Letter to Terry Ford from Mac MacFarlane

Letter to Terry Ford from Mac MacFarlane

Letter from LAC "Mac" Macfarlane to T A Ford, outlining how he is doing on his training course in De Winton and mentioning what he has been doing in his free time.

Six handwritten sheets

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1567042 LAC MACFARLANE
Course 68. 31 E.F.T.S.
DE WINTON ALBERTA.
Sun.

Dear Terry,

Thanks very much for your letter & so sorry I havent [sic] answered it before now but I have been very busy!!!.

I was in Moncton for a fortnight after you left, & I quite enjoyed myself as I got to know some people who had a very charming daughter who I got on quite well with. I eventually got posted to here along with Jack

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Major & Ted Morgan so I was more fortunate than you. Also on the journey we wer [sic] with John Paterson & Dave Pask[?] right up to Calgary. Our journey was identical with yours a day in Montreal and a reception at Winnipeg. This is a smashing place, civilian run and plenty of smashing women running around.

We are 26 mls from Calgary but I have only been there once as I can enjoy myself

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a lot better out here. I have been out horse riding every weekend and I have enjoyed it immensely every time. After riding we get invited into the ranch house & have a cup of tea & something to eat also a warm up which we badly need usually.

Yesterday I got an Indian horse which hadn't been ridden for 3 mths as it had escaped from the Indian Reserve & had been wandering

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around before it was caught & bought by these people. Once I was on I managed to stick on but I had a helluva job getting there. It was a marvellous horse could gallop at a good speed. When I brought it back it was lathered in sweat.

I managed to solo in 6 hrs which was [deleted] preety [/deleted] I thought pretty bad but old Pete said he didn't solo until 10 1/2 so I wasn't so bad.

Two of our course have been chucked off, one of them is

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Mic[?] Vey[?], you remember him at Stratford & the other is Mac Kellar I dont [sic] know if you know him, both of them couldnt [sic] land. By the way how did you enjoy the Link pretty bloody wasn't it, thank God I have done my 10 hrs. I managed to do 13 exercises goodness knows how but there it is.

This is one of our washout days, it is blowing a blizzard just now, & it was a marvellous day

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yesterday I got 2 hrs solo in & had a marvellous view of the Rockies which are only 80 mls away which isn't very far in this country as I am sure you have found out. I must close now for lack of news.

All the Best of Luck.
Mac.

P.S. Excuse the scribble but the table is shaky.

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