During his first diary, Tom is working in his stepfather’s hardware store in Stratford and participating in a wide range of activities. He travels to Western Canada on a harvest excursion and hunting, fishing, and politics become lifelong interests. In 1899 he buys a farm and in 1903 he marries Fanny who lives across the road. They work hard but it isn’t always idyllic, as medical expenses in the late 1920s almost equal the farm income. Throughout the years Tom enjoys attending a lively party, playing a baseball game, or socializing with neighbours and family.