Irene Dixon Bamford

94

about 4 p.m. R came over to mail letters or (magazines) and stays to dinner. I remove to the warm, well lighted veranda where I clean free from husks and litter a half bushel, multiple onions which V will carry to market Thursday. Emma washes three bed quilts and cleans Volties bedroom. One hen hatching, she and her chicks ought to be looked after. John finished plowing corn growing. V building fence. Mail Standard, seeds from Miss Carrie Lippincott Tomato seeds from Kenneth McDonald. Voltie when counting the sheep found one missing, and its loss is a mistery

April 1914 Wednesday 29th Emma set another hen A rainy morning and rained all night. Chilly wind north. Voltie went to the lower barn and when coming home found the lost sheep, dead by all appearance for a week. it was torn and mutilated. V thinks the bull killed the sheep. V & J cleaning oats for seed. 10 a.m. and rain rain Joe Woodman came to get V to do some shop work and ate dinner with us. Heard that the sick are all convalesent. Bessie & Lizzie & Louise. Churned after dark.

Thursday 30 April 1914 A fair morning Wind N. Arose at half past 4 a.m. V going to Kingston.

petticoat every day and wont take it off. Must write to Nellie, Muriel, and Maud. All in bathing, Isabelle, Margaret, Robert, Miriam, Emma, Edith, Sylvia, Reginald, Ed, Joe Woodman. Maggie Joslin here for Berries 2 boxes. Howard here for berries 4 boxes. A Joslin rung for berries.

Sunday 12 July 1914 A cool morning. Wind North, clear sky. No butter, potatoes nearly all gone. V killed a hen. We are to have a pot pie for dinner. Noon river still and weather as hot as ever. John & Reggie & Robert went trolling. Grace and Emma got dinner, picked berries. The day passed on gone forever gone with all the other Sundays and days since creation. John and Reginald & Robert, caught 65 fish of various kinds perch, rock bass, black bass etc. Sylvia came for a little while just at sundown. Every kid goes to consession to roll, tumble and flounder about in the water. Then Grace, Emma, Reginald, Robert & Buster go over to R carrying her some fish. At last every one gone to rest and the house is quiet once more.

Monday 13 July 1914 Another day just like the preceeding ones. Emma washing at the river. Grace deting dinner. The men, J & V are haying. Edith gave me a foot bath River like a mirror. I worte three letters 1 to Muriel 1 to Nellie Brooks 1 to Maude. Kids all went to Sylvias

Tuesday 13 Oct Nov 1914 A fine day. V and McKay digging potatoes. I write letters but cant get them to post office. Edith gone to school.

Wednesday 14 Oct 1914 A very pleasant day. Voltie and McKay cleaned up and bagged a hundred bushels of oats. He says the hay will be here tomorow and to prepare but he is going to Kingston tomorrow also aunt Rachel. I am sending 4 letters one to Margaret, one to Watson, one to John, one to Eveline. Bessie Brickenridge and Will Mcdonald go across in V's skiff to see Buchanan, river like a mirror. Edith goes to school

Thursday 15 Oct 1914 Not a very pleasant day. Voltie went to town with a grist and a hundred bushels of oats which went up on scow while he went up on the islander. The hay press moved here this morning from Geo Gillespies. John McDonald Cheif and owner with two Hogans, Victor and Stewart as junipers with Joe Woodman as assistant for the day, only and old McKay. V came home from Kingston bringing several and various article in grocery and dry goods line to numerous to mention.

V went to plow but had too stop to help John McDonald move the hay press from the barn over to Weirs for they are going to press hay. Voltie managed to hire old Bill York to chop the wood for the school house. We milk the cows once a day now. I read a story to V and Edith & Emma in evening. The wind is howling from the west and the sea is running high

Tuesday 17 Nov 1914 The West wind howling all night fearfully and still continues with increasing force. The river presents a picture of millions of white crested waves forever in in motion rising in great white capped billows vanishing for a second only to rise again instantly magnificently grand but wearing to soul and eye. "Cease rude Boreas cease thy" "railing" . Voltie rung up again the Obriens about the wood for the school. E washing breakfast dishes. Emma shelling corn for dinner. Volty making stanchions for stable calves. forgot to say Weir paid V 2 dollars for tomatoes & cucumbers which V paid to Joe Woodman.

Continued on opposite page 8th February 1914

9

Emma cooked beans. Edith at school. John done chores. V came at 7 pm bringing the grist, groceries, glass etc and a drunken old pup, named Jim Gardiner with face long as a jack ass and drunk and noisy, could scarcely walk to supper table. Evening visitors Eddie McDermot, Joe Woodman & Rupert Davis. Emma played on piano and they all sang and such a confusion of sounds I never heard. Well they are gone home. All good boys, they are every one. I ws disapointed in not receiving a letter from Grace.

Thursday 11 March Froze again last night. A light flurry of snow this morning. I working on Veranda. Edith at school. John puttying glass for school house which I bought yesterday. Volties hired man, Jim G so sick after his drunken bout that he couldn't eat any breakfast. V told him to shoulder his valise and get out but he had to take a long nap first; The day is very fair.