Ruskin -- June 10 - 1910
Dear Lucy,
Yours of June 1st is received, also the picture for which accept our thanks. I think your house is just about the size of ours which is going up now, 14 x 24, 14 ft posts, a sitting room, bed room and two chambers. Also a wide lean to back and wide porch front. The cook room is separate from the house but near by.
The weather is quite warm now, but those coast breezes make it bearable. I am considerable better of the rehummayism now. It bothered one of my feet before I came here but is all gone now. I can dress & undress myself now but could not when I came here. I am in hopes it will get out of my limbs so I can walk better and be able to do more of the work. Clarence has to do the most of it now. We think we will have quite a nice home when it is all fixed up, but that will take some time. I know you must enjoy your nice home where you can have things to your own mind and in a congenial climate.
Mary dont like it where they are in Wash. There adress is Buckeye Wash, RR No 1, box 61, 12 mi north of Spokan. She wrote they ment to sell their first chance they got and go to Canada and take up a homestead. To bad to go to that cold country to live.
I am sorry my picture made you feel so. I wish it was so I could be near you but such is fate. You couldent realize what a change time will make. I have grown very thin within a few years. So many aches and pains have made me weak. Write often as you can. People here are kind and good.
Love to all,
[This was written after the other sheet.]
I wish you was here to enjoy this beautiful coast breeze this afternoon. I have just been lying on the bed in the back of the tent enjoying it. The sides of the tent are open all around and screened with cheese cloth to keep out flies, misquitos and other insects, very few of the misquitoes yet. I have just been fixing some cows peas (same as string beans) for C. to cook in the morning. I like them better than string beans. We dont have a fire only in the early morning. We havent raised anything yet but expect to be able to put in somethings in the fall. The Palmettos have to be grubbed out and the lots fenced to keep out cattle & hogs. They are free comoners. The fences also have to be rabbit tight as they are here ready to take the garden stuff. They ruined a good part of Alice's garden. They are worse there than here. They made a fine garden. Everything came rip fine. They will have to fence too.
We dont have a cow. Use the evaporated milk put up in _________ cans. When Clarence was over to Tampa he bought a case of 6 doz, _______, 5 ___ cans. It as rich as cream. You can put in half water. It will do to use then. How we do enjoy the sweet potatoes and fish are splendid, much better than the fresh water fish. Quite a number of houses are going up this summer. Many more will go up in the fall. The folks are all well in the Minn. home. Have had a very backward spring. Most of the fruit killed.
Write often. Love to all the family,