Deer Mound, Alberta
Nov. 21st 1915

 Dear Mother,

 I don’t know how long it is since I received your last letter, but I know I have been busy for a considerable time.

 A super-abundance of rain during last summer’s vacation kept me from getting through with the work I had planned and needed done very badly.  Consequently in spite of all I could do the winter has come on to me before could get my cellar fixed frost proof for the vegetables.  About ten bushels of potatoes and nearly as many turnips are frozen where they grew.  I also expect that fully half of our vegetables in the cellar are frozen.

 We have lots of pork now as I got a neighbor to help me kill our two pigs a week ago yesterday.

 The coyotes are as thick as the flies usually are in the summer, and the musk rats also, but I cannot raise the price of either a gun or a few traps.  A fine deer was shot about two miles from here last week.  Such things don’t seem to be for me though.

 I had hoped to use my chance into town to attend convention in doing some buying for the winter but had to swallow my disappointment and come home without buying a solitary thing except some pig feed and rolled oats that I got on credit and have still to pay for.

 Considering the times, I am very fortunate.  I owe no more than what is due me from the school district will pay and have made the first payment on this place of $300.  There are still $950.00 to pay with interest at 7%.  I am to pay the interest each year together with $200 of the principal.  That makes 266.50 that I must rake up by Aug. 1st next.

 If I get the next five weeks in successfully without drawing any salary in the meantime I shall have $240.00 due.  My insurance premium due then will be $33.60.  I owe $50.00 for a cow due at Xmas.  My other bills payable amount to about $10.00 beside $35 I owe Eugene.

 We are milking two cows and should also be milking the one for which I am  to pay at Xmas.  We have a steer a year old last spring and a heifer and bull calf of last spring.  We also have an old hen, a young rooster, and three young pullets, a put and two cats.

 I must close for the present.  It is a quarter after four and the sun is setting so that it is time to put in the cows.  Hoping that this finds you well I remain,

Your loving son,
Earl