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 morning as soon as I could 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 and four bums 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