3 
on our porch. One day one of the men brought in a band tailed Pig¬ 
eon which he had found among the hens. They had pecked the poor 
bird nearly to death, most of the feathers in its wings being gone 
and nearly everything off its back. I put it in a cage where Phil 
has five flying squirrels, and it must have led a deuce of a life, 
for it was up all day, and at night the squirrels would wake up and 
throw handsprings over it, so I do not imagine it got much sleep. 
After we had had it about a week it escaped, and to my surprise was 
able to fly, though haltingly, and for a week it stayed round the 
house and got its meals on the porch with the smaller birds, it 
has now moved up th one of the barns. In the stream we have lots of 
Water Ousels. They go in pairs and are the joiliest little fellows 
you ever saw, always curtseying, and every now and then gurgling 
out the happiest little song. We have had several robins, and you 
may judge my bewildered surprise on last Sunday to see quite a flock 
of Violet Green Swallows, ^nd this with over two feet of snow. They 
must have reported the chances poor, for the main flock has not 
been seen. 
It has snowed in a desultory manner all day, it is new 
noon, ?/ith bits of blue sky in between, and, oh dear, how tired I 
am of it all. 
This winter has compelled me to go after a road. I may not 
have told you, but we have no road to the place itself, the road 
ending at the foot of the lake and we going from there by trail 
with horses, or by boat. The County has always stood me off in this 
matter, and I have never pushed the thing as hard as I should have, 
I am no politician, and hate to beg, but I will pull every string 
I can get hold of to save myself such an experience as I have been 
through this winter. The road will come, but I wish to travel it 
before I die 
