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Tapping of maple trees was begun on March 29th and Uncle Joseph
came to make buckets. 21 pounds of sugar were made in one day and 564 pounds were made for
the season. The rest of the syrup was made into molasses. Sheep were kept and shorn for
the wool. The wool was taken away to be carded. They butchered 6 hogs in December 1864.
Bees were kept and the wax was boiled in the fall. A cattle show was held in September
1867. Uncle Robert took head of cattle to the Exhibition. Apple trees were in full bloom on May 26th 1865. They picked strawberries in June. The garden was planted and on the 15th of May 1867, Uncle Robert planted his potatoes. Weather patterns varied. In some Januarys, the fields were bare: but church services would be cancelled in February because of snow storms. The weather was very warm on July 18th and on the 19th, "it thundered & lightened & rained very heavey in the eavening & the lightning killed twenty-six sheep for Uncle Robert". In april 1869, it rained for several days and on the 20th, "it rained very hard and the watter and ice took away Granby bridge and eleven people on it & all was drouned". The social life seemed quite active with house parties, dances in homes after barn ' raisings ' and entertaining on Sundays. Visiting clergy were entertained and spent the night on occasion. Quilting parties were organized. A Sunday School Festival was held at St.John's and " picknics " were held on the mountain , at St.Hilaire and at " Belile ". Singing was an important part of her life. Under the leadership of Rev. C.F. Thorndike, " who has taken unwearied pains to cultivate in the young people a taste for Sacred Music; nor happily, has he been wanting in success, for already he has formed a very efficient choir of singers, comprising nearly every young person in the place, the majority of whom had previously received little ot no instruction in music". (Report of Church Society, 1867) For medical services. They travelled to see the doctor in Waterloo or Montreal. Dental services were provided by Mr. Fisk from Abbotsford, who "drew mother's teeth", took impressions and fitted the new teeth. Attendance at wakes and funerals accounted for some of the visiting. People died a scarlet fever in 1869. Shed and barn raisings were occasions when the men worked together, the women cooked and a dance followed in the evening. Rebecca was married to George Carden on November 9th 1869. They went to the church with sleighs as it had stormed for several days before. The diary ends on the 25th of september 1870. In June 1870, she mentioned that the Fanians had made a raid on Canada. |