Diary_pages_e_1893_07-08

Tues Aug 8 About like common. I think Harry Dixon got another good rain. For a main business we changed the fence down west of the lower orchard so that we can pasture the piece south of the corn and west of the orchard. I irrigated yet on the alfalfa piece north of the house. Have got it pretty near done.

Wed Aug 9 About like it has been. We finished the fence and cleaned up the posts and poles in the forenoon and in the afternoon I played sick and the boys cut bound and set up the patch of oats at the corner of the barley piece.

Thurs Aug 10 Like all of the rest that we have had lately. Lew went to town with the cream this morning and mowed and chored around this afternoon. Kib and I ground sickles and scythes and other chores this forenoon and this afternoon we mowed for a business.

Fri Aug 11 Dry and hot. I filled the cistern early this morning and finished irrigating the piece below the orchard. We cut some of the oats north of the barn in the forenoon and cradled and bound a swarth around the wheat in the afternoon.

Sat Aug 12 Another miserable hot dry day. Lew went to town with the cream in the forenoon and fetched back the load of slabs that Lawrence left at the lumber yard for me in the afternoon. He and Kib hauled a little hay that was cut around the wheat and in the orchard and door yard. Kib and I mowed around the wheat in the forenoon and in the afternoon Kib helped Lew haul some hay. I done several odd jobs. Annie and the children came here last night.

Sun Aug 13 Clear and hot but it sprinkled a little about 4 O clock PM. We visited and I irrigated a little bit from the Larimer Co Ditch. I think I have about from 30 to 35 inches of water and I am running on to the 10 acre piece of alfalfa.

Mon Aug 14 Hot and dry as ever. Lew went up to Dixons in the forenoon and in the afternoon he mowed oats on the windy hill piece. Kib and I howed [hoed] out the strawberry patch and cleaned the weeds off from it this forenoon and this afternoon we irrigated the strawberry patch and front door yard and I attended the water on the 10 acre piece four times.

Tues Aug 15 To day has been about as usual only it blustered around and rained a little dash about half past 3. This forenoon Kib went to town with the cream and Lew raked up the oats that he cut yesterday. He used Beauty and he done first rate. I attended to the irrigating all a day [all day] and cradled oats some and bound some this afternoon. Lew went up to Mr Dixons and got his tinder and just as we got ready to start in the wheat it begun to rain. We went once around and got pretty wet then had to quit for awhile but Lew went several rounds after it dried off.

Wed Aug 16 A little cooler to day but no rain. Lew finished cutting the wheat this forenoon. Kib set up some of it and this afternoon set up a little more and Lew took the binder home this afternoon and then he cut oats a while. Now he has gone over to town to bring out Mrs Busk and her family who will visit with us for a few days. I finished cutting raking binding and setting up the oats north of the barn this forenoon and this afternoon I shocked the oats that Lew cut yesterday and attended to the water.

Thurs Aug 17 Cloudy a good part of the day and looked like rain quite a lot but it didnt. Lew mowed. He finished the oats and cut alfalfa a while. Kib set up wheat a while and finished raking the oats. I finished setting up the wheat and irrigated the strawberries and cabbages and finished shocking up the oats with Frank to help me. He came up about half past 2 I think and helped me til it was done.

Fri Aug 18 Pretty clear and quite warm. Lew mowed all day up on the windy hill place got most done. Kib raked a spell and this afteroon hoed down in the garden. Frank and I pruned and cut off blighted limbs down in the orchard. We went over both parts of the orchard pretty thoroughly.

Sat Aug 18 Clear and hot and is hot yet. Lew finished cutting the alfalfa up on the windy hill place then took the cream over to town and got back in time to help finish the shocking so it is cleaned up ready to haul. Kib raked and him and Frank went a hunting rabbits and have not got back yet. I made and hung a little hand gate front of the house.

Sun Aug 19 Pretty warm and threatened rain a good deal but that was all the good it done. We all staid [stayed] at home and kept Sunday according to our several tastes and feelings. John and Nora Cameron were here a little while to night.

Mon Aug 20 It threatened to rain lots and rained all around us and pretty near too. At Fort Collins it just poured down and I think rained hard near us in other directions. Lew Kib and I hauled 3 loads and part of an other of hay which made the crop up on the windy place east of the railroad and we hauled 2 loads of oats down to the stock yard by the barn. One we didnt unload.

Tues Aug 21 Clear and quite windy. We made out to haul 2 loads of mowed oats from the windy hill place which cleared the field and we had the cows and Joe and 10 head of calves in there to day. We set out the wheat to day so as to haul it tomorrow and fixed up the hay rack so it is pretty stanch. [Along the right side top to bottom:] Put the cattle in the field.