SUMMER
June 8
We've been real busy lately with cattle and horse breaking. Adele doesn't like horse breaking cause she says it's too dangerous so she only watched it once and she would like for Adam to just stop but he won't. She really can't stand it, either. One time she was walking past the corral while were breaking horses and she almost cried out loud and then she ran back into the house.
But Adam's teaching her to use a gun, well, shoot a rifle, and that's dangerous, too. They talked about it a lot and Adam finally agreed that Adele should have some careful learning so she can defend herself if she needs to. She doesn't like it either but it was her idea.
Hoss is taking Hester to the church social next week.
July 12
Adam let Adele take the buggy to town by herself the other day. We've all been so busy there hasn't been time to take her to her sewing bee or to visit with Hester or whatever it is she does when she goes to town. He said she could go cause the roads are clear, the weather's good, and there are no known bandits around but he was pretty grouchy and distracted all day till she arrived home which she did on time. He didn't seem very happy that night and she's been quiet ever since so my guess is that may be the last time she does that.
Hoss could take her. I mean, he's been going to town a lot lately even though we're that busy but if he took her she couldn't spend time with Hester cause that's what Hoss has been doing.
Me and Lucy broke up. Well, she broke up with me but we weren't engaged or anything like that.
July 15
Me and Adele sat on the front porch today and I told her about Lucy. We talked about how I see my life going and do I want to get married some day and how do I see that and what kind of girl and we agreed I have lots of time. She's so sweet and smart.
And I asked her about her first husband cause it seemed like that would be all right and she just said he was a nice man except she said he didn't respect her privacy. She said he read her mail and her journal and things like that and I remembered when she got that letter from her half-brother in Massachusetts and how she kissed Adam when he said he didn't read the letter. And she said how Adam respects her privacy and she appreciates that. I said But you gave it to him to read anyway so what's the difference? And she said it was her choice to let Adam read it and that is the difference.
And gosh, her first husband would just go read her journal? It'd be like if Hoss or Pa or even Adam read this. I would die. I mean, this is MY private thoughts, only for me, and it's nobody else's business. Poor kid!
August 1
This afternoon me and Adam and then Pa came running cause we heard Adele screaming. It was a real scream, too, like something dire and not just a girl scream. She was in the greenhouse and I got there first and she was backed up against the far wall and there was a rattlesnake on the floor, a big one, too, all coiled and rattling at her . Seems like a good reason to scream to me even if it was some distance away she still couldn't just leave cause it was between her and the door and I got there first so I shot it. Adam took her into the house and gave her some brandy cause she was shaking real bad and real, real pale but she's recovered now. Adam's gonna put another door in on the other side so she'll have a way out if another snake sneaks in.
She must have thanked me a hundred times tonight for killing that snake but she also says she feels bad that it's dead. She said she was standing at the counter she has in the greenhouse and left the door open and when she took a step back she almost stepped on it and she says it happened so fast she doesn't know if she saw it or heard it first but she got as far away from it as she could and hoped it would leave but I guess she scared it enough that it wanted to scare her back and it did. I'm glad I could do something good for her. Adam thanked me, too.
Adam and Adele picked a spot for their house and we're gonna start laying the foundation soon. I don't know how I feel about that. I don't think I like it.
August 16
Just returned from delivering some stock and Hoss could hardly wait to see Hester again. Gave him lots of ribbing about her while we were away but he just smiled and took it.
I told Adam about the nice talk I had with Adele about marriage and that she talked about her late husband and Adam asked what did she say and I said just that he would always read her mail and stuff. And I said if he was like that why did she marry him and Adam said her half-brother pretty much forced her to cause the man had a lot of money. And she was sixteen at the time! Sixteen and she had to live with a man like that!
It's not a nice thing but this is my private journal so I'm gonna say it: I'm glad Adele's first husband died so she could marry of her own free will and I'm glad she married Adam. She seems happy about it, I can tell Adam's happy about it, and I know I'm happy about it.
August 20
Adam and Adele left for San Francisco today. Adam's working on a timber contract and thought Adele would like to get away, too. The house seems especially empty without her and Pa and Hoss agree. We've gotten kinda used to having her around. Pa got kinda sad when we talked about the house they're building, well, we're building, for them. Actually, we haven't started, just the foundation and that's almost done. Likely the house'll be finished before next winter.
August 22
So just when one woman leaves another comes in. Hester came for dinner tonight and she's real nice, too, but different than Adele. Hester's not so quiet. She's not loud, mind you, she's just not as refined as Adele. She and Hoss both have a way with animals and she can ride real well (Adele is getting better though). And you can tell there's a natural - something - between Hoss and Hester, it's not just love it's a gentleness, an easiness between them. After Hoss and Hester left so he could take her home, Pa turned and looked at me and he looked sad and glad at the same time but he didn't want to talk about it.
