Cambridge.
Ther [Thermometer] Thursday, Dec. 21, 1916 [December 21, 1916] Wea [Weather]
Dull.
Annual Serenade by Buckingham
School children, under our windows

Dark cloudy & intensely chilly with a 
little fine rain freezing on everything it 
struck. About 2 inches of soggy snow 
fell last night. Sidewalks very dangerous.

  Garden Birds. Only a Flicker & a Jay noted. 
Neither stayed long. House Sparrows apparently 
altogether absent. So also were the Purple Finches
from the Parkman's apple tree although a 
Gray Squirrel was eating its fruit.  
Perhaps his presence accounted for their absence.
The Peabody bird has not been 
seen since the 20th.

  My photographs, taken by Notman came 
this morning and seem very satisfactory. 
There are three dozen from four different
negatives. I spent entire day signing, 
dating and otherwise preparing these to 
be sent away, most of which were 
mailed by Gilbert when he went home
at 6 P.M.
  Our evening spent as usual with 
reading aloud by E., followed by Victrola music.

  The Buckingham School children, led by Miss Thompson, serenaded us at 8 P.M.
standing with torches in the snowy driveway. They sang two Christmas carols very sweetly.

Cambridge.
Ther [Thermometer] Thursday, Dec. 22, 1916 [December 22, 1916] Wea [Weather]
First heavy rainfall for many weeks. Stormy

  A most gloomy and depressing day, dark
cloudy & also densely foggy, with heavy rain falling almost ceaselessly flooding 
streets & sidewalks with intermingling 
water & slush, settling the snow everywhere 
to much below its former level and 
bringing to an end the perfect sleighing
conditions of the past week. Violent N.W. [northwest] 
gale to-night [tonight], max. [maximum] velocity 80 miles (fide Federal Weather Bureau.)
  In Garden: a loud-screaming Jay; 
half-a-dozen or more chattering House 
Sparrows; a White-throated Sparrow 
uttering its metallic chirp at nightfall 
somewhere very close outside my study 
windows. These were all the birds I noted. 

  Devoted entire day to writing 
inscriptions on Christmas cards & 
packages. My recently-taken photographs 
were nearly all disposed of in this way. 
C. [Caroline Brewster], E.R.S. [Elizabeth R. Simmons] & I opened gifts this evening.
I had only a few but more are likely to 
come later. We were all very tired.