31 Jul 1951
John Griffin to Mother / LaCanada, CA
Dear Mother,
We were pleased to receive your letter and hear of your enjoyable birthday. It also sounds like Don and his family had a wonderful time in the Idaho wilderness area. I would surely like to see that country someday.
We are a little apprehensive about your plans to drive down here and from here to El Paso this coming weekend. We have been having one of the hottest spells that I can remember since coming to California. While the official weather report shows it is as 88 in Los Angeles yesterday it was 100 at our place and has been in that neighborhood for the past several days. Even the nights are hot and it is hard to sleep. As far as getting down here is concerned, I am sure that you will make out all right, but crossing the desert would be a pretty tough assignment. Yesterday it was 107 in Las Vegas and 115 at Baker. Over towards El Paso it is even worse. It was 113 at Blythe, 115 at Desert Center, 111 at Phoenix and 108 at Tucson. El Paso is noted for its heat this time of year. A fellow I know from Phoenix told me the other day that this is the hottest summer that he can remember in 25 years.
Why don't you and Dad get on the streamliner and come down and spend a week or ten days with us and then visit El Paso during the winter when it is cool. Personally I would not attempt to drive over the desert - either of them - for anything unless I absolutely had to do so. We would like very much to have you visit us, but driving over the desert this time of year is not wise. If you do come by car I would suggest that you come by Wendover, Ely, Tonapah, Bishop, etc. and that you confine your visit to Los Angeles this time. It is much cooler that way, although there is some pretty hot country to go through even that way. If you do decide to go to El Paso too, I'd suggest that you go there first and then on to Los Angeles. You can not take citrus products with you into Arizona, from California and we would like to give you a lot of lemons to take home with you.
Elsie and Larry were up for a few minutes Sunday. He has been admitted back to his optometry school - here in Los Angeles - conditionally that he makes at least three B's and the rest C's his first year. It will be a real struggle, but it is the chance he was wanting. Elsie is real busy at work these days and thinks with the new assignment as housekeeper and wife that she is really busy.
I must get to work. Write and let us know your plans and please don't think we don't want you to come. We just don't like you to take changes in weather as hot as it has been lately. -- John
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