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| A card from 1917 |
The Work Must Go On
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| Taken in 1918 when the farmhouse was new |
December days on the farm were regular winter days. That is, the fact that Christmas was coming did not alter the routine. The chores – mostly the care and feeding of the animals – had to be done. And Monday, for instance, was always washday, work that involved the household, even Grandpa Jack. Just think how difficult it was to do the laundry during the winter if you didn’t have indoor plumbing, not to mention that the clothes didn’t dry readily on these inclement, sunless days.
Grandpa
Jack hauled water from a spring Wheeler Canyon, as did other families, and on
washday, I’m sure he did the heavy lifting to heat the water on the stove and
pour it into the washtubs. The laundry items were scrubbed on the washboard,
rinsed, and pulled through a wringer. It was probably the hardest of household
chores, and I guess it was done weekly.
This year, Christmas Day would fall on Monday, so Ina was already planning to wash on the prior Saturday. That way, everything would be clean for Christmas, and they could enjoy a good holiday during Christmas week. KW
5 comments:
When I looked at that picture of the house it dawned on me. That was quite the house for early 1900's. And interesting that they hung the clothes outside in winter. You would think they would have someplace in the house. Because surely they didn't get dry outside.
It looks like a couple of the windows are open, too. What ARE they doing??
Hi Becky! Yes, they were proud to have the house. They saved lumber for years toward the day when they could finally build a proper house. The clothes are hung on the screen porch, and I agree that they wouldn't get dry, but I have no clue what they were thinking. I do know that when I knew the house, a clothesline was strung in the upstairs dormer there. That side of the house does catch warmth from the sun, so maybe it worked well enough.
Hi Hallie! I think this picture was taken as they were still settling into the house. I don't now why the window is open. Maybe they were painting? If only we could ask someone.
I was thinking they might be airing out the house. I know that in cold weather, with houses closed up the air would get stale and a good airing cleared it out. That, or maybe as you suggest, they might be painting? As a matter of fact, we opened all our doors and windows the other day just to get fresh air, even though it was very cold. It was refreshing!!
Yes, Chris, you're right. They could well have been airing the house. We don't think to do that in the Valley because the air outside doesn't seem better than what's inside. It IS a little difficult to come up with scenarios when it looks like a cold winter day.
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