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Life in the Past Excerpts from Nelson Hicks' journal at Hix Holme, South Bay December 1896 Dec. 1 Archie was down to Jakes. Jake was some sick. I fixed Dan's single harnes up. Dec. 2 Paw went out to Nelse Ostrander got the old cow and we put her in the stable to commence to fat her. Dec. 4 The Steamer Water Lily come in down to Wesly Wattams shore to load gravel. Archie and I and Jake were helping them load. Sun. 5 Paw and I went over to Picton. I got a Ulster Over Coat price $10.00. The roads were good. Archie was helping load the Water Lily till noon. Dec. 8 Dan come up. We loaded up a load of Staw and took it up to Will Turnbull. Paw bought a colt of him for $25.00 and the load of Straw. It is Four years old coming Five. Dec. 11 Jake Paw and Archie Killed two pigs. Sold 89 1b to Johnson Parkinson@5cts pr 1b. It has been a nice warm day very muddy. Old Mr. Philip Dulmage died last night at 12:00 and Missess Ann Hudgins died to day at 5:00. Dec. 13 Sunday Old Mr. Philip Dulmage Serman was preached at the Carman church by Mr. Anderson at Ten oclock Four Noon. Missess Ann Hudgins Funeral Serman was preached at the Carman Church in the After noon at Three oclock There was a very large crowd. They were both burried at the Head of the Bay burring ground. Dec. 14 We finished the fence in the Garden. It froze last night very hard the roads now are very rough. George Barker, Nelson Hicks, John Loney and Bill McCaine preparing a pig. Dec. 15 I took 16.30 Ibs of Barley up to the Mill to get ground and 219 1bs of B. Wheat for flour. Dec 16 We sawed some wood here by the house that was left from the Barn. Dec. 17 Paw and Archie I built a peace of paten fence by the Barn. It was a nice day. Maw went out to Annie Mauds. Dec. 18 Paw went out to Nelse Ostrander to help him kill a Hog. In the After noon Mary Ellen and Archie I went down to Myrtle Spaffords examination. Dec. 20 Sunday. It is still quite cold. The wind blows fresh from the North East. Stratton and I went down to the Union to meeting. Dec. 24 Stratton Lawry and I went up to Milford. The roads were froze up hard and the wheeling was good. Jake Killed his beef it was nice and fat. Dec. 25 Christmas the wind was South and it was nice and warm morning. The After noon the wind went to the West and blew quite hard and was colder the wheeling was good. There has been no snow for sleighing Stratton Lawry and Lida McCrimmon Myrtle Spafford and I went to Philip Mc- Crimmon visting long to be remembered. Maw was out to Annie Mauds. Paw, Archie, Mary Ellen were down to Ida's. Dec. 26 Stratton and I went from Philip McCrimmons down to George Colliers. It was a nice day. Archie went up on the Bay speared some ells. Dec. 28 I put a blister on Blaise's leg to try and remove a bone Spavin. It's not very large. I don't think it has been on very long for he is not lame and I don't think that it will take much to kill it. Dec. 29 Paw and Archie and I killed a pig and the old sow . The pig weighed 220 Ibs the old sow weighed 380 Ibs. Sold the pig to Lighthall Picton @5 cts and Sold 188 Ibs of the old Sow to Johnson Parkinson @5cts. Dec 30 Paw and Jake went over to Picton. The wind blew quite fresh from the west. Archie went up on the Head of the Bay speared 12 ells. it is quite warm and the roads are begining to thaw all out again. Dec. 31 I went out to Willie Hick's and Willie and I went for a hunt. We went up through the Woods as far as Missess Sarah Ann Rorke's stayed till after Dinner then Philip Hudgins Edward Rorke, Willie Hicks and I went on up through the Woods as far as William Lowry's. Edward shot a rabit. Willie shot a partridge. I shot at two or three Rabits but failed to kill them. Then we turned around and come down through the woods again and I went on down to Eddie Rorke's stayed all ni t+. - Submitted by Vicki Emlaw