Aug 19 - Creepy Eerie Vampirella**

Saturday, August 19, 1972 - Page 232
LOCATION: Rapid City & Bethlehem, South Dakota

10:00 AM
I just woke up. Last night I went into Rapid again (it's about half a mile away) to pass the time. It was beginning to get cloudy, though it was still warm. I went into Becker's Drugstore and found -- forsooth -- a Creepy Magazine! Haven't seen one of those in years. I had to buy it of course. Along with Eerie there is another illustrated monster mag -- Vampirella. I bought that too. I also bought the new If that was there.

Creepy Issue 7 -- February 1966

Eerie Issue 81 - February 1977

Vampirella Issue 18 -- August 1972

Wandered around the town some more (one out-of-towner asked me where he could get some acid -- good grief). Got back as the light was fading -- read a few stories, then tried to get to sleep but it was only 9:00. So I wandered around some more. I cut my hands on the broken glass of the door, and I had a hamburger at Snow White's a few blocks away.

As I was walking back the rain started -- since 8:30 lightning had been flashing around, but now it was right above us. It was a good storm for a while -- the streetlights went out, thunder shook the house, rain came down in torrents. It lasted less than a half-hour though. The lightning persisted, but the rain was gone.

I read some more stories in my mags, and finally got to sleep around 12:30. It is now 10:25 A.M. and the skies are clear and warm. Soon I'll start hiking to Beth.

10:10 PM
I started my way to Beth at 11:30 -- I arrived at 2:00. I hitched, and four rides got me here (the last one was a group that was coming to Beth too, so I got the driver all the way up). Of the group that was here before, Bruce, Brad, Tom Shearing, Father Henry, Sr. Sylvester & M.R. are left. There are [end of page: continued in next entry]

TOMORROW: Scrabble plus a new hat & boots

Jul 10 - Geri's photos of Europe trip*

Monday, July 10, 1972 - Page 192
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

7:00 PM
I've just finished putting in the photos Geri took [April 21 & 22; April 29 & 30]. I missed breakfast today, of course -- it was windy and somewhat cloudy, but most of the day was warm, clear and calm. I did various things -- hauled cement to Clint & Tom S. who put it in the forms, shoveled dirt away from the bank (just now I wrote "Happy Birthday to me," on July 17, 72), finished cement, constructed forms with Pierce (Dorothy, by the way, turned her ankle badly yesterday, so she's incapacitated), and began grading the land near Storm's.

Klint

Jeff's gone, most of the nuns are still here, two groups of tourists dropped by to see the cave, Mike Mills beat me in two more games of chess, and I read some more in "The Thing In The Stone" [by Clifford Simak originally published in Worlds of IF Science Fiction, March 1970: A man who suffered brain damage can see the ancient past & hear the traffic of the stars -- and a mysterious creature trapped under a mountain...]. I'm learning to find more time where I can now, so I'll be doing more reading, some writing, and possibly some artwork.

John, Bruce, Clint, Tom & Tom are gone now, out helping a doctor move his motorcycle from Wonderland Cave. Jim's out someplace playing his guitar (I can hear the music vaguely). I am now in Abbott's, and Mike and Greg are in the next room fooling with some psychological test. Brad is unaccountable as usual. Today Gil mentioned that he'll want me to do some art work for a pamphlet. Progress on that will be forthcoming. Now I'm going to write captions for the Europe photos. -- It rained for a while today, then cleared up. The Democratic convention took place. I lost in poker.

Tom Hildebrand, Father Gilbert's right-hand man

TOMORROW: Flood-Repair Meeting in Deadwood

Jul 08 - Chess, Football & Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Saturday, July 8, 1972 - Page 190
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

(4:00 PM 7/9/1972)
I woke up today at about 10:00 A.M. when Tom Shearing came in. They found me in the retreat house at 8:00, when they saw I wasn't in Abbott's. Before getting to work, I played a game of chess with Mike Mills and beat him. We worked on the walks leading from the reception center --- (TEMPORARILY STOPPED) It is now July 9, 4:30 -- to continue with last entry -- Mike and I layed about 30 feet of side walk, with Greg, Jeff, and Tom mixing, and Jim & Pearce making the forms. Tom H., Bruce, John & Clint worked at the Sheckle's again -- they'll be gone till Monday or Tuesday, so they won't work there again for awhile.

Mike & Greg mixing cement

I want to get this over quickly, so I'll go as fast as I can -- Six nuns came Saturday, so did Penny, whom I met in January. I played her a game of chess after supper (won of course). I tried to find Bruce so we could give her the psych test -- I found him in the Abbott's Cabin playing chess with Greg -- he lost several games, and things deteriorated into a philosophical/theological discussion that persisted till 11:30 P.M. (that's a period of several hours).

I gave Tom Shearing my drawing of the girl on page 153 [6/1/72],* so she's not there anymore [Side note: * See page 153 for info on that. (June 1)] -- he appreciates art so I let him have it for free tho he offered to pay. --- We played football today: Me & Bruce against Greg, Mike & John -- when Jim joined our team, we won, 21 to 7. Rah! --- Jonathan Livingston Seagull has made its appearance. I'm "in" cause I've read it.

Wikipedia: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, is a fable regarding a nice-guy seagull learning about life & flight, and a homily about self-perfection. First published in 1970, over a million copies were in print by the end of 1972, Reader's Digest had published a condensed version, and the book reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller list where it remained for 38 weeks.

TOMORROW: Geri from Europe Trip Arrives

Jul 07 - Darlene, horses & an unfortunate allergy

Friday, July 7, 1972 - Page 189
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

(4:30 pm 7/9/1972)
Can't remember much of today -- Mom called and Jain [mom's sister] was still there so I talked to her, Willie [Jain's son: my cousin] was still there so I talked to him (he's fifteen now -- gee, last time I saw him, he was knee high to a coke bottle). We layed the side walk from the steps of the retreat house to the drive way -- we didn't lay it all, but finished what needed it. I primarily layed the cement in the forms, and finished the surface.

Mike mixing cement for sidewalks

The days have been hot -- Friday was hot too, so Tom Shearing, Greg and Jeff went swimming at Lion's Head (that's the place we swam at before). Clouds moved in fairly quickly, followed by lightning, thunder and rain which lasted at most fifteen minutes. Then the skies cleared again. Bruce, Clint and John worked down at the Sheckle's place, cleaning up the flood damage. They rode back on horses, with Darlene Sheckle, a cute 22-year-old gal who stayed for supper.

Fr. Gil forbade any further riding of horses because last time he permitted it, it cost him a couple of vet bills. But we had to ride the horses back, so I rode bareback with Darlene, Tom H. rode with Clint, and Bruce & John rode single -- two colts followed along. Darlene is a friendly person I'd like to know better -- but there's a problem -- for the first time in my life I was allergic to horses. When we left their place to drive back in the rain I became very sick, sneezing and wheezing. I slept in the retreat house so I'd not disturb anyone. Mike Mills (the National Guardian) came back late Friday nite.

TOMORROW: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Jun 01 - ARTWORK: Various sketches**

Thursday, June 1, 1972 - Page 153
LOCATION: Newport Beach, California

3:33:33 PM
I haven't slept yet since the last entry, tho I may have dozed a couple minutes while I layed in the sun between 11:00 and 12:30. The temperature is in the 80°s, but it is now a bit overcast. I quit reading at 5:15 when Lum 'n Abner came on, followed eventually by Lohman 'n Barkley. To occupy myself whilst listening, I drew the picture on this page.* ...

[Side note:] * The original drawing mentioned is no longer in my possession. It is now owned by Tom Shearing of South Dakota. In its place is a first attempt at this photo that was given up quickly for obvious reasons. -- G.L., 8/17/72 (see page 190 [July 8, 1972] for info)

Here is the substitute art and photo

... I still think the sketch on 115 is my best, but this was a valiant effort none the less. This was copied from a photo included herewith.

Here is the sketch that also appears
on page 115, April 24

I took a few liberties in the process of translating the photo to pencil. None of these drawings are accurate to the photos -- least of all the color pencil attempt.

Here is the color pencil drawing that
first appeared in the entry for May 26

[To see more of my artwork, please go here: Gallery ]