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Dear Bertha,

So much has happened over the past year that I have totally lost track of what events I have told you about and (and what events I have not told you about) so, I'm afraid that as I try to catch up, there may be things I will still miss; and some degree of repetition as I try to tie events together. So, here goes I'm sure I told you that in June of 1936 our daughter, Frances, married our range rider, Elmer Dorr. And that their first summer together was spent at Cow Camp, riding range for the Big Creek Cattle Association.

Still suffering from the Great Depression, jobs for pay were practically nonexistent. President Franklin Roosevelt created a number of agencies such as W.P.A., P.W.A. and C.C.C., and goodness knows how many others supervised by military personnel. There was a big C.C.C. camp on Reed Creek and in Hinman Park (our cattle range).

About Oct. 1, 1936, our 32-volt electric generator went on the blink, and it took over a month to get parts and repair the generator and engine. This was right when Dorothy came down with pneumonia. During those many long weeks that Dorothy's life hovered on the brink of death, our only night light was from coal oil lamps or lanterns and wax or tallow candles. Those flickering excuses for light accentuated the deep shadows, and did little to dispel the gloom.

Well, I've already told of Dorothy's recovery. And our time spent in Arizona. Well, it had boiled down to a sort of queesing game whether we would have our 32-volt electric system operating, or if we would have 110-220 current supplied by the REA system (which was inching its way closer to the S Bar S every day).

Our 32-volt DC Westinghouse generating and battery storage system won the race, but that victory was short lived as the REA inspector informed us that our 32-volt wiring would have to be replaced with the 110-220 AC wiring.

Fred gave our 32 system to John Calkens, whose ranch on Big Creek was too far from the REA line to get hooked up.

The arrival of the REA was the first big step in our "emergence from the dark age." Will add to this story later.

As ever, your friend,

Anna