Jan 16 - Warm weather, new plans

Sunday, January 16, 1972
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

TOMMY 1969 The Who

1:30 PM
Last night after Matt left, Keith & Wheez came to the stereo cabin to play cards. I played some records, then I put on "Tommy," which I'd never heard before. Keith & Wheez left at about two, and I listened to TOMMY till 3:30. I went outside and saw three deer -- one of them walked to the block of salt to lick it. I watched them for about ten minutes -- they ran away and I went to bed.

I got up around 11:30. It's 56° now, and the snow is turning to mud. I ate the last icicle -- the rest of them have gone to greener pastures. The roofs are dripping, and we're leaving the doors of the cabin open for fresh air.

I called mom and dad, and now things are like this: Jack's flying up here no matter what, and Matt and I will drive back to California with him -- Jack will pay back the $40 to Gil, and finance the trip back. He's supposed to be here Tuesday. It's all over. It was a hollow victory, but a victory nevertheless. The problem is I'm not sure I was fighting for anything. More good has come out of this than bad, so I guess I spent my money wisely.

(3:00 PM 1/17/72)
Sunday is a day of rest, and that's what everybody did. Brad went walking for a few hours -- the sky was clear and the weather warm. Keith layed around playing his mandolin. A few tourists came and Wheezie took them thru the cave. We all watched "In Harm's Way" in Storms [the Stereo Cabin] till 1:00. Finally got to sleep at about 2:30 or 3:00.

Jan 13 - Letters and calls from home

Thursday, January 13, 1972
LOCATION: Bethlehem & Rapid City, South Dakota

9:30 AM
It's 18° below zero out there and the wind is blowing pretty hard. We'll be leaving for Rapid soon with Wheeze. I got up at nine after going to sleep at around 2:30. I got a letter from Mom along with Sue & Peggy's letters [friends in Chicago], and another on from G. Dot [Grandma Dot: maternal grandmother Dorothea Scheneman].

Last night at about 11:00, Tom came into the bunk cabin and said Father wanted to see me, so I went up to the house. He said Dad had called and wanted Gil to call back collect, so I put in the phone call and he talked with him a while. Matt's parents got the number, and they were going to call within the next hour, so I went to the stereo cabin to get Matt up. Nothing too new came from the conversations -- just a better understanding of the situation involved. Things'll be cleared in a month.

3:30 PM
Left for Rapid at 11:00 AM and got back at 3:00. Went to South Dakota Tech so Wheez could make a phone call. They have a good museum there with dinosaur fossils. Bought my glasses, so I can see clearly now -- not yellowly [previous prescription lenses had a yellow tint]. Wheez did lots of shopping for Bethlehem (bread, paper, cups, milk, etc.).

In Rapid it was 11° below zero. We ate lunch at McDonald's, now I'm going to take a shower if there's any hot water around.

10:00 AM, Friday
I washed my face at the retreat house and spent the rest of the day being lazy. The stereo cabin was so cold we all wore our jackets to listen to the stereo, but after dinner we deserted the place. Matt for the first time slept in the bunk cabin after failing to repair a couple of heaters in the stereo cabin.

It's getting a bit chilly