Before he passed, Brother Raymond "Jake" Proenneke gifted the Donnellson Public Library/Richard Proenneke Museum with the letters Richard had written him over the years. In there were 857 letters written totaling more than 5,800 pages. This Second Volume covers the years from 1975 - 1984. Richard and Jake purchased the Piper J-3 Cub, and "Jake" rebuilt it in his shop,flying it up to Twin Lakes in the fall of 1975. They would fly back to Primrose, IA and Richard would keep the J-3 Cub named "Arctic Tern" over winter, and fly it back to Twin Lakes in the spring of 1976.
With the new FAA regulations, Richard needed to re-qualify for his pilot's license. He was approved for his solo pilot's license in November 1975. Richard would keep the plane at Twin Lakes during his stay in 1976, and attempt to fly back to Primrose, IA in October. Unfortunately his untimely crash near Copper Center, AK ended the near fatal attempt.
With the creation of the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in 1980, illegal hunting became an issue in the early 80s with the Lake Clark Park Rangers and with Richard. Richard also turns 65 and qualifies for the "Alaska Longevity" benefits.
A visit from Babe's grandsons Leon and Sig Alsworth with Richard in charge of two rambunctious boys with a never-ending appetite; and sadly the untimely death of Sig in 1982 are also covered in this Volume.
Staff writer Cynthia Ramsay visited Richard at Twin Lakes in 1984, and Richard would have a falling out with Ms. Ramsay over her characterization of litter and trash around Twin Lakes.
With the continuing success of the "One Man's Wilderness" book, Richard was seeing a steady increase of visitors seeking him out to meet the man living with this amazing life in the untamed wilderness land at Twin Lakes.
