Springtime 69 Years Ago

 
Spring time 69 years ago
A letter from Bill Nevard to brother Dick in the army, April 1944.
Dear Dick, I am writing this letter by lamplight while eating my breakfast. It is just 5:20 a:m. Pretty well light enough to see outside but not indoors. I got your letter with the money orders and $5 war savings certificate. I don't know how soon this will get posted as everybody is busy on the land just now but I will send it on at the first opportunity.
On the 17th both uncles, Roy, Donald and Malcolm Bordass all went to Lipton in the wagon. Roy and Malcolm didn't come home with the others. They stayed to a dance. Fred Allen's daughter got married and they gave a free dance to celebrate the happy event.
Dad took 12 dozen eggs to town with him for which he received $2.60. I started picking stones off the fallow. I didn't waste much time on the small ones and I finished on the 18th.
On the 19th we chopped oats for ourselves and for Uncle H. It took longer than it should have because dad had to fix one of the valves
On the 20th dad killed our young sow with Uncle H. and I to help. Roy brought a boar home from Richard Supple's. Donald started disking Uncle Arthur's summerfallow. I brought a jag of hay home from the stack on 13. Dad has 3 hens set on 30 turkey eggs and one hen on hen's eggs.
On the 21st I went to Lipton with a jag of barley, the company being anxious to get their share (31 bushels). I sent them a storage ticket for that amount. Fred Engel has a new tractor which he got from Brinkworth's. The road to town has dried up good. Helen Wheale is working in the bank now. I brought home 4 bushels of registered Thatcher wheat and 3 bushels of Ajax oats which Uncle Arthur had bought and were waiting at the Pool elevator for him. Uncle A was disking and Uncle H was spring tooth harrowing. Uncle H was spring tooth harrowing.
On the 22nd I started cultivating summerfallow with Gleam, Embers, Firelight and Frank.
On the 23rd I found a turkey's nest with 7 eggs in it just behind the cement place.
On the 24th I was cultivating fallow on 13. I saw 16 planes that day which smashes all previous records.
On the 25th I was cultivatiing in the morning and cross harrowing in the afternoon as it was drying out pretty fast.
On the 26th both uncles were fanning wheat in Uncle Arthur's bin in the valley.
On the 28th I took the wagon up to the wheat bin and dad pickled some wheat ready to seed and in the afternoon dad started to seed. Uncle H had to go to Lipton as their seeder had went on the blink so he took one of the wheels down with him to get it fixed. Dad got 22 acres seeded by night time.
Got a letter from Aunt May who is now in Winnipeg looking after Aunt Flo who well down some stairs a while back. She was told by the doctor to go to bed but she didn't , and afterward, had a heart attack.
May 4th: I think I wiill be able to post this letter today as Roy figures on going to Lipton with Rusty and the cart.

                                        Arthur Nevard