{"id":371,"date":"2019-08-08T12:09:53","date_gmt":"2019-08-08T15:09:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projects.upei.ca\/geolab\/?p=371"},"modified":"2019-08-08T12:17:49","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T15:17:49","slug":"august-8-1956","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/projects.upei.ca\/geolab\/2019\/08\/08\/august-8-1956\/","title":{"rendered":"August 8, 1956"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

#OnThisDay<\/a> in 1956, the author of Ellen’s Diary talked about Prince Edward Island’s summer coming to a close, mechanization in farming, and how some Island farmers were still holding on to traditional methods.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
PEI potato field<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow the clouds we send our dreams sailing upon are August\u2019s. They moved quietly today on a sunny sea of blue above the gleen-clad hilltops, great liners of smokey down, with a bit of austerity in their rigging an ominent edge of Autumn, it seemed. But not yet are we content to let Summer go. \u2018Once the haying\u2019s over\u2019 one of the family said today noting the blackbirds in a flock gleaning tidbits of insects in a shorn hay hayland, \u2018well, they days are noticeably shorter by then\u2019 and her smile was wistful, \u2018whether or not we like to acknowledge it, the heart of the summer is spent.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Folks can commence then to store their fuel-wood\u2019 another offered, thoughts evidently going on to envision the deserted lawns and verandahs, the closed doors, and hearthfires once more kept bright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"

“Preston MacDonald, cousin, John K. and Father, Allan Neil MacDonald, 1945, cutting the firewood”<\/a> <\/em>Earle’s Picture Restoration Prince Edward Island.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Today was still summer. We kept jealously every hour sunny and warm and breeze-fanned. It was pleasantly warm for the workers, for Rob in the field building the great loads of hay, for the younger farmer in the closeness of a mow at the storing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018There\u2019s no exceptional call for cooling drinks this haying.\u2019 Jeanie said. Not a hot day- just warm, this one. And in the fields the hay making to a nicety for the farmers. And away in far places of the countryside, a dreamy haze of season veiling the hills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2018With machinery now to help, the haying is certainly much easier done than once,\u2019 we commented remembering more toilsome days at it though nonetheless sweet. \u2018The changes there have been!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n