| dc.description.transcription | 7-17-44Dear Folks,Consider yourself lucky, I misplaced my fountain pen, and had almost given up the idea of writing, and hitting the sack instead when I found it. And besides thatmy desk still isn’t fixed so I am writing on my lap again with a pillow as a desk. I had to write today thoughbecause yesterday I went to Mexico and today is somebody’s birthday, either Amy’s or Ruth’s and Gertrude’s. Whoever it is, “Happy Birthday.”Mama, send me another list of those days and I promise I won’t lose it this time. Oh, for the life of an officer, ha, do you realize that this is the first free time that I have had since I have been here except for the first day and yesterday afternoon? I have this afternoon off because there weren’t enough crates to go around so some of us got off, somehow I got lucky and I was one of them. Now for Mexico. Matamoros is still as filthy as it every was. That Catholic Church just as you cross the border is still as beautiful too. We went over again with great intentions of seeing a bull-fight. They didn’t have a bull-fight, but in its place, the poorest excuse for a rodeo that I have ever had the misfortune to see. There were four performers and a Mexican band. There was no competition like in American rodeos, just individual tricks. The whole thing was mostly rope spinning, with a little ropeing and two bareback rides. For the bareback rides, they tied a rope around the horses chest and hung onto it dearly with both hands. The ropeing consisted of two men on horseback herding another horse by a man on the ground who roped, about every third time, the horse by the two front legs, and threw him to the ground. That was all there was to it except for the shouts from the crowd. Every time someone would do something, someone would shout “viva el Mexicano?” and some one else would yell “viva Mexico,” then about ten others would just scream “viva,” then everyone would clap, then the one that had just perfomed would beamat the audience for about 3 or 4 minutes. When everything got so dull that even the Mexicans couldn’t stand it they would start yelling, “musica.” When the yelling got pretty bad the band would tune up and play “Viva, Mexico” or the other song they knew where a quartet harmonized. Before the rodeo started we shopped a little bit and I bought an alarm clock and 2 pair of nylon? hose.I’ll send themhome the first chance I get and if they are any good, there are a lot more where these came from. If they areany good, send me all of the women folks’ sizes and I’ll get some for every one. All she had yesterday were the same length but she said that she would have some shorts, longs, mediums, etc. in shortly.Incidentally Mama, in answer to one of your questions, I don’t know which picture of me that I like the best, as I haven’t seen any of them yet. And in answer to another question, no, they aren’t feeding me so well that I couldn’t use, and to very good advantage, some extra food.It is time for me to go eatso I’ll quit this polover. Lots of love,JoeP.S. Tell Mrs. Harrison thanks for this stationery, but don’t you think that it looks awfully ratty on top? | |
