for awhile. Dick Quint and Aunt Hattie arrived there to-day. I got home before dark. Marj. was just out feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs, we got a total of 40 to-day. I have felt the cold to-day more than any day this winter I think. The mercury was 9 below this morning Ray said and there was a north-east breeze all day that was intensely chilling. It is freezing hard to-night but the wind has gone down. Marj. and I sat up till after midnight reading and I stayed awake nearly the whole time, which I considered a remarkable accomplishment, and which Marj. attributes to the fact that she promised me I could have a smoke if I kept awake long enough to read one chapter.

Thursday January 27th

I struck off this morn9ng as soon as I coukld get away which was far from early to get Queen shod I expected to find the shop full when I got down there but I was in luck. There was just one horse in front and four in the shop. The bums weren';t occupying Sid's time and he was just finishing shoeing the horse so went right to work on Queen. While she was being shod