than to walk.  Most of the horses I have ridden before had to be really stung before even trotting and then you got the roughest ride of your life.  These little ponies gave you the easiest and smoothest ride I have ever had.  The horses in Phoenix are old fans in comparison to these.  We rode for 3 1/2 hours in our shirt sleeves and half the time in a trot or a gallop.  I think I shall some day be a horseman.

It is known to be rather cold up in the mts so we bought a pair of long underwear.  I remember how many times you had tried to get them on me and my excuse was always that it wasn't cold enough.  Well it was only 38 degrees F up there and we had them on.  We were riding without our blouses but that made little difference.  I had on that sleeveless sweater which was a great help.  I went it quite a lot under my jacket and find it swell.  I had no idea what a wonder it would be when I got it last year.

We skipped our first class this morning and go caught at it and will probably be restricted to the post a couple of days.  It is quite a price to pay for staying in the sack an extra hour but we got what was a due so I am not too mad and have learned my lesson.

I always look forward to mail from home.  My little mailbox is often empty for days on end and that is a disappointment and a morale destroyer.  You wouldn't want me to go AWOL just because I don't get mail from home do you?  I am sure I won't if you keep up the letters.

With love

Austin.