C^ampbell C^ousins C^{orrespondence}

I know this letter should have been on the way weeks ago, but the spring of the year and especially just before Easter is our busiest time and I am too tired when night comes to write.

This year the flowers came unusually early and we carried our first jonquils in on the 24th day of February and have been delivering flowers, all of which we have grown out of door, to our patrons every day since.

Oscar and I took a trip to California this winter spending Christmas with his people in Anaheim, a little town just out of Los Angeles. We liked it and has a wonderful time but when I came home after seeing miles and miles of brown, burnt country, old Washington with its green hills, sparkling blue waters, and grand old snow-capped mountains, -- looked good to me even in the rain.

I visited Uncle Charlie Congdon's family in Santa Barbara¹ and thought their place one of the loveliest spots. Bernice has a little car and took me for a grand drive up the Lompoe Valley where we visited Walter Burpee's [sic] sweet pea farm in which of course I was very much interested.² Bernice is a fine woman. Louise looked fine and sweet and it seemed good to see some of our own kin.

Aunt Anna suggested a name for our place which we have since adopted and have on our stationary, "The Georgana Gardens." This is much more in line with our business that "Tirmond" which we had planned to name it.

I am just returning from Tacoma where I have been to see Father and Mother. They are enjoying the results of many years of hard labor and are planning to spend next fall in the East. They are not very well now but I hope will be better by that time.

Oscar and I would like to go East too but I am afraid we will not be able to this time.

I wish I could make you see the wonderful stretch of water and snow capped mountains tipped with the setting sun I am looking at now.

While I was in Tacoma last evening, Ed Hughey, (Herb's son), came to see the folks. He and his family have come there to make their home. Ed looks very much as his father did at his age.

Aunt Lib Hughey is one of the sweet memories I have; as a little child a certain pot of candied honey that she brought from Nelson when they came to Brainerd may have something to do with it.

I will close now with love to you all,