the fall of 1931

After my furring trip life began again.pop got some firewood to put us through till he got bach from the country this would be around the last of november. he stuck the wood he got on end on the wood pile. I would have help mom saw it up as we needed it. I woild have to bring the wood in the house and pack it in the wood box myself mom clove most of it I clove some also. as was my job. I also had to bring water from the well. I would have to make many trips to the well because I could only carry half a bucket at a time.I used to make splits [kindling] out of the dry wood mom used to make the shavings. this is where we used to laugh and make fun of her because she had no sense to use the crooked knife. instead of drawing the right way she used to put the crooked knife on her knee blade facing outward and push the knife and pull the split towards her. real comical. but she always got the shavimgs made good enough to get the fire going. Mom always had time to help with the wood wash clothes and knit our socks and mittens. because most times there was no food to cook she would make bread when ever we had flour this was not all the time. or cook a rabbit the most of her cooking was wild meat eels trout salmon rabbits. our people seldom ever bothered with cod herring or any deep water fish. this was not our culture.
I think at the time we had four sheep and of course a Horse. in those times every body had a horse or oxe but there were more horse's. I never want to be around an oxe. I did not like these horns sticking out of their heads. other people Like Clem joe said he loved the oxe. I said to him the horse is better because they have no horns. No he saids but the bloody things bite they could take a piece out of your arm. I knew this but I was more afraid of their kick the their bite.so I had to feed the sheep feed the horse and water her. three times a day.days were shore the nights were long. Sister Alice played with her rag doll I whittled at stickd for pass time. I was an expert with the crooked knife at a very young age. never got any serious cuts. all this happened when gilbert my older brother was in the country with pop that is when I did most of the work myself. when he was home we worked together. him doing the most.we got into it once I dont know what he done but he made me max I went after him with a hand saw. he said Nick old buddy boy dont hit me with that I didn't mean anything too late then I was stubbern. I struck him with the saw I saw him coming half crying he grabbed my around the waist I waited for the crunch he was very strong but no he just took me around the waist sort of easy held me for a while then let go again.