Evening: at Home 
     
    
   
   
    
     Stormy evenings were busy and enjoyable times in the home; all 
     
     the family would be home and frequently some neighbours would 
     
     come in. In winter we would have a blazing fire in the big fireplace 
     
     that would light up the room. Mother would spin, or knit, or sew. 
     
     She made most of the clothing for the family. Father made our moc- 
     
     casins; they were warm and easy on our feet. We tanned the leather 
     
     at home with tan-bark we got off trees. During these evenings he and 
     
     my big brothers would make axe handles, Hails, harness and a variety 
     
     of things used about the place. We made baskets out of spruce roots. 
     
     The smaller boys would make bows and arrows, guns, rabbit and bird 
     
     snares, kites, windmills and various kinds of traps and playthings. It 
     
     was an interesting and lively centre of home manufacture. We learned 
     
     many useful things that were not taught in the schools. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Sheep Shearing 
     
    
   
   
    
     Sheep shearing was a lively time. It was done just after the seed- 
     
     was sown. The weather would be warm then. If this were done too 
     
     early the sheep would suffer from cold, when their great thick winter 
     
     coats were taken off. We usually had a large flock of sheep. It was 
     
     great fun for us to help catch them and tie their feet together; if not. 
     
     tied they might get away when only part of the fleece was off. When 
     
     tied they were lifted up on a table. Sometimes we had a great tussle 
     
     with the big ones. The shears had long thin blades and it did not 
     
     take long to clip the fleece off. The sheep enjoyed having their big 
     
     coats off in the warm weather, just as people do. The new spring 
     
     suit was light and cool. They also got rid of the ticks that annoyed 
     
     them. Sometimes we got their ticks on us; they are about the same 
     
     as bed bugs, nasty smelling, crawling, biting insects. Anyone who has 
     
     had to sleep for a night with bed bugs, or ticks, will remember it for 
     
     a long time. We had a hard time getting rid of the ticks. We could 
     
     not get rid of them the way we were told the fox gets rid of the flees 
     
     that get into its fur; it gathers a bunch of wool and holds it in its 
     
     mouth; then it backs slowly into water; as the water approaches the 
     
     fleas they move toward the fox’s head and finally take refuge in the 
     
     bunch of wool; then the fox lets go the wool with the fleas in it. He 
     
    
   
   
    
     is then free to enjoy life. 
     
    
   
   
    
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