The Journal of Kenneth Elgrim

29^th April 2013

January 23, 2013

Heavy snow. Completely out of hard wood, plenty of soft wood but the nights get bitter cold unless someone is up constantly tending the fire. Hard to sleep anyway, branches breaking all through the night. The Long's had one fall on a bedroom, nobody hurt, thank God.

Emily's boyfriend brought up the dress he bought her for Christmas. Must have cost him a small fortune. Most think he will propose this year. Still had to sleep in the barn, rules are rules, must really love her.

Thomas under the weather again, can't seem to kick the cough, but he puts on a brave face.

Had a drifter come through, made camp on the outskirts of town. Frank politely urged him to move on, hasn't taken the hint yet.

Roads are a mess. Going to take forever to clear once the snows let up.

January 25, 2013

Storm's stopped. Clear skies but it's even colder now. Plenty of hard wood up for grabs now, but it probably won't be seasoned till fall. Chipped my axe on some frozen oak, will see if Sam can do anything with it. Drifter got his final warning today now that the skies are clear.

He didn't take the hint. A few of us went down there and beat him pretty bad. Can't say he wasn't warned. Saw him moving off to the south before nightfall.

January 28, 2013

A full day of rain, melted a lot of the snow, the river is up and roaring. The deer are moving, shot one near the bridge, skinny but most welcome. Kate it making jerky, might try for summer sausage if it stays cold enough. If not nobody will complain about leftovers.

Bear came in after dark for the gut pile, ran it off with the dogs. Not worth shooting, just skin and bones. Probably a yearling. February 3, 2013

Missus Stark passed overnight, in her fifties, probably her heart? A good long life. Will miss her fiddle. Buried her just uphill from their house. Ground is still rock hard, took all morning. Hope she's deep enough, that bear has still been creeping about.

Not deep enough. More digging with the boys, nothing but rocks and mud, bear didn't get much, and he's not getting another chance. A solid five feet and stones piled up over that. May she rest in peace.

February 5, 2013

Seems like every other horse in town has thrush. Ground is still half muck and half ice, nowhere else to pasture them without the risk of them getting taken. Trying to cycle them through the barn, no fresh straw, but we had a little cast iron stove in there to help dry it out. Wish we had some of that antibiotic stuff.

Chris nearly got his ribs kicked in trimming the frog on a big half draft. Poor guy will probably be laid up till summer.

Opened a jar of pickled tomatoes we have been saving, tasted like heaven.

Charged up the phone, everybody got about an hour with it, was a nice break and the signal held pretty well.

Josh offered to trade a square of his Christmas chocolate for a look at my Mauler, I told him he could go to hell, he laughed and promised to come back with a better offer.

February 8, 2013

Good weather. Heard the first chickadee of the year. Grass is springing up and all the animals are out. Really feeling it this year, going to try to get away. Going to break mom and dad's heart, but what can you do? No girls my age, and I can't stay here with them forever. Going to start getting things together.

But where to go? Not settled on that yet. Going to wait for news from the low lands once the pass opens. One way or another, this year is the year.

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