10 October 74
Dearest Susan, Tonia and Cameron,
I’m not quite sure where you are right now, as your last letter said you might leave for Toronto 6 Oct. In any case, I will send this to your folks, in hopes that it will catch you there. If you left on the 6th you probably missed the flowers I had sent. Just felt like it one day and I know a chap who owns a flower shop. Hope someone gets them, anyway.
Sorry your bridge luck isn’t great, these days, but at least you sound busy and a bit less pre-occupied with my absence. Not long now, The first group hits Edmonton no later than 21 Nov and probably on the 19th. I’m not even involved in the airlift, except as advisor, as we have a non-regimental movements section here.
Tonight we are having a mess dinner to say hello to L/Col [Hister?] and goodbye to L/Col Manuel. The new one seems quite good, but we will all miss Don Manuel. We whipped Bruce and Al at badminton again yesterday, 5-1.
Two days ago we had a HQ (only) dinner for them both at a Greek restaurant. According to the bill we went thru 21 bottles of wine among 17 of us. Then we went to a very nice night club and drank Irish Coffee and listened to a great band while the locals danced Greek dances. A pleasant diversion.
The job seemed to quiet right down this week but it will stay fairly busy for some time to come. I have to get permission to visit 2 concentrations of Greeks in the North next week. On Monday, I was escorting 4 families to their homes between the lines near Nicosia – after an hour, 10 Turks snuck up on us and surrounded us. I had to calm down some very hysterical Greeks but managed to convince the Turks that they could leave with their furniture and clothes. I had a brand new driver and he got quite a charge out of it.
The island is really stalemated now. The two armies dig deeper trenches every day and there is still sporadic shooting at night. A political solution is essential.
I will try to find some presents for our folks here. Lace is very nice. If you haven’t heard from me about it by the first week in Nov. though, better consider somethings yourself. I can’t get my pay re-assigned before I get home, but will send you a money order at the end of the month.
I love you all. Say hi to your folks, I miss you more each day,
Kenn
XXXXX
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