Community Life
Excerpts from the diary of Colin fo/m MacPImil
December 1882
lst: I been to town, good slcy road 3rd: Preaching De Sable at night did not attend
4th: showers ofsnow, Preaching school house, some rain
6th: heavy rain
7th: Good road for wheels, fine day 8th: stormy, making ice on the shore, school house wood sold to Granger McPhail for $1.80
9th: Stormy, 1/2 mile ofiee on the shore.
10th: Preaching at night, did not at- tend.
11th: Snow storm in the am. Finely hr’IcDonald killed a pig for own use 15th: Vlhrcshing in the pm, Dougald McKinnon, John Campbell Smith, Neil A. McPhail, John Big Mal
20th: Us ScArthur been to Victoria 21st: Schooner past east, no ice to be seen.
23rd: Steamer loading oats Ch'town at 35 cents. Threshing at i\"la] pm
27th: ’lhreshing in the pm Angus Mcl’hail Finely McDonald, Mal Sc John
28th: l’eter Ferguson butchered a cow 29th: I been town with the heat‘4 1/2 for hind, 4 for the fore quarter hide inspector 58 lb. @4 cents a pound. 31st: Sunday, Good roads & fine
weather so fa r.
January 1883 4th: High wind and hard frost, Neil A McPhail chafling wheat 18 bush in all.
5th: Thermometer 16 below zero.
8th: Threshing at Mal
9th: Cate Currie &I been to town by Dochandroff, ice good to VVestville 10th: some snow at night, 2 1/2 bush hay seed
13th: hauling wood at Ducans
14th: Sunday some rain
16th: Threshing Lauchlen McKinnon Mal 8cJohn Colin (Big Mal) McPhail, Neil A lVIcPhail, Rob & Finely iVlc— Donald
17th: Snow storm not sever, Chap lVchean child buried, up to the present time we have had good roads and fair weather
19th: road breaking (not much)
20th: took 5 bush wheat to mill 8c 8 bush oats to Crapaud, Subscribed for the Family Herald
21st: Sunday, some snow 8c rain
22nd 8c23rd: imp bush ofoats to i\/1ill 24th: us 8c Finly Nchonald to town 27th: snow in the eve
31st: Heavy rain at night.
February 1883
3rd: 3 below zero, preaching school house did no attend
5th: Sunday, preaching did not attend, snow
7th: snow , not enough snow in the woods to make a good track
10th: 4 degrees all day and 8 degrees below zero at night
11th: showers ofsnow
12th: 4 or 5 in ofsnow
13th: threshing at Mal
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