Thursday March 12th

It was frozen hard enough this morning so that I could haul manure on the old bean patch which was bare ground and I got quite a bit out by noon when it became to soft and the waggon cut through. Right after dinner Reg. Scott came over with his rifle to shoot some cats that Marj. wanted killed. He shot two of the half grown kittens but the third one and the yellow cat couldn't be found, and Marj. couldn't decide at the time which one of the black cats was the sick one so we didn't let him shoot either of them. It seemed like a murderous business but Marj. has been distressed all winter at the prospect of of supporting six cats four of which are feminine felines, as it is I think Reg killed the only two tom-kittens we had. I told Reg. I wouldn't do the job on a bet and he said he hated to himself but for the sake of a shot he would kill almost any thing. He is on the trail of a coon whose tracks he has seen along our creek but whose residence he can't locate. I burned some grass in the orchard this after noon and dug our parsnips, the frost seemed to be right out of the ground in the garden. Marj. & Harry B went over to the Lampkin's with the intention of staying to dinner but

found Dave there alone as Mrs. Larkin went to Hamilton yesterday to see Mrs. Schram. Marj. met Charlie Butler on the way home and he told her that Jim Birdsell died in his sleep last night. He was helping Shand's cut wood all day yesterday and went to bed apparently well, about half past two his wife was awakened by hearing him give two or three peculiar gasps and he died without ever waking up. Charlie didn't know whether Ollie was home or not but she managed to get the Shane's wokeded up with the telephone=hone. Reg. told me this after noon that both Mrs. Schram & Billy Lang's dad died last=t night.

Friday March 13th