Gunnison news-champion., 1923-02-23

routine covers a goodly part of the
duties present in all seasons. Every
day there are the meals to get, dishes
to wash. rooms to put to rights, sew
ing of all kinds to do to get ready for
summer, bedding To keep in repair,
mending and darning, and more patch
ing than any city woman ever dreamed
Of, even tho she may be manager OF
an orphan asylum-washing, ironing,
butter making and ad-baking; these
things, with the extra labor involved
in urging the men to keep the wood
box filed. put up some extra shelves,
build another closet-in fact do all the
indoor work possible before time for
outdoor work arrives, frightens little
spare-time away, for well the house.
wife knows that il is only during the
winter months that the men folks can
be prevailed upon TO do any indoor
work Of any kind.
A long time ago some one asked
Grandmother Ancestor: "What do you
do on the ranch in the winter timee ?''
She answered: "Oh, We jest set
around and think, but most of the time
we jest set"
1t is very evident this pioneer ranch
woman must have lived in a midwest
agricultural country, where they burn
coal in winter and let the cows go dry,
and the hens 60 on n strike. Anyway,
we know she never lived in Gunnison
county.
Just now we have TO do so much
,hs,.I,a<v xs-a v-xalxr kax.n tsvxx> 20 "
In order to keep up to the minute con-
ative marketing, hiring county
agent, and reading all the arguments
for and against head lettuce, about
the only opportunity We have to lure
that highly-prized creature, kidnapped
time, is when he comes within SMELL
ng distance Of the kitchen.
A modern Samuel Pepys' diary on
our own ranch would read like this:
Awake at $50; lighted the lamp and
lassoed kidnapped-time for an hour;
perused the News Champion, Billy
Bryan's Sunday sermon and ten pages
of "How to be happy, tho ranching."
Up at $40; at which time the rooms
were warmed by the fires previously
started by hubby and Buddy, the lat
ter being unable to return to school
in Gunnison Monday because of the
deepness of the snow drifts, he having
Sundayed at home; breakfast at q
quarter Of eight, that being the hour
when first morning chores were finish
ed; meal prolonged this day to unusual
length-wood was damp, buckwheat
cakes refused to brown, even with un-
due coaxing; dishwashing completed at
$50; period following devoted TO
sweeping, dusting, mopping the kitch-
en- floor; at IL o'clock churned; baked
two pies; started dinner; at 1890 put
nodded butter away, washed up churn-
ing receptacles, (while our neighbor
often churns more than an hour before
the butter comes, it is our good for
tune to own a patent butter maker
that brings the yellow cream kernels
to the surface in fifteen minutes) /;
dinner today at one o'clock; again
washed the dishes, picked up the
rooms; scolded the men for tracking
in SO much snow; boiled kettle of feed
for chickens, warmed milk for the
calves; toiletcd for the day, lit being
our custom to do hasty hair-combing
on cold winter mornings, then cover
ing our coiffure with boudoir cap) /;
looked over Denver paper for fifteen
minutes; ut $3.50 prepared light sup
per comprising potato soup, hot bis
cults, jam and milk; again washed
dishes, placed same on the cupboard
shelves; set buckwheat for breakfast; I;
then we sat down to look over the
latest number of Farm Chronicle, it
being our hope to find a pattern for
our daughters blouse, she using more
of them than usual since going to
school in Gunnison. Alas! The fashion
page had just been reached when
friend husband entered, much out of
humor and speaking loudly, oil be-
cause the new Ho!stein had kicked the
bucket over, spilled the milk in huge
sprays over his clean overalls, mean
while SO badly battering the pail that
II was necessary for me to procure an
other-also, owing to freezing temper
ature. visit the clothes closet and find
another pair of overalls; remainder of
milking completed without incident.
After having washed the cream separ-
ator, we sat down with the family and
while darning four pair Of socks,
listened to q review Of the barnyard
happenings of the day. Strange how
fast the hay is disappearing; wood pile
is getting low; no eggs today. Snow
has drifted over our fence more than
five feet Wonder what it's like on
Marshall Pass. To bed at $3.50.