Sat. Dec. 1st. Cloudy and warm from S all day and rained some at night. Pa, Willie and I picked cotton all morn on hilltop of Persimmon cut. Willie rode Joe to town in eve and I drove Hattie to cart to Cohen's and carried 1/2 doz. grown chickens and returned at first dusk.
Sun. 2nd. Bright and warm from SW till late in eve and began to rain in thudershowers from NW at 4 1/2 in eve and lasted till 9 at night - a heavy rainfall in all. Dixie and Clara drove Hattie and Rena went on Seymour's buggy with Wiley D. and Willie rode Joe to Mills Church in morn and all returned at 6 1/2 nearly wet. W. D. and Clara and Tigner here all night. Nellie and I walked to Gussie's in eve at 1 1/2 to 4.
Mon. 3rd. Cloudy all morn and ground wet and wind from N or NE and misted rain all eve till 4 and rained slowly all night. Pa rode Hattie to town in morn and returned at 2. Willie and I began and stripped grinding cane part of morn and part of eve and we got nearly wet with water in cane. Seymour came from Lewis' at dusk and stayed all night.
Tue. 4th. It rained slowly all last night and till 9 this morn and cloudy balance of day from NE and chilly. Willie rode Joe fox hunting in morn. Pa and I got some wood and dug some potatoes in orchard by 10 and picked 20 of peas on H ridge by 11 1/2. Willie and I stripped grinding cane awhile in eve and Pa cut and packed up some wood from NW of orchard and threw over wire fence there on NW corner.
Wed. 5th. Cloudy all day and no sunshine but did not rain any and chilly from N. Willie and I stripped grinding cane all morn till 10 3/4 and quit. Pa packed up some wood in morn. Pa, Willie and I picked cotton in old whip pea ground about 2 hours in eve and got too cold and quit at 3.
Thu. 6th. Cloudy some all day but bright and sun shined most of eve and warmer from S. Pa, Willie and I picked cotton all day in whip peas ground till 2 in eve and balance of eve in Persimmon cut.
Fri. 7th. Foggy and cloudy all morn and bright and pleasant from SW all eve. Pa, Willie and I dug our potatoes (in middle of orchard). I plowed them up with 6 furrows without cutting off vines (which were dead) by 11 1/2 in morn with Hattie and we hauled them in 5 1/2 cartloads in eve and put part in old stable in barrels and put part under new cotton house. Bud came at 9 and helped us balance of day. Lucy McGraw came in morn and stayed all night.
Sat. 8th. It rained in hard showers from SW at 5 to 6 in morn and warm and cloudy till 11 and bright all eve and a thunder shower passed around SW from W at 7 at night but only dropped here. I rode Hattie to Cohen's in morn. Willie rode Joe fox hunting and they caught 1 in Sims' field in morn. I packed and cut up wood in eve. Lucy McGraw left in morn. Wiley D. here at night awhile.
Sun. 9th. Cloudy and warm from SW and rained in showers from 10 in morn till 4 in eve and we had a heavy rain at 11 to 12 at night from NW with some wind and thunder. I walked to Sims' at 8 1/4 to 9 3/4 in morn. Nellie walked to Gussie's in morn and there till late in eve and Willie took Hattie for her.
Mon. 10th. Bright and pleasant from SW all day but ground very wet in morn. Pa, Willie and I packed up some wood by 10 1/2 in morn and Seymour hauled 2 wagon loads of our cane to Lewis' at 11 to 12 1/4 with 4 horses and Gussie and I hauled 3 wagon loads with 2 horses in eve and 1 of wood and Bud and Willie ground and Seymour cooked most of eve and till midnight. Bud stayed here all night.
Tue. 11th. We had a hard rain from NW at 12 1/4 to 1 1/2 last night with some thunder and wind and cloudy all today but bright from W. Bud and Willie at mill all day and till 9 1/2 at night grinding cane and Seymour cooked and Gussie and I hauled 8 loads of cane and 2 of wood to mill all day - we hauled all of cane stripped. Bud went home at night and Seymour came here at night and stayed. We ground cane all today and yesterday eve with Dick and Hattie.
Wed. 12th. Bright, nearly clear, frost in morn, and wind from N and a pleasant and beautiful day. Pa picked cotton in Persimmon cut Mon. and Tue. eve and part of today. I stripped 2 loads of cane by 9 1/2 and Wiley D. hauled them and 2 loads of wood to mill by 12 1/2. Bud and Willie at mill all day and till 11 1/4 at night. We finished grinding just before sunset and they finished cooking at 11 1/4 at night. Seymour came home with Willie and stayed all night.
Thu. 13th. Bright, a little frost in morn and wind quite cool from N. Seymour and Gussie and Willie and I hauled our molasses home by 10 in morn with Hattie and Lewis' mule. We made 105 gal. in all. Pa picked cotton part of morn in Persimmon cut and he, Willie and I picked there in eve.
Fri. 14th. Bright, nearly clear, and a white frost in morn but a beautiful and pleasant day. Pa, Willie and I dug our last potatoes in NE corner of orchard and hauled all in 1 cartload and put them under new cotton house by 11 1/2 in morn and we finished picking last of our cotton in field (in Persimmon cut) in eve and marked 5 calves late in eve and put all of our cattle but 2 milk cows in field at sunset.
Sat. 15th. Cloudy and chilly from SE in morn and warmer in eve. Willie rode Joe to Cohen's in morn and Dixie and Rena rode Hattie and Fanny to Hill place in morn and returned just before sunset. I picked little cotton in orchard and got some wood and ceiled above barn door and covered 2 ricks of cane with fodder today.
Sun. 16th. It rained in showers from W at 5 to 7 1/2 in morn and cleared up from NW at 10 in morn and pleasant in eve. I walked to Sims' in morn and got some papers and flowers. Bud and Wiley D. here most of day. Dudley Wigner here late in eve and till after supper.
Mon. 17th. Clear and cool from NE. I hauled cane fodder on cart from NW side of orchard and put on cane ricks (3 of them) in cow pen corner by 11 and hauled 2 loads of wood from road side of calf pasture which Pa cut by 12 with Hattie and I rode her to Cohen's in eve. Willie rode Joe fox hunting early in morn and gone till late in eve.
Tue. 18th. Bright and frost in morn and a beautiful day from the N. Cohen sent 1 wagon early in morn and brought seed (to exchange) and carried my last bale and they got through by 1 and I sold to Cohen at 4 3/16 cts. on account and I returned at 2. I fixed a bolt in old buggy in eve and caught some chickens to sell.
Wed. 19th. Clear, frost in morn and wind cool from NE but a pleasant day. Willie rode Joe fox hunting early in morn. I drove Hattie to old buggy to town in morn and carried 1 doz. grown chickens to Max Dampf (for Kraus). I returned at 12 and drove Hattie to Cohen's to old buggy in eve and carried 2 bu. potatoes to Mrs. Johnson for which she paid me $1 and Kraus paid me $2.60 for the chickens.
Thu. 20th. Clear, a light freeze and frost in morn, but a beautiful and pleasant day. Willie and I hunted our hogs part of morn to kill 1 but didn't find them. We got some wood in eve and I killed 2 squirrels N of cow pen late in eve.
Fri. 21st. Clear, frost in morn but a pleasant day. Willie rode Joe fox hunting in morn. Nellie and I drove Hattie to new buggy to town in morn and returned at 2 3/4 and Pa, Willie and I killed and dressed a sow shoat in eve late (our hogs came up early in morn and I put 3 of shoats in pen then). Clara and Cousin Mary here in eve.
Sat. 22nd. Bright and cool and beautiful and pleasant weather. Pa, Willie and I cut some wood just outside of orchard fence on NW side early in morn and I hauled 4 cartloads by 11 1/2. Willie rode Joe to town at 10 in morn and returned at 7 at night. Mrs. Ogden and Katie here most of day.
Sun. 23rd. Bright and cool and dry. Joe Miller here at 10 in morn till 1 in eve and Lewis and family here in eve awhile. I rode Hattie to Clara's in eve. Nellie, Dixie and Rena cooked some cakes in morn for Christmas.
Mon. 24th. Bright and pleasant but some dark clouds. Willie rode Joe fox hunting early in morn and they caught 1. I rode Hattie by Cohen's and on to town and paid Dr. Featherstun $4 (salary) and got some things and returned at 11 1/2. Nellie, Dixie and Rena cooked most of day. Mr. Ed Tabor here most of day. I cut up wood and resalted meat and walked to Sims' and got some flowers in eve.
Tue. 25th. Bright and warm and dry and pleasant but some dark clouds late in eve and sprinkled some just at dark and some in night. Clara and her children and Gordon and Bud and Wiley D. and Beau C. here to dinner. Pa walked to Clara's and stayed all day with Ma.
Wed. 26th. It rained little last night and wind changed to N and cold and sprinkled rain from N till 9 in morn and bright but cloudy some balance of day and quite cold from N. I put hay and boards on our potatoes in stable and under cotton house in morn. Willie and I walked to hunt bear tracks on Estina in eve and Bud and Tigner and Gordon met us there and we killed 4 squirrels and 1 rabbit.
Thu. 27th. Bright, nearly clear, and a hard freeze in morn and wind cold from N all day. Willie rode Joe fox hunting early in morn and he and Nellie dined at Clara's and came home late in eve and Willie rode Joe to Berlin Morris' to frolic at night. I walked to Estina branch duck hunting in morn but didn't find any. Pa and I cut some pine out of old log in Pine corner in eve.
Fri. 28th. Bright, nearly clear, and very cold and a hard freeze and didn't thaw but little even in sun and wind very cold from N all day. I cut and split up some beech and holly wood towards cow pen most of morn and hauled it in 3 piling cartloads in eve and hauled a cartload of fat pine from Pine corner (which I got on yesterday eve). Willie returned from frolic at 1.
Sat. 29th. Bright, nearly clear and a very hard freeze in morn but wind from S and warmer in eve and clouded up and thawed at night. I rode Hattie to store in morn and carried 68 eggs and got some meal and coffee and matches and 9 yds. feather ticking for Dixie and a pr. plow shoes for myself. I had a dull headache all day and went to bed before dark and suffered all night with it but didn't vomit any.
Sun. 30th. Cloudy and chilly from the S and began to rain in showers at 9 1/2 in morn and lasted hard till 2 and wind from N in eve and sprinkled rain till dark. I was quite sick with headache in morn but di