Irene Dixon Bamford

Thursday 25 Feb 1907

A clear cold day wind N.W., ground hard frozen and bare nearly. Voltie drew hay for R and curried her pork & hen feed. Ray McIntyre came over and went up to see Wall Niles. Voltie went out to try the ice, found it good enough for a horse in evening. V., M and Stella Taggart, John Murray on ice skating till 11 pm while Irene, Ray and Harold Dignum staid here till Voltie & Maud rehearsed.

Friday 26th February 1909. A fine pleasant day. Sr drove to Clayton on ice. V drove over with Irene to Marjories. Ray went home after breakfast. Maud cleaned floors and made a cake. Grandpa bought 10 yds of plain blue calico for Irene a dress, a pair of shirts for himself and a pair for Voltie, 2 quarts of syrup. Lib sent me a years subscription of Hearth stone. Stella came down from school ate supper with us and V & M & Stella went skating over to Marjories. V drew two bags of potatoes.

Saturday 20

Sunday 21st March 1909 A fine day. Ray came over. Maud staid all night at Rachels came home at 10 am staid to dinner.

Monday 22nd March 1909 A fine day. Ray & V drawing hay from Rachels. Stella came from school as to make us a little visit and stay all night, found the walking pretty soft and mudy. V tapped our few trees.

Tuesday 23rd March 1909 A beautiful day, warm and bright, a robin singing in the apple tree. Maud washed and cleaned floors. Hung all the clothes on the veranda line.

Wednesday 24 March 1909 A long time ago since I wrote in my diary some times I think I'll never write again in a diary but I like to; wish sometimes I had always kept a diary since childhood. The day is very mild for March, 40 deg above zero. Cloudy all day looks like rain; more bare ground than snow. V filed Dignums cross cut saw. Harold came for the saw this morning. Ray helping V work in shop. Sr out doors most all day. R came over to dinner. Gave her fried cakes, milk, popcorn, pork (just a few slices). Wallace N is trapping for muskrat. Maud fried cakes and stewed raisons. Frank here using our telephone. Maud got a bad headache went to lie on the lounge awhile, slept, got up much better & helped put the supper on table. Evening V & Ra played checkers, we retire early. Most forgot to say One year ago this day Wellie was here, came across early this morning and staid with us over night. Edy Bates burried one year ago this day. Dear Edy Bates.

Thursday 25 March 1909 Oh what a nasty mudy raining slopy weather, ground bare with dirty patchs of snow; brook running like a mill dam. Ray wants to go over the river but cant cross for weather and danger of getting in, so he and V are boat building in the shop. Sr mending old harness in kitchen. I should think the harness mending would sometime be done but it goes on the year around. Tis 9 am jsut through with dishes, knives, forks, pots, pans, pails & sundries. Now I have to go immediately and pick over beans for dinner, a very interesting job. So here goes I. Well beans are cooking. Wellie crossed over the ice from us a year ago to day. We watched him as long as we could him a little black dot away on the other shore. V went across with im. last night dreamed of Will and Harry Watson