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Excerpt from Wilder

It was three days to Independence Day, the fourth day of July….The air was still and cold that night, and the stars had a wintry look. After supper Father went to the barns again…..When he came in, Mother asked if it was any warmer. Father shook his head.
“I do believe it is going to freeze,” he said.
“Pshaw! surely not! Mother replied. But she looked worried.
Sometime in the night Almanzo felt cold, but he was too sleepy to do anything about it. Then he heard Mother calling:
“Boys, get up! Hurry!” Mother called. “The corn’s frozen!”

In Farmer Boy, Almanzo was up before dawn helping Royal, Eliza, Alice, Father and Mother. I didn’t notice our frost at the Compound until 6 am, light enough for me to see the frost thick on the gazebo roof.  Sigh. Surely we won’t lose the corn for a third year running.  I used ‘Father’s prescribed method of pouring water on the corn plants. Luckily for me my garden is well within the reach of the hose. I didn’t have to hitch up Bess and Beauty to the wagons to haul the water barrels.

George says “Frost on Canada Day. Is this a great country, or what?”
I’m going with the ‘what’.

2 Responses to “Excerpt from Wilder”

  1. randy says:

    We covered our tomatoes last night, but let the annuals live or die on their own.

  2. Frost in July??

    Gott im Himmel, man! That’s crazy talk.

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