Wednesday February 18th

I spent most of the fore noon cutting down another pine. It was leaning uphill towards the fence so I had to wedge it over. I haggled away at it till I got it teetering and then Marj. called me to dinner so I left it and when I came out after dinner it was down with its head in the creek, the way I wanted it to go. Dad. and Dick came out this after noon for a little while It is the first Dick has been out since he came home and he expects to leave on Saturday. Raw west wind.

Thursday February 19th

Frank came over this fore noon before I had the chores all done to go with me to a sale this after noon out at Bancroft's near Mt. Zion church. As we had lots of time I got him to help me fell the big pine which I ratched the other day. We had to wedge it over too and I broke the old axe head doing it but we got it over about where we wanted it. There was a squirrels nest in it and we saw the squirrel a grey one come out and run up towards the top when we started to drive the wedge He hung on like grim death till the tree started to gain momentum in its downward course when he took a flying leap of about 15 feet over into an ash where he was safe. It was a spectacular jump fit for a movie scene. We cut a little wood and as the sleighing is getting so poor we decided to take the buggy this after noon so started to oil it, but couldn't find the wrenchs. I knew the one for the inside nut was lost but thought perhaps the monkey wrench would loosen it. I could have sworn that the cap wrench was in the buggy but there was no sign of it, so Frank went over and borrowed Dave's while I did up the chores. Dave's wrench didnt fit very well and as we had so much trouble getting one wheel off we decided it didn't need oiling so let it go. We were afraid we would be late for the sale as it was one o'clock before we got started but we needn't have worried as Walsh spent about half the after noon selling a sleigh box full of junk. There was about the biggest line up of implements I ever saw at a sale, and they were all in good shape a lot of them new. I bid on the roller but it went up beyond what I thought was a bargain so I didn't get it. Neither of us bid on anything else. It must have been nearly five when we left and they weren't quite through with the machinery and had a fine bunch of Holsteins and several