Monday January 19th

As soon as I did the chores this morning I {illegible} the {illegible} drain to see if I could discover the cause of the vile odour coming from the sink, and found that the end of the drain was frozen up. I worked at it for about an hour but without success as it was frozen well back into the tile and I couldn't get at it. The only way I could make any impression was with an old auger but it was a very slow job. I quit about eleven and started out to see about getting some wood out of {Pat?} Bowlby's bush which they are cutting off. It was such a lovely day that Marj. thought she would got too as she & the children needed fresh air. We drove around by the mill and as they were beginning to get cold, they got out at the Bagley's and waited there till I got back from the woods where I found they had plenty for sale. {It} was just about noon when we left town and we {dr}ove around by the farm as I wanted to see about {ge}tting the team and bob sleighs, so as they were just {rea}dy to sit down to dinner we stayed there. We came {ho}me soon after and I renewed my efforts to get the {illegible} open. I got the auger in as far as I could far {illegible} and then got Marj. to heat the poker and bring it to me as it would have cooled while I was getting over the fence. It was too small to do much good as it cooled before it melted much, but Marj. went out to the shed and found a big rod with a hook on the end of it and heated it. It worked. I melted in as far as it would while it was hot and then gave a few rams with it and burst through. The pent up water came out with a gush and I just had time to get to one side without getting wet. It ran for about ten minutes and I didn't wonder the sink smelled bad when I saw it. Marj. flushed it out with a zenoleum solution, and now the house reeks of that which is just about as disagreeable. Mabel came over to-night with a couple of arithmetic problems for Marj. to work out. Marj. was terribly distressed at first as she didn't see at a glance the solution and was afraid her mental foculties were deteriorating but she finally got them to her satisfaction.

Tuesday January 20th

First impressions of to-day were far from prepossessing as it looked as if we were booked for a north east blizzard. The wind was not high but it was snowing very vigourously if not furiously, the consequence