Jacob 96, 9,10,21,47,70,87, Jane Ann 70,105 Stephen 42,92 Aunt Susan Ann

D

May 1845 \ 22.I spent the day in the mill painting fence & In the afternoon Father went to the Valley to settle with Mr Mastain for fixing the wagon and some other work. We painted the second coat on the fence to day. 23In the morning finished painting the fence except the bottom board which we expect to paint black or dark. In the afternoon it commenced raining and increased until to night about three oclock Carpenter returned with the horse haVing tolerable success in his enterprise. In the afternoon we prepared the cornhouse and sheller for shelling corn by water power._ 25.In the forenoon shelled a load of corn Father fed the sheller and I brought it from the upper part of the mill. In the afternoon Father went to the

Valley to fix Grandpa's pump Mr How Dudley Ross and Carpenter (Guests)

Miss Pierce Francis Canfield and Miss Dewy were at our house and took tea by invitation. 26.In the morning Father and myself with the help of James Lewis cleaned up a load of corn and Father went to Pokeepsie. James spent the day in the peach orchard hoeing the trees. Ispent the day at the house drawing wood from the usual place in under the shade of the willows and just at night I drew three loads of unsawed wood from Uncle Daniel 1 s hill lot it being left last winter it being up set there last winter. 27.Sabbath We prepared outse1v~s in the morning for church but it commenced raining quite hard and we did not venture to go. In the afternoon Mary and myself went to meeting. Mr Wile gave us a short lecture.Carpenter returned home with us in the evening. 28.In the morning prepared to saw wood with the circular saw after a short time got ready and went to sawing old wood and some other wood.ge_tffaa1rly ready for operation by night. 29.Commenced early in the morning a sawing wood. The saw worked well and we finished all but a small load of soft wood for oven wood. We find it required a very quick speed to do the work off nice. 30. Early in the morni~g I went to Pokeepsie to take Carpenter·to the boat on his way to New Haven In the afternoon after returning home Father arrd myself drew away wood from in front of the mill to the pile in the willow trees (One day missed) 31.Last night was a very cold night a heavy frost freezing quite ice in the stone by the well. We took the precaution to cover our dalias,tomatoes, and watermelon vines with paper shuch as was not too large. The papers were covered with frozen dew and were quite stiff. Shuch of our dahlias as were covered snug by boxes were safely kept some that had boxes over them but not snug showed signs of cold but not enough to injure them materially. Yesterday is not entered on in its order and therefore I will record it here. I spent the forenoon in the mill The Fishkill folks came at our house about eleven oclock Grandpa Uncle Stephen and Aunt Susan Ann and Charley were the visitors In the forenoon Father and Richard Still worked on the road. In the afternoon I took fathers place on the road Just at night while they were drinking tea Charles had a fit being subject to them quite often. Grandpa Ward and Uncle Daniel came to our house just at night to see Grandpa Monfort To day after dinner they returned home

Father and Mary went to Pokeepsie They brought the pleasure wagon home with them I spent the afternoon painting the bottom board varnishing the one horse harness &

June 1845 1. Sabbath In the morning Father and myself ~ent to church. Mother was not very well and did not go. Mary-staid ·home to watch the bees as she had no hat suitable to ware. We had a swarm of bees while at church although earlier than common. Our stock is now greatly reduced We have seven in the story hive and only one in the old fashioned kind and that very week and in very poor order~I-mean the old fachioned hive the others look thriving and in good order I spent the rest of the day home except a call at Uncle

Daniels in the afternoon.

2. Early in the morning Father called to me to get up as he wanted to get an early start to the Valley by the way of Mr Conklings to return the scraper and see John Baker to get him to do some mason work but was not able to see him as he had left home before he arrived there. Minard Dean returned home with him to help us. I went to drawing wood that had been sawed with the circular saw to the pile Father and myself continued until finished after which we covered it with the bee panue1 roofs and completed that job after which I drew a load of stakes and rails to the north line fence in the pasture lot called the west back field. To night for the first we turned our horses in the pasture as we have before this kept them in the stable letting them go in the 1an~ and eat grass a short time. 3. Spent the forenoon fixing a watering place for the horses by building a lane across the ditch in the oats lot. In the afternoon we started the corn sheller and shelled a load of corn after which Mr Zacheus Newcomb and la~§ and Miss Tobias came to our house to spend the afternoon. We expected

Mr Wile and lady but as they had company they were not able to come and spend the aft_ernoon but just at night Mr Ross Miss Pierce and Miss Wile rode over and spent a few minutes with us. 4. I spent the forenoun ploughing buckwheat ground it was a very warm day and unusual bad ploughing the plough kept choking up under the beam with sods. In the afternoon Father went to Poughkeepsie with a load of corn and to get part of load of plaister for Uncle Daniel. I spent the afternoon at the house doing chores varnished the pole of the wagon. Just at night

I went to the Valley to take the wagon to get the brass bands put on the wheels but as the brass nails where missing they could not put them onAs

I where passing Mrs Lewises I happened to look up a"nd see Miss Belden called when I came back after which I went to see John Baker the maison to see when he could come and point the wall in front of the house. 5. I spent the day ploughing. We fixed an old plough on a different plan this morning by putting a very crooked beam so as to raise it six or eight inches higher were the iron passed through the beam than the usual height we had to get the iron enghened. It worked fine answering the purpose admirable.

Father watered the vines in the garden just at night it being exceedingly dry. 6. I spent the most of the day ploughing in the low ground in the meadow an awful mean job broke the crooked beam that we put in yesterday but not until the most ·was ploughed. In the morningn6~ther went to the Valley with the pleasure wagon to get it fixed as it did1'track exactly and to get the brass bands put on fix grandpa 1 s pump & Just before night I went to Mr

Conklins sand hill after a load of gravel for making morter to point the wall in front of the house but through a wrong advice got a load of sand in stead of gravel Father said he would not use it as it made poor morter.

It rained or sprinkled some just at night but had not much the appearance of a settled rain. We need rain very much especially meadows if there should not be rain soon there cannot be a heavy crop of grass.