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Tuesday 28 January 1908 Wind South and blowing some. A heavy snow storm. Voltie has a cold and is sore & lame after pulling Dignums horses out of the ice hole. Kent drove in here to get Voltie to draw a load of wood from the villiage for the school house and see if he wanted go to Watertown with him when the crossing is safe. Geo Niles drove in here to borrow a saw. Said he has shipped Geo Snub to go on Bob Gaskins boat. Towards evening snowing and blowing. Voltie went through the storm, over to Rachels' to carry her soda, milk &c found her all right, only she has burnt up all the coal she had at the house and is now going to the stable for coal. Voltie came back after going to the post office. A letter from Grace, an extra copy of the Herald, some business postals. I sent to post this morning a letter in answer to a card from Geo F. Breck, No 625 E tenth Avenue Tarentum Pa
[margin] Grace wrote a beautiful letter about Bob, herself & Maud and the children. Said Bob had received his appointment as Capt of the steamer Pontiac at $1800 dollars per annum 3 eggs to day
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Wednesday 29 Jan 1809 [sic] A very fine day. V had a mind to go to Kingston this morning for Maud but I persuaded him to wait till tomorrow. So after dressing 6 chickens and eating dinner and looking 40 times across the ice to see if he could make a discovery of some one coming across, he said he would go himself over the river and get Ray McIntyre to help him saw wood over on Dailys chopping. He started out with club in hand trying the ice every step, and I, with marine glass in hand watch him every step, till he is near the other shore, when I saw 2 men come out and met him, then V turned back and the other 2 men came over with him. They were Ray and Mr James Smith. Well they all got talking about strawbery culture and different varieties, cream separators, and they drank some cider or a lot of cider and their tongues wagged tremendous - all talking at once. I dont do all the work I intended to do today. I asked V aside what Smith came for. V said Smith had come visiting. He is an [margin] awful loud visitor, but a very good looking man.
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Thursday 29 January 1908 A very cold morning but clear, thermometer registers 22 deg below zero. Voltie and I up at half past 4. V & I get breakfast and wait till day light for starting for Town. Cold increasing 24 below at sunrise. Wells Sr got a bad cough sent for cherry pectoral - little later 25 deg below zero. Got lots of work to do dont know as I can do it all. After dinner looking away across the river, saw a single rig coming on the ice; Ray went to meet them. When they came it was Bob Reid. Frank Woodman, Arthur Vincent, Beatrice & Kathleen. I gave them a lunch they had had no dinner. I was glad to see them. Kathleen is enroute for home. After a while Art and Bee walks back over the ice. Frank came over to exchange horses with Charley, for a horse trot at Depanville is coming off next week. Weather little more moderate but cold enough. Kathleen sleeps on the lounge [margin] by the warm coal fire Beatrice phoned to her mother found them all right.
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Friday 31 Jan 1908 Thermometer at zero this morning. Well Voltie didn't come home last night. I waited till 11 Oclock though I didn't think he would come. At noon, thermometer at 14 deg above zero. Weather bright and warm for the last day of Jan. I work steady all day, on my feet from morning till night and so tired, couldn't finish getting supper. Sr finished setting table. My feet swelled so by long standing and walking that they completely fill my loose shoes, till they crowd my left foot till is very painful. V and Maud come home at night about 7 Oclock cold and hungry. Tis a great relief to only look at them and know they are here, and as supper is ready we all sit down to a sociable pleasant meal. Kathleen rode home with the mail. Ray went to Woodmans with Kathleen & carried her valise and the little dear has gone home happy.
[margin] Maud & I sit up and talk till 10 Oclock pm.
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Saturday 1 February 1908 This is the last day of the week and the first of the month, and a perfect day of snow with no wind, snowing this morning when we arose and continually falling all day as fast as the clouds can sift it down. Two feet in depth or more at noon. Ray and Voltie hitched up and drove over to Rachels carrying her mop wringer and some flour, buttermilk, eggs, sweet milk. Then they played checkers till Maud and I put the dinner on the table and now they are gone to the shop to work. Sr sitting around the stove all day we baked bread. too stormy to mop floors. Evening we sit up and read till 10.30 pm. Wind commencing to blow which soon will heap the snow in huge drifts