Author: David Haldeman

Tuesday, April 22, 1947
Hazel Chase sent me her watercolor of a towhee by mail this morning. I was thrilled beyond words. Framed it & hung it immediately. Also sent a lovely note with it. Can’t imagine why she should be so generous. ALso had letter from Betty Dunn inviting us & Mary to Canada for the last week in July. Sounds enticing.

Ray called at noon & said he would be up tonight to get moth & see the painting. Had seen purple finches in the Heights so when Wally got home we went out. No luck on them, but found cedar waxwings twice. Then drove through Ordinance Area & got a bird list of 16.

Wally has crazy idea of moving the garage about 8 feet east.

Ray came about 7:20 – Had to bathe kids – Then we took several pictures of the polyphemus but decided not to kill it. Planned to go to Hocking Co. Sunday. Wally played poker.

Monday, April 21, 1947
Too dull & drippy to wash. Spent morning getting ready to be ready at 1 to take Ruth & Lewis, Grandad Haldeman [Grant] & Helen Bonen to Mt. Gilead to Emma Haldeman’s funeral. Cousin of Lewis & wife of cousin of grandad. Left Kathy with mother but took David & he behaved beautifully even during service at church.

Stopped to see Jenny at Johnsville. Had planned to go to Williamsport woods & get golden saxifrage but started raining again.

When got home discovered that one of the polyphemus moths had emerged. So Mary & I went to Eastern Star dinner – 50th anniversary. Got boring though so we left at 10:30 in midst of meeting 50 years ago complete with kerosene lamps & old dresses.

Wally went to see “Suddenly It’s Spring”.

Read Sunday papers before retiring.

Sunday, April 20, 1947
Rainy cold Sunday. Took Kathy to Sunday School & forgot about trip we had planned with Reuben Smith to NW of Bucyrus. Sure hated to lose a Sunday but daddy called about 11:30 saying Doris & her kids & Jackye were at Nora’s so I invited them up for dinner. Was nice to visit with Doris. Mary J came for dinner too. The kids reminded us of ourselves at that age.

Uncle Perry & mother & daddy over later. But all left before supper.

Several conversations with the Romines during the evening – via telephone & not very satisfactory but evidently Florence & Wally were telling contradictory stories.

Sent for pansies – also wrote Ed Thomas about golden saxifrage & our trip with Hazel & Johnny.

Saturday, April 19, 1947
To Galion with Ray at 1:30. Picked up John GIll & Hazel Chase – or rather left our car & John drove to woods east of Galion to see a great horned owl Johnny had heard of – and he did spot it. We all got a good look & also saw rub kinglet, hermit thrush, brown thrasher, etc. Hazel climbs fences with the best of them & Johnny goes through a woods like a fire. Then on east of Galion to E. Rins farm where he has taken Virginiensis (puris napi). We hardly expect it as the day was cold & drear – Temp about 50 & cloudy. But the conversaation was good & did try for some photos of bloodroot. Dentaria was blooming weakly & some spring beautys. Saw beech limb Johnny had taken humming birds nest from. Then to Charles Mill Dam east of Mansfield & saw a common loon. To Johnny’s to see the stuff he had recently mounted. Left Galion about 7:00. Had supper at hot dog stand & then out to Romines. Wally & Flo were there too,. Ray brought me home about 11:00 & picked up Sandra. Wally home shortly.

Friday, April 18, 1947
Lovely day – trilliums are coming through ground & bloodroot blooming – but I’m just plain lazy. Got a cold & spent part of afternoon on davenport.

Met Mary’s train at 4:18 & she went with me to shop for groceries. Noticed a difference since last fall in things attainable. Started taking mother’s flu medicine & felt better.

Mary made Eagle Brand milk & chocolate bit fudge – Delicious!! Took kids to mother’s & we went shopping – bought paint for bathroom & our bedroom & $3 sheets, pants for the kids. Then to daddy’s & transplanted 200 snapdragon plants.

Mary was showing me how to use Botany key – (Bloodroot, Hepatica) when Fanny & Floy & Norma Jean Baker came. Visited & had popcorn. I came home about 11.

Wally’s team won the league first spot – He went to Bernard’s to work on some printing for bank.

Thursday, April 17, 1947
Spent the day writing letters – 6 or more to agencies for help on Sanctuary at Camp Young. To Betty Dunn* – Willard Durfee – Ruth & Byron Smith.

To Romines in evening. Ray working on his butterflies when we got there. Not at all sure of identifications of some skippers. And no wonder!

I played Ray & Wally – me against the two – & I beat them – fund but you don’t have to be good.

Wednesday, April 16, 1947
Program Committee of Burrough’s Club here. Nice to have all the books available for any reference – poetry – nature – biography, etc.

Hazel Strubel & Alice Caulfield. – get things pretty well in shape.

Wally out to talk to Florence for a while & then to Bernard Brooks’. Home before the women left. Served pumpkin pie.

Tuesday, April 15, 1947
Very embarrassing to have Mary Wooley ask what all the excitement was last night. I merely said it was Wally – what explanation can one give when one’s husband treats you that mean? Am afraid I let the whole thing get me down. Got the washing out – a lovely day. Temp about 60 & sun shining til afternoon.

Ray called during morning to inquire about my headache – Kathy answered & called me but he thought he had the wrong number, said he was sorry – I snapped “So am I” & hung up. He called back & Kathy answered again so he gave up. All this came out when he called at noon. I was probably a sap to admit it was me. Flo chortled, he said – naturally.

Got reading report to Lora.

Both dinner & supper made miserable by quarrels. I went to Romines intending to tell Ray some things Wally & Flo have done such as Flo is always telling Wally about Ray & I but I couldn’t do it. Ray was very sweet & lent a confiding ear to all my trouble. Flo was at PTA & I left when she came home. I had been crying & it was bad enough for Ray to see me that way. Went to “Song of Sherazade” & felt better when I came out. Got lunch ready for Wally’s friends, listedn to Scherazade – talked & to bed at 1:15.

Monday, April 14, 1947
Wish I could get some pep back – Can’t even get interested in the yard although the first daffodils bloomed today, new iris are 6 in. high & look good. Was ready when Wally came at 3:15 & shopped at ALbers. $12 & got it all in one box. They are paying 22 cents a pound for used fats.

Drove north on Rt. 4 to see if spring heauties were out but not a sign of them, yet. On out through Ordinance Area* – Buildings all deserted but land being cultivated. Stopped for frosted malteds & foot long hot dogs.

Geneva Albert came with reading report for Junior Department. Then Edith Keeler came for her ferns that Mary had had down to State to identify. Ray called to invite me out tomorrow night while Wally has poker here. Had headache developing all afternoon so took pills & went to bed. Awakened by phone at 9:45. Wally had called Flo earlier intending to go out so she invited him then. My head was better so I got up & read half heartedly. I said nothing when he came in at 12 but didn’t want to sleep with him & that made him mad & he hit me around.

[*Scioto Ordinance Plant took 12,500 acres of prime farm land for the war effort – main products were ammunition and fuses]

Sunday, April 13, 1947
After a pancake breakfast Mary J – Wally, David & I dashed off to cemetery to meet Burroughs group & Mr. Harper. Saw among more commin things a blue gray gnatcatcher – ruby-crowned kinglet, hermit thrush, fox sparrow, black crowned night heron. Ray Romine, Mary H. & Vivian also along. Our group except Mary H & Vivian stuck in out to the end along with Mrs. Bessie Wendling – to other new Burroughs member.

Kathy went to Sunday School and church & then over to mothers & to Columbus with them to take Mary & Vivian back.

The Romines & we started out about 1:30. Stopped SE of Mt. GIlead along river & watched bireds. Sparrows of several undetermined varieties. Found clumps of Star of Bethlehem & masses of erythronium. Then on to north E of Williamsport to a lovely beech woods – spring beauty, harbinger of spring, rue anemone, hepatica & bloodroot in bloom – Found a skunk cabbage swamp & golden saxifrage – another county for it – Morrow! Bird list for day was 26. Romines here for waffle supper. Left about 9:30 & we went to bed early.