W.W. HANSEN LABORATORIES OF PHYSICS

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

STANFORD, CALIFORNIA

19 April, 1966

Dear Peter,

Thank you very much for your letter. We are pleased that you all liked the presents. I confess that I haven't read all of the poetry in the book about the Big Sur coast, but the photographs are so marvelous that I couldn't resist the book. Unfortunately the coast is getting kind of built up....there are houses every few miles now, and at night one can see lights. It used to be that one couldn't see any lights before the Piedras Blancas light, some 25 miles south of the ranch, but now there are several bright spots. Of course the parents don't help any, getting in electricity, with the associated telephone poles, and so on. But it is lovely, and we have enjoyed going down there during our stay in Palo Alto. It is only about a 4 hour drive from here, so we can go for weekends reasonably easily. Unfortunately the Ford doesn't negotiate the highway the way the Porsche might, but one must make some sacrifices.

We are very sorry to hear that you won't be over next year. For very selfish reasons Lucy and I had been looking forward very much to your coming. Well, maybe Mama will throw her house warming this winter, but I wouldn't recommend holding one's breath. I am glad to hear that your work is going well, though. I had planned to try to go to the Biophysics meeting In Vienna (I am supposedly a Biophysicist now, which is quite a laugh), but now it seems that we will be moving at that time, so I guess I probably won't go. It would be a dirty trick to take off for Europe for two weeks either just before or just after moving, so I'm afraid it will have to be some other time.

I have accepted an appointment to the faculty (I know it's hard to believe) at the University of California, Riverside. So we will be moving back to Southern California come the end of the summer. I view these developments with mixed emotions....on the one hand, I will be gratified to be on my own, so to speak, and I feel that the Riverside campus of UC is quite a stimulating place, and will develop very nicely. On the other hand, I don't have a hell of a lot of confidence, and find myself somewhat frightened by the prospect of being responsible for classes, and so on. Well, we shall see. I also am sad to leave this area. I have decided that this area is the nicest place I have ever lived, and would be quite content to stay here. But in this racket we go where the jobs are, I guess, and it appears that the jobs aren't here now.

I'm afraid that I couldn't do much for your girls. I don't have any funds myself at this stage of the game, and my boss, after some temporizing, appeared unwilling to hire someone sight unseen. I also tried the personnel office, but they didn't appear too sympathetic. Perhaps next year or the year after. I am applying for a grant, and am including a request for funds to hire an undergraduate for the summer, so we'll see. Of course, ole LBJ's war is making funds kind of tight, so maybe I won't get a grant, which would be a hell of a note. That's the war against Viet Nam, not against Poverty.

Our children are developing very nicely. Both the girls are in school, Cheryl in the third grade, and Kirstin in the second. They bring home uniformly uninteresting report cards, indicating that perhaps they lack a little stimulation. But they read a lot, and seem to like school and the attendant processes. Yet they aren't being deprived of the pleasures of childhood, as I'm afraid too many bright children are. Cheryl is reading "The Diary of Ann Frank” now. Pretty sophisticated for an eight year old, n'est pas? Crellie is in a coop nursery school, I think the best nursery school of any sort I have ever seen. He has grown tremendously in the past year. As an example last Easter at the ranch he would not let us (mostly Lucy) get over a dozen feet away from him, he insisted on being carried to and from the beach, and so on. This year (last week) he was just as independent as can be. He would strike off to the beach by himself, almost running all the way, he would run up and down the ladder, play with Linda's kids, and so on.

Linda's umbilical cord is just as strong as ever, I'm afraid. Poor thing. Mine, thank god, is finally severed. It wasn't easy, but it sure is a relief. I was able to make my decision about this job, and turning down the alternatives, on my own, without even consulting the parents. In fact, I think that they don't know yet, by virtue of their having been in NY for the past couple of months. For some reason Mama telephones Linda every week, but she doesn't feel compelled to call me, and let me know how their trial is progressing. They are suing Buckley and the 'National Review for something like 10º dollars. It must be a terrible experience, I certainly don't envy them.

I am actually quite optimistic about this job. I was very impressed with the University when I was down for my interview, and I think it will be a good arrangement. I am a little worried about the weather, but having grown up In southern California we ought to be able to manage.

I managed to find a few-not-too-good pictures I took at the ranch last year, including some of the parents' new house. I'll send them along with this letter, unless I forget.

Please forgive my lack of skill with the typewriter. I don't type consistently enough to get really good, and of course several beers don't help either.

Much love to all of you,

Crellin