Irene Dixon Bamford

not come, having evening visitors and Mrs Gillespie sent Sade a note saying she didn't like her daughter to attend dancing parties. So S like a good obedient disapointed child, stayed home. The party dispersed at 12 midnight. Sleep on lounge.

Thursday 23rd January 1896 A dull cloudy day Wind N.E. Sarah finishes G's dress. V, George and Wallace bush a road form here to the U.S.A. by the elem [sic] tree below Beadles. Sarah finishes Grace dress. Sleep on the lounge.

Monday Lizzie came this morning through the storm covered with snow. Grace cooking. Edna & Lizzie cutting and sewing. Wells Sr shoveling coal in the stove till it is hot as an oven. Mart whistling and Grace te heing. Frank better no measles only scurvy eating musty pork.

1st February Tuesday 1898 An old fashioned snow storm. The dress is finished and Mart has taken Lizzie home. Henry is down don't think he went home since Sunday, if storms like this tomorrow the ball will be minus a few dancers from here.

Wednesday 2nd Feb 1898 A very cold day. V & M & Jr go to [Lindas Island|Linday Island]] [sic] for wood drive double team on ice & at two leave for the villiage in sleigh driving Dan and Dick. Edna mops and then she and Grace get supper. I can step on my foot by using a cane. Old Mrs Gillespie no better. A quiet peace full evening. Wells Sr telling stories of burried money being found by dreams. Edna reading Queenie Hetherton. Maud reading Swiss family Robinson.

Thursday 3rd Feb 1898 A very cold bright morning morning [sic]. Our dancers came at 7 am cold tired & hungry and had had both horses through the ice just up by Elly Woodmans. Grace dress around bottom frozzen they were not in long. Volty and Mart fished them out. Then got Elly out to put a bush to the hole. They come just in time for breakfast. V and M with pant legs frozen stiff to their knees. Grace gone to bed. Mart gone to bed. Volty in blacksmith shop shoeing horses.

Friday 4 Feb 1898 A cold day but warmer than yesterday. The weather divided between sunshine and snow storm. Nothing particular occurs to day. Ethel D here came over with Will & Charley. We persuaded Will to let her stay awhile. Will has a very good horse and an old cutter and he can now get all his wood and drive the children to school.

Rev Diggs gone down to see old Mrs Gillespie.

Saturday 5 Feb 1898 A stormy day of snow. Wellie and V gone to Kingston in sleigh carried beef and potatoes to market. Rachel and Will drove to Kingston in V's cutter gone for groceries.

Grace cut and partly made her new print dress with Edna's help. Sr worked on his sled. In evening Jim Morgan drove here with his bugle enroute for Frank's. Volty went with him to Wills, found Will and Jen had driven down to see old Mrs Gillespie, then the two buglers drove to Franks. Two beautiful brilliant sundogs either side of the sun proclaims another storm day (the sun shining out through storm clouds at 3 pm) dark clouds in south like thunder cloud in summer tme. We hull corn. Expected Charley & Belle but think storm prevented.

Friday 25 February 1898 A snowy morning, snow fallings so heavily can scarcely see uncle Samy's barn. Volty butchered 10 roosters for tomorrow market. Sr fixed the stove pipe. Earth completely covered with snow. Charley & Belle drove down home bringing the two youngest children with them. Carley leaves Belle & the little ones to visit and returns homeward accompanied by Rachel and Irene. The house in a hubbub from chicken picking and cooking. A letter from McDowell concerning the piano threatens to make trouble. Wish we never had seen the thing. Will & Charley here in eve & Morgan sleep on lounge. Bernard Morgan reports the death of bishop Cleary

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but as there is no Post office at the bay (River View) any more he did not get his books for the mail is now carried by rural free delivery so he dont know where they are. After dinner Wallace came and told Voltie that there is books and other mail for him at Rob Perceys. Wal goes home, gets his skates and comes directly back and he and V skate across the river and get the books, 4 of them. We all sit up reading till 10 p.m.

Monday 28th March 1904 Froze hard last night. Voltie regreting that he had not run the calves over on handsled this morning before daylight and I'm glad he didn't. After breakfast V drives to the foot to old Mrs Gillespie's funeral. The funeral service is held at the house. her remains were brought and laid in the M E vault. She was ninety years old. Wells Sr fixing fence to keep the cattle from the hay stack. After breakfast Maud washes the clothes uncle Sam has got his washing hung out first. I wash dishes, separator, and churn the butter, and