Langbank, Aug. 24th, 1924
My dear May & all others.
I am too lazy for anything. I ought to have written long before this, but my usual excuse, no energy. I ought to write to Agnes and Julia too. Did you and Agnes make any plans about coming to Canada next year? I wonder if that desirable event will ever come. You have a lot of company all summer, I have had none this year. I hope Edith is quite well again.
The hay pole fell on Brian on Friday [Brian Hewson, Geoffrey’s brother], bruised his side. Bob took him to Kennedy to see the Doctor last evening, the Doctor said just a bad bruise. Brian feels better today. Geoffrey has shot two cranes.
I only wash every three weeks this summer, but take two days to do it; do the horrid towels, shirts and socks on Monday, the easier articles on Tuesday. I took down that extra bed in G’s and B’s room, so that makes it easier to keep clean.
We have more peas and beans this year and loads of beets, carrots, parsnips and turnips and cabbages, not any corn and few tomatoes. We have had rasps three times for tea, and many more are ripening out of our garden. That big raspberry field we went to last year was burned over. We might have had some garden straws, but the birds took them, and I broke a rib just when the wild ones were ready and could not bend, so we only had the wild straws. once. When that rib got well I broke another almost kept me from going to the fairs.
Papa and I went to Windthorst this summer to their fair, such a lovely drive, I did wish you and Amy were with us, good level road of 30 miles, no hills at all, so I did not worry. I bound up my ribs with a roller towel and held on at the rough places. I did the same as to prizes as last year. At Whitewood there came on a pouring rain just when the judging was done, the rain came through the tent, so we just packed up our articles at once, such a rush and scramble and crowd getting in out of the rain and packing up. We did not dare to cross the Pipestone coming home, stayed all night at a house on the banks of the Pipestone, next day after dinner we started out with chains on and got up the Pipestone, but such skidding, the roads were so muddy.
Janet’s children are well now, Sadie has had her tonsils out, was in bed a week or ten days, not quite well yet; though they were removed more than a month ago. Susan has passed her 8th grade with honors. Janet got the gold medal for spelling in a contest for all the schools in a 20 mile radius. I expect another grand child at John’s in a month or two.
Now about the Boston Cousins [family of Benjamin Waters, Alice Cairns’ brother]. They have the radio, a good set. Ben and Maude have been in Digby all summer, Edith has been in the hospital having her eye out, and she and Elsie were alone at home for awhile, then Edith went back to her work, Elsie was left with the radio, quite sufficient company it seems, says she sits up to all hours of the night listening.
Just Mrs. Gooderham came alone for a few days, she did not get to the fairs either. Bob got a swarm of bees in the Marks yard, after a while they seemed to have no queen, so he sent away and bought one, they are buzzing around lively now in the mignonette and cornflowers. The swarm he kept over winter all died, this swarm he has is a stray one no one knows where the hive is it swarmed from. I have quite a lot of flowers in the garden this summer, I would have had more if I had been quite sure I would be able to keep them weeded. I put in a of herbs, they grew pretty well, except lavender, it never came up. My mint is quite a little forest.
Oh, but the goosies! 14 lovely big fellows seven white and seven grey. Quillena is the old goose, Dodo the young one, Aineas the gander. They don’t know their names, I am sorry to say. I had 25 turkeys, but each turkey lost one, and one died to benefit the wolves. A hen hatched six and has brought them to the age of “shooting the red”, that is getting their necks all ugly and goose fleshed. One rooster troubadours the same as ever, some times it gets on my nerves and I drive him off, he looks so indignant. Peter is quite a good dog, I think she will have a family some day.
Geoffrey spends every spare moment getting feed and feeding his eight wolves. They are pretty creatures. A hen died every week, till the wolves came, only two since they came. A dead hen is a treat for the wolves.
Peter Wilmot Wrangham weighs 16 pounds. We see very little of them, as we have no democrat [simple horse-drawn vehicle] to lend, and need the buggy ourselves quite often.
I sent Amy that beautiful dress material you and Amy gave me, to get it made up for me. She got it made, had it fitted on herself it fits me all right, and is lovely and cool. It is trimmed a little with steel beads.
I am sure this is a good long letter, so with love to you and all and everyone, from all of us and everyone else you met here.
I remain your affectionate cousin
Alice Cairns