Diary_pages_j_1894_05-06

Thurs May 3 A pretty nice day only it was pretty cold the fore part of the day. It Rained a little again last night. John and I laid a new floor in the cow stable in the forenoon and in the afternoon we put 2 loads of hay in the barn loft and then laid off both ways the piece of ground towards the barn.

Fri May 4 Real nice and quite warm after it got warm but there was a little frost this morning. John plowed and clod crushed the west one of those two little pieces where we had oats last year between the road and the lake. I sowed the piece to oats and planted corn the rest of the day on the piece between the house and barn. Mrs Dixon was here this afternoon and Lew was here on his way to Mr Bees to night [tonight] and the three Dotts girls cam [came] just at night and will stay a day or two. Sat May 5 Clear and windy as usual. John plowed and clod crushed the other small piece of oats. I sowed the oats on it and planted some corn and punkins [pumpkins] on the piece towards the barn. Hatty and Bert were here and got some shrubbery etc. Frank made us a small visit.

Sun May 6 Clear and about the usual amount of wind (Nearly a gale). The youngsters went over to Franks and Mother and I kept Sunday. Mr Amos and Lew and Mary were here a small spell.

Mon May 7 Clear and pretty nice and pretty dry. John planted corn and so did I only when I went at noon to help Mr Bee fix the head gate to divide the water with Mr Bristol.

Tues May 8 Clear and quite warm. John and I went over to town and done a whole lot of errands and this afternoon John worked at the raspberries and I fixed up the sprayers and Mr Marble and his man Nick came and got a load of hay. Mr and Mrs Dion came and got a half ton. I turned a lot of cattle out of the windy hill field. I dont know where they get in.

Wed May 9 Cloudy mostly and sprinkled a little a time or two and now it is raining quite pretty. Mr Dixon came down and we sprayed the orchard to day [today].

Thurs May 10 Clear and a pretty nice day. John worked at the piece north of the barn. He plowed and harrowed it and I sowed it to oats and alfalfa seed and Irrigated some and trimmed in the orchard some and done some other chores.

Fri May 11 Mostly clear but threatened a little in the middle of the day. We trimmed off the dead limbs and cut down the dead trees and hauled the trees off and trimmed off the brush and burned it. Frank was here and helped to trim awhile and John clod crushed the piece north of the barn and we scraped trees awhile just before quitting time.

Sat May 12 About like yesterday. It acted as if it might rain if it ever did rain here. John and I finished scraping the rough off from the trees and John went to town with our new mare that we traded Moses for got her of Mrs Dion. He made a quick trip and seemed quite well pleased with her as a buggy nag. After he got home he finished raising the raspberrys [raspberries]. I put in most of the afternoon irrigating the strawberry vines. I put up a request for water from the Larimer Co ditch on the hog gate yesterday the 11th of May as there was plenty of it running past my gate going to long pond but have not got any water from that ditch yet this season.

Sun May 18 Mostly cloudy but quite pleasant. John went to town and then away out to the neighborhood of the North fort Ditch. Mother and I kept Sunday very nicely. We had a small visit from Hans Andason. I done quite a bit of irrigating.

Mon May 14 Mostly Clear and pretty warm. Johny plowed and clod crushed the piece below the orchard and I irrigated in the orchard and door yard and this afternoon I worked in the lateral that takes the water from the gate Numbered 41 which is north of the house and I have made it better than it ever was before.

Tues May 15 Like all the rest of the days lately the wind howls part of the time. John worked at the piece below the orchard and I did part of the afternoon and we got the potatoes most half planted and now Johny has gone to town. I found a small head of water running from gate No 41 (that is North of the house) and the gate was not locked but I wrote on a board what was needed and when I went up to night [tonight] there was a much better head going out but they turned out some water to night [tonight] which is running into long pond and that gives me some through the little gate in the hollow that I am using on the 10 acre piece.

Wed May 16 Clear and windy. John finished the potatoes and corn below the orchard with some help from me and he prepared a piece for potatoes near the hog crib. I helped some at the potatoes and corn below the orchard and done lots of irrigating on the 10 acre piece and the big piece of alfalfa up at windy hill. They have been quite liberal with water from the Larimer Co ditch yesterday and to day [today].

Thurs May 17 Clear and miserably windy. John planted some potatoes near the pig pen and hoed some strawberries and helped irrigate this afternoon. I irrigated until the ditch failed to furnish any water to me then I had to quit anyhow a little after 4 O clock.

Fri May 18 John worked about home hoeing strawberry vines irrigating on the 10 acre piece etc. and I had been subpoened [subpoenaed] to a suit between the Larimer Co ditch and the North fork ditch as they dont seem to know their ages and wanted somebody to tell them but the North Fork ditch had not got ready for the fight so it was put off to the next term of court then I claimed my fees and come home and have been irrigating on the 10 acre piece since until dark.

Sat May 19 Like the other days of late only not windy. Johny hoed strawberries and went to town. I irrigated on the 10 acre piece and planted some watermelon seeds and muskmelon seed. Franks folks were here to day [today] and made us a good visit.

Sun May 20 Quite a nice day and the wind did not blow either. Johny went home and counted up the stock at the Spring Canion [Canyon] ranch. Lews Mary was here awhile and then she and Mother went up to Charleys to see how Hatty is found her a good deal better but Mother says she looks sort of hollow eyed though now Edna came home with them. I took my glasses and Inter Ocean and camped on the trail and about noon the riders came along and turned me out some water from the Brandis ditch and I have been spreading it since irrigated ½ day on timber claim.