Sunday

1st February

It’s been a slow and “nothing – much – doing “day today. I had a good lie-in until 11.00 a.m. I slept until that time after waking up at 8.00 a.m. and ordering myself to go back to sleep! I must have been tired. I went down to Pete’s this morning and both of us went down to have a look at the small helicopter that had landed.

Telephone Connection for Port Hope Simpson

It had brought in some Bell Telephone equipment and the Supervisor for the installation of the new telephone system. It should be ready in three weeks time when calls will be made via L’Anse Au Loup with an end to this “Over” business on the phones. Zero will reach the operator. I wonder when it will be ready. It was supposed to have been operational before Christmas but at the rate things happen around here we’ll be lucky if we get the new system before Easter!

Improved Diet

I had a very nice Sunday dinner of pork, beans, turnip and potatoes with fruit and creamed jelly for afters. Of course, it’s “Sunday”, the Special Day here. My food is definitely much better since I complained about it.

My Sealskin

This afternoon I washed my seal skin, an “old dota”, with hot soapy water and I’ve managed to get a good bit of the black, seal grease off it. The skin will look very nice when it’s clean on both sides. I don’t think I’ll bother having a pair of sealskin boots made. I’ve also cancelled my Rexon’s Cove order for a sealskin coat and boots. I told Pete that Ron Knotley had some skins up at his house for sale and Pete said that he would want,” At least one.” Scott said today that he could get at least $20 for the skin I had. I only paid $5 for it! I’ll be off for a weekend hunting trip with Ron in a few weeks time. I’ll be going with a pair of snowshoes on my feet this time. It was very hard – going last time we went because every step we took, put us knee – deep in soft snow. At the moment, 10.50 p.m., it is blowing very hard outside and there should be quite a few deep drifts in the morning. I found it rather unpleasant walking over from Pete’s, where I had lunch, but with my shoulder to the wind I battled home! I was down at Mrs. Ward’s from supper time where Pete and I had one of our many, many chats about anything that takes our fancy. We ended up with “Peter Edwyn Smart, Holiday Centre of the Labrador, Port Hope Simpson, Crapton – Water, Drags Bay” !

Keeping Clean

When I returned home I had a bath from my bowl! A regular spot on a Sunday evening! I give myself a thorough flannelling with hot, soapy water. Oh, I mustn’t forget to say that yesterday afternoon I cut Pete’s hair and he did mine. We managed the whole operation in a much shorter time than previously. The last time Pete had his hair cut was when I did it up in Goose Bay for him. Mine was a good inch over the top of my ears. My last haircut was on November 6th.

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