1892
Feb. 16
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]Estabrook
woods.[/margin]
Mass.
Concord.- A brilliant winter day, cold but bracing,
the sky cloudless; a fresh N.W. wind. Thm. 14[degrees]
at sunrise, 24[degrees] at noon.
  I spent the day in the Estabrook woods with
Mr. Clark and four men (including George) super-
intending the cutting of some chestnut trees
for logs for my house. We began work on
a hill-side near Oak Meadow but the trees
were crooked and rather large for my purpose
so after lunch we went to the "Common Lot"
and there found an abundance of fine, straight
chestnut sprouts of just the size that I wanted.
[margin]Cutting trees
for log cabin[/margin]
  It was cold and draughty in the woods to-day
but nonetheless pleasant for the sun was bright
and the icy crust that covered the entire face
of the open country shone like burnished steel.
I saw but few birds; three Chickadees together
in birches, several Crows flying overhead, and
a Brown Creeper in pines in the Common Lot.
Jays were heard screaming at frequent intervals.
George saw a Grey Squirrel run across the
Estabrook road and I heard a Red Squirrel
in some pitch pines. Yesterday, at Ball's Hill,
I found, under a pitch pine, a great heap
(two quarts at least) of scales of pitch pine
cones which this species of Squirrel had been
operating on since the last snow fall. Among
the scales were many of the seed envelopes &
wings scattered on the snow but no perfect seeds.
What a labor for such small reward!
[margin]Chickadees,
Crows,
Creeper &
Jays[/margin]
[margin]Squirrels[/margin]