Sunday, Mar 03 Temp -5
Big joke on JT and I this morning. The plane sent word last night that it would be here at 08:30 and to have the mail at the island. I had a Mercury Super Te for Dr. Bourget at Resolution and I wanted to get it off on this trip. I had asked Colin Frazer to take it and he said he would. At noon yesterday it was still on the porch and I had not looked last night. JT and I decided last night that since there was 200 lbs of mail that Colin would not be able to take the set as well, so we would take it and get some pictures as well. JT had not seen the plane yet. We got up at 06:00, got breakfast and tried to get Nona up. She was too tired, so we said we would be back by 21:00. We then hitched up the dogs, got our parka's on and went on the porch to get the set and it was gone. Colin had got it. I was all for going back to bed but nothing doing with JT. Since we had got that far we would go on down. We went and when we got there, there was no sign of anyone. The plane was not due for about 15 minutes yet so we built a fire and sat around till about 08:45. As no one was on the river coming that way we went back only to find that if we had asked Leggo on our way down about the plane he would've told us that it wasn't coming till 11:00. I went home and printed pictures then till 02:00 and we had dinner. After supper Mrs Lyall and Ruby came in and stayed till 21:30. I finished the prints at 23:00 and we all went to bed.
Monday, Mar 04 Temp -40
Finished collecting the accounts this afternoon and finished all mail for Ottawa excepting the draft. The plane left from Simpson for Good Hope at 11:00. Ruby came to work for us this afternoon. She had been at Leggo's but quit for various reasons which I will not put into print here and came to us. It caused us quite a commotion in town too. After supper we read for a while then Nona and I played a hand of crib. We taught Ruby how to play it too. We had a little lunch at 23:00 and went to bed.
Tuesday, Mar 5th Temp -21
I worked on the DR's all day. Nona and Ruby cleaned house. After supper we read for a while and went to bed. This is about the time of year when things begin to drag and everyone seems to quarrel with everyone else. I suppose the fact that the fresh vegetables, etc are about all gone and everyone is getting fed up with the long winter. It is the same every year.
Wednesday, Mar 06 Temp -36
Not very much doing at the station today. I think we sent one message out and received one. After supper we all went over to Mrs Godsells. Callaghan and Jim Woods were there too. We played cards till about 01:00. It was so cold that Nona got the backs of her legs nipped coming home.
Thursday and Friday, Mar 07 and 08 Temp -45 and -32.
Very quiet all around. Norman came up Thursday night and we talked till about 23:00.
Saturday, Mar 09 Temp -36
Very quiet today too. I worked for an hour this morning on the DR's and then read some Edmonton newspapers that Joe brought downstairs. They are having a big Vice clean-up in Edmonton that the papers seem to be full of. After supper Nona and Ruby went to Mrs Lyall's and I developed some pictures. When I finished them I wrote in this diary from Feb 07 to date.
Sunday, Mar 10 Temp +3
Everyone slept in till 10:00 . I got up and after getting all the fires going, I went down and printed pictures till breakfast time. I printed again after breakfast till about 14:00. Nona went to church and I cleaned up. After church Nona & I went down to see the Loverocks. It was the first time we had been down this winter. They have not been up this winter either. When we came home I finished the drying of the prints then read a story out of the post. Went to bed about midnight.
Sunday, Mar 11 Temp -3
Much warmer today. The wind has dropped at last. For the past week or so the temperatures have not been so bad in themselves but the north wind has made it very disagreeable. I worked on the DR's and brought them UTD then while it was my trick on the Key, I chewed the rag with Mr Hastings, the conversation went something like this:
VEC- Wht is the nr your loose leaf bk.
VEG- Dominio 4481.ar.
VEC- R. tanks. RSH wnts to knw if u wnt a boat race this spring ( note RSH has an Elto 4 cyl. 18 HP. I hv a Elto 4 HP.
VEG- I don't know so much bat a race but would sure like to try that eng out on my boat and see how fast it could go and still hv the bow keep 15 ft ahead of the stern.
VEC- I cn make yr boat do 40 MPH if it will stay top side up. Hi Hi. VA ar.FR.
VEG- r. OK. Will take responsibility of the boat. I've had it doing 20 with the 7 HP Elto and it gets rite down and does bigness. See U in Spring VA. AG.
My sending is OK now, I very seldom have to repeat a work to any of the gang but I am still slow at receiving. They have to keep down to 8-10 words/minute for me.
After supper was over and the dishes were washed, I started to wire up my set. I was going to make it a nine tube but the cabinet is too small. It is only a 21" cabinet and is compact enough with 8 tubes. I got all the filament plate and gid connections down then Baslar came in for a 1/2 hour. I put the set away then and talked to him. I showed him how to use his camera. He left a couple of rolls to be finished. I read a story and then went to bed about 23:45.
Tuesday, Mar 12 Temp - 6
Slept in till 10:00. After breakfast I worked on my set till about noon then went to work. I worked on the DR's. It was so warm today that the water was running off the roofs and it was the first time people went out without their coats on. It was as high as 44 above during the afternoon. After supper Norman came up and stayed till 23:30. Our talk this evening ran to boating. Norman said he would help me take my boat into the warehouse Sunday to paint it for the spring. The plane arrived this afternoon from the South. There was a very small mail owing to most of it going via Ryan's which left McMurray before the plane arrived there. We only got one letter.
Wednesday, Mar 13 Temp + 30
Up at 07:30 to light the fire, it was very warm. I had to go outside and the sun was just coming up. The days are sure getting longer. It is light now till 08:00. I took 5 Sat. Eve. Posts down to the station this afternoon as we have read everything down there and Joe will not bring a magazine downstairs to us. The snow dropped about 6 inches today owing to the warm weather. It was about 45 this afternoon. The plane passed over Smith enroute south at noon. After supper Mrs Lyall came in for a little while. We all walked down to her house then came home. After reading a short story, went to bed.
Thursday, Mar 14 Temp -24
Nothing much doing today. Entered up the business in the DR;s and started making distilled water. I make this by filling 4 gallon battery jars with snow taken from the lot away from the building and trees and melting it. I always do it at this time of the year as the snow is melting and a jar of snow makes a little over half a jar of water. The water is then stored in four gallon glass jars. I make about 24 gallons/year. After supper Mrs Lyall came in again but did not stay more than a few minutes. Nona and Ruby went out for a walk with her. While they were gone, I developed about 8 rolls of films. It was very quiet tonight so we went to bed early.
Friday, Mar 15 Temp +19
Just as we were getting breakfast, Byron & Avery Qulton came in. they had had their breakfast but the fresh eggs just brought in by Air were tempting, so they had some more. Our coffee is noted, too. This afternoon Nona and Ruby went to call on Mrs Loverock but were not treated just as well as they might have expected. Mrs Loverock is very crude in many of her ways and slams issues forth when she talks. The Loverocks are raving about going out ( of the North). Raney arrived in town today and said that he might be up after supper. We waited for him but he did not come. Norman came up however and stayed till about midnight.
Saturday, Mar 16 Temp -4
Slept in till 10:00. After breakfast I printed a big bunch of pictures. At 14:00 we were just having tea when Norman came in. he and I went down and put my boat in the warehouse and took the seats and the floorboards out. I am going to paint it inside and out. After we finished that, we went to the rapids and took a few pictures. I took five and Norman took six. We returned home just at suppertime and after supper while Nona and Ruby went to see Mrs Lyall, I developed the rolls. They were all perfect. I started for Nona and Ruby but met them on the way home. Went to bed early.
Monday, Mar 18 Temp -10
Went to work at 09:30 and brought the ledger UTD. When I got home Nona and Ruby were washing. They did a big washing today, finishing it at 16:30. The plane arrived at 13:20 this afternoon and brought a little mail although the regular mail operations are suspended for the time being owning to some disagreement with the postal authorities. There was nothing doing at the station this afternoon. After supper Mr & Mrs Conibear came in for a few minutes. The rest of the evening was spent in reading. Ruby worked on a pair of beaded moccasins that she is making for Nona.
Tuesday, Mar 19
The plane arrived here at 10:00 enroute from Simpson to McMurray. Mr & Mrs Conibear and B. Qulton were passengers, Qulton and Conibear were going to McMurray and Mrs Conibear was going as far as Fitzgerald. I was on hand when the plane arrived with my camera and took four pictures. They were very good. I brought the DR's UTD and wrote a couple of letters to Ottawa. After supper Norman came up and he and Ruby played Nona and I five games of crib. They beat us, skunked the first game and we skunked them 3 times and beat them once. Norman left at 23:45 and we went to bed.
Wednesday, Mar 20 Temp +6
Nothing much doing at the station today. The mail arrived at 16:00. We got a letter from Mother, one from Nona's mother saying that Uncle Walter was killed. He was a railroad engineer and his freight train hit a split rail wrecking the train. He only lived for 26 hours. There was a parcel from both Regina and Barrie. Len arrived in town today and came up for supper. He and I played Nona and Ruby cribbage. We were the winners. Len stayed here tonight. He made up a bed on the kitchen floor.
Thursday, Mar 21 Temp +4
I answered what mail there was for Ottawa today and brought it up to the PO when I came home. I took some pictures for Joe of their baby in a bath tub. When I developed them, they were all very good. No one came up this evening so we read till time to go to bed.
Friday, Mar 22 Temp -10
Developed a few pictures this morning before going to the station. There was no business at all today so I read a few papers that Joe brought downstairs. After supper I developed 6 rolls of films then read for a while. Joe Walters won the sweepstakes today with "High Field," $501.50. We went to bed early.
Saturday, Mar 23 Temp -18
The H2S04 that we sent to Ottawa for came to the station this afternoon and I started in to overhaul a bunch of the batteries that have gone dead. I took down four of them and reassembled one. Nona and Ruby spent the afternoon at Lyalls. After supper Norman came in and we chewed the rag for a bit till about 23:00.
Sunday, Mar 24 Temp +6
I got up at 09:00 and printed pictures till noon. After dinner Norman came in and he and I went down to the 3 mile island to see the plane and get some snaps. I took several of them but do not know how they are yet. The plane is staying over here tonight so I invited Parmenter, the mechanic, to come up for the evening. Norman came up for supper. Parmenter came in about 20:30 and stayed till 23:00. He looked over my collection of pictures and thought that they were swell. I promised him several copies that he wanted to take out Norman left at 23:45 and we all went to bed right after.
Monday, Mar 25 Temp -4
Started overhauling batteries this AM, fixed 5 of them by quitting time. Mr & Mrs Godsell were to have come up this evening and we waited in for them but they did not show up. I started in on the radio and worked at it till about 23:00. I tried it out and got one station. Went to bed about 23:30.
Tuesday, Mar 26 Temp -8
I developed 2 rolls of films before going to work. All afternoon I worked on the batteries all day. After supper I worked on the radio. I tuned in about 23:00, got KGA but could get no others. The volume and tone is very good but it does not seem to be very sensitive.
Wednesday, Mar 27 Temp -12
I brought the DR's UTD this morning just finished all of them by my dinner time. This afternoon I had to come uptown with some messages and it was too late to start on the batteries whine I got back. After supper I rewound the oscillator coil and when I tried it out I got KGA, KOMO, KVI, CKY and WLW. Still not satisfied with the results though. There seems to be a loss somewhere. Went to bed listening to KGA with a midnight program.
Thursday, Mar 28 Temp +12
I worked on the batteries all day. I finished 5 of them and put them back into service. I patched up a battery for Syd Leggo that had been frozen and cracked the case. It snowed all day and by 17:00 there was about 8 inches. It stopped about 17:00. Just after supper JT came in from Pine Lake. He had supper here and Norman dropped in. We had a four handed game of crib and Norman and I got the short end of the deal. JT brought us about 2 pounds of moose liver. The party broke up about 01:00.
Friday, Mar 29 Temp -11
Today being Good Friday, it is a holiday. The plane passed over at 09:00 and woke us up. I got up and got the fires going then started in to do some printing. I printed about 100 pictures before dinner. JT was in for dinner. After dinner the plane passed over here going south again. It went to Resolution. JT cut Nona's hair this afternoon. Looks swell. After supper we played cards. The radio was NG so didn't bother with it. Went to bed at 01:00 and I read "Bull Tavern" till 04:00.
Saturday, Mar 30 Temp -30
At work at 09:00, worked on the books for a while but it was too cold. After dinner I repaired 5 more cells and got them all ready to put on charge Tuesday afternoon. When I got home for supper I found Bert and Len had arrived. They are in for the Easter holidays. Bert had a boot of Grant's Best with him. We had a big supper then Bert and I played Nona and JT five rubbers of crib beating them by about 1400 points. Len and Ruby played crib with Ruby in the lead.
Sunday, Mar 31 Temp -20
We all slept in till 10:00. It had turned a little colder so I started the furnace. As soon as breakfast was over I started in to print some pictures, I did about 100. Nona, Ruby, JT and Bert went to church this afternoon and Len and I stayed home. Inspector Gagnon came in for his films and stayed till about 15:30. He went as soon as the gang returned and we had a hand of crib before suppertime. Supper tonight was of the light lunch variety. After supper we played bridge and crib till about midnight. Norman came up and joined the crowd. The gang were sure wild tonight. Bert, Len, JT and Nona were trying to think up an April fool joke to play on Norman but couldn't. They were giggling and laughing all the time. We had lunch about 01:00 and the party broke up about 01:45.