take care of the chix. We use a let of chickens during the summer 
and, now that we have this P. P. business we have to provide a great 
many more. I wish I had a good photograph cf the farm to send you 
and another as the place was in 88 when I first came here, in going 
over a box of trash I have just come across a set of post cards of 
the G. N. R. R. which I will send you, they are very chardcterisic 
A 
of the country passed through. The N. P. has no such scenery in the 
Cascades, I do not know what there is in the Rockies. If you come 
West you can come up the Coast and go home by one of the northern 
roads, r came over the Canadian. Sure, you can do this, its only 
a bit of a side trip to the Lake and a week or so T, all get us ac- 
tt&ertfitreshs.I'll take y< u up Ellinor and show you all the flowers 
there are. There are acres of purple heather, and some little of 
the white. Its going to be cheaper to travel than to stay at home. 
Just think of this. Its pretty near time for me to stop. Thank 
you for telling me about the rail, I did# not know we had them here 
they were very common in N. J. The blackbirds and robins are here, 
in fact they stay all winter on the salt later, and the other day 
I am certain I# saw a swallow. Now that I think of it, a couple of 
years ago a white swallow stayed with us for several days, he was 
a ghostly little creature. A few days ago I saw a Pygmy owl, we 
have a few of them, and they are very tame and I have caught one 
or two in my hands. Some winters they have lived in the barn, and 
they would flash out of the hay, snatch a mouse and disappear in 
a moment. I have never seen such flocks ff Evening Grosbeaks as we 
have had this winter, frequently I have seen as many as 500 at a 
time. They feed on the se> ds of the vine maple, and the ground is 
covered with the hulls. I will make another attempt to break away. 
Please give our kindest regards to Mrs. Learie, and with best wishes 
believe me. 
Very truly yours, 
