Loyl Stromberg
Pine River - Minnesota - USA

21-6-1985

Dear Loyl,

Thank you for your letter and enclosure from China of 24th April. Once again I’m late answering and my apologies. I will tell you of this shortly.

First of all I’m sorry to hear of your brother’s problem. I do hope everything is OK with him. A friend of mine recently had surgery (a lung removed). He is OK at the moment but he had to spend some 5 weeks in Sydney for the treatment. He hopes to have the all clear with one week or so. They are in the process of building new modern unit for after care at a hospital  in Newcastle  20 miles from here and it should be in operation shortly. They have been morning in the equipment only this week. Glad to hear your report OK.

The reason for my lateness in answering is that I have been in hospital (early May) to have a cataract removed from my eye and a lens implant. It is normally a simple operation and there are hundreds of operations being performed. However I developed complications after the operation. There was a haemorrhage behind the eye.

I had to return to hospital to have more work done as there is still a doubt whether the sight will be as good as it should be. The doctor just couldn’t say whether I would have any sight in it or not -  I may still have to go to Sydney to have a scan. However the sight is coming back. My other eye was never good but I can need. I write OK but can’t drive my car at the moment . I have to go back to the doctor  next Tuesday. It had me worried.

The mainland China is good. I have written to a contact  in China. No reply yet, but hoping.

Do you have enough from the tape  I sent you on the Australian breeds or do you want more?

A friend of mine is researching on woodworking tools made in Australia. I have been speaking to him tonight on the phone. He tells me Ictan wood chisels, Cyclone make carpenters hammers, Hytest make tomahawks Australian made. He is making further enquires. Hope you have some luck with Russian contacts might be hard though.

I’m working on manuscript for next book Gallus species with a supplement from the feedback on Chicken Bone book which has been very interesting. Get all you can from China. I think it should tell is a lot.

Will write again shortly Loyl.

Sincerely yours,