Tuesday May 4th

I drove over home this morning and Dad and I went down the Lake Shore to Snider's and got a small load of hay, nice bright timothy, I brought it out here but we arranged to go for another load to-morrow for Dad. Dad. went home from the corner to do some chores and I came on out with the load had some dinner and put the horses in & Dad walked across and helped me put it off. He took the team back so I didn't go. Ina was here all day and she had to walk home. Three more chickens died to-day and several look sick we put a few more under the old hen. I went out after tea to-night and shook the stove fire down and sat down out there to watch it for awhile and the first thing I know Marj. was pounding on the wall calling me. She said she had been looking for me for an hour and couldn't make me hear, reason being that I hah been sound asleep. She had gone down cellar for something and thought the odour she has been complaining about was worse and upon looking into the cistern discovered a "demmed, damp, disagreeable body" and thought it was a rat, but when I got wakened up sufficiently to go and dip it out with a pail I discovered it was a muskrat. Whether it is our long lost barn pet and how he got in there I don't know, but suppose he must have gone through the wall where the eave-pipe enters. Sunny and nice day but cold wind. Froze ½ inch of ice last night.

Wednesday May 5th