Tuesday 1st I made a heap of logs to burn the turves that were left from the fire I had yesterday, and I set fire to it in the morning.
I sowed a ring of sweet peas round the pine stump in the flower garden. Also transplanted a Geranium cutting to where the pine stump was chopped out and also sowed seed of Nolana. There were several showers during the day. Willie and Alan went fishing to the reef and brought home several cod and one large schnapper.
Wednesday 2nd It was a beautiful day, the sun nice and warm and the ground is drying up. I was digging in the flower garden.
Alan Wallace returned to Auckland in the “Kawau“, Willie and I went to see him off.
Thursday 3rd It was a fine day. In the morning Willie took the Eggs down to the Store and then went over to the Pa to see about a horse.
I was helping Willie plant Potatoes (Up to Dates) the top side of the house. Mrs Ab Wyatt and children were here for dinner.
In the evening I went down for the mail, also attended the Library.
The Annual Meeting of Subscribers to the Tennis Club was held in the Library in the evening, but I did not wait for it.
Friday 4th It was a beautiful day. Willie and I were working in the garden all day, we planted 5 rows of Potatoes the top side of the house and 3 rows below the house near the path going to the orchard. We also planted 2 rows of Stratagem Peas the top side of the house.
Saturday 5th It was a beautiful day. I was digging in the flower garden and putting in the kerb round the round bed. In the afternoon I went down to the beach to get some sand, called in at the Tennis Court where they had started play this afternoon, Willie was making his charcoal kiln on the hill.
A football match was played at Warkworth between Rodney combined and a team from Coromandel, Ridney won, score,
Sunday 6th It was a beautiful day. Willie rode over to Ti Point to spend the day. In the afternoon I went over to Joe Wyatts and staid for tea.
Monday 7th It was a fine day. Willie was making his charcoal kiln.
I finished the kerb round the circular bed and I dug it up.
Tuesday 8th It was dull in the morning, wind blowing from the N, it commenced to rain in the afternoon. Willie was making his charcoal kiln & covering it in with ashes.
In the morning I pricked out some small pansy plants in a shallow box.
In the afternoon I went down to the village to see about sending the church organ to Auckland to be repaired. Willie Harper hauled it down to the wharf for me.
Wednesday 9th It was very dull and showery in the early morning, but the weather improved as the day advanced. In the morning I sowed seeds in a shallow box, viz: Nicotiana, Aster, Rhodanthe & Perilla (Yates) also was loosening round the Antirrshinumis and transplanted a Pelagonium & in the afternoon Burton Witten came to register the death of his father John Witten which occurred last night, he had been suffering for five months from internal cancer, he was 74 years of age and the oldest settler in Pakiri.
I took the Eggs down to the Store in the pm and carried up a bag of black soil.
Willie set fire to his charcoal kiln and could hardly leave it to come down to get his meals.
Jane and Mabel rode over to the David Darrochs to spend the day.
Although it looked so threatening this morning, it turned out a very fine day.
Thursday 10th It was showery in the morning, but it turned out a very fine day. We had an early lunch and then I rode to Pakiri to attend Mr Witten’s funeral, I called in at Handbys, Kempts and Jno Greenwoods on the way, Mr & Mrs G walked with me on the old road to the Wittens house, the funeral was largely attended. Revd Jory of Warkworth officiated at the home and at the grave.
I returned home by the valley road. There was a meeting of the Farmers Association in the evening. Mr John Greenwood read a paper on Potato growing and there was a very interesting discussion thereon.
Friday 11th It was a very fine day with the exception of a pretty heavy shower in the afternoon. I was working in the flower garden all day. Willie was taking out his charcoal. Jane attended a ladies meeting in the Hall in the afternoon to arrange about a leap year ball.
Saturday 12th There was a very heavy shower in the morning, but the pm was very fine. Willie finished sacking his charcoal, he had 14 sacks. I was working in the flower garden in the afternoon morning, in the pm I went down to the Tennis Court to assist put up the netting, but we could not do much for the want of poles.
Sunday 13th It was a fine day, but was dull in the afternoon and looks threatening for rain. Willie rode to Ti Point to spend the day at D. Knaggs. Jane went out in the afternoon.
I was writing a notice of the late Mr Witten for the Rodney Times and went down to the village in the afternoon to post it, then went to the cemetery.
Monday 14th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie and I commenced digging in the orchard round the two lower Burbanks next the Jargonells, we manured them with blood & bone. In the afternoon Willie was sewing up his sacks of charcoal. I was working in the flower garden.
Tuesday 15th It was a fine day, with the exception of a shower in the morning. In the morning Willie and I were digging in the orchard round the lower Burbanks, Willie was also working there in the pm. I was working in the flower garden. Jane was down at Harpers helping to write out the invitations to the ladies ball, Willie went down to meet the “Kawau”
Wednesday 16th Willie & I were digging round the Irish Peach apples and the lower Burbank in the morning. There were some slight showers, but they did not stop us working, but in the pm we were unable to do anything outside as it rained heavily.
Jane was helping Mabel do some sewing.
Thursday 17th It was raining nearly all day. In the morning Albert Wyatt came and with Walter F s horses hauled Willies 14 Sacks of charcoal down to the wharf to go away by the “Kotiti” to Auckland today. I did not do anything out of doors. In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.
Friday 18th It was showery in the morning, but was very fine in the pm it was very fine, wind from S. In the morning Willie went down to the store to order some B & B manure and they delivered it in the afternoon. In the pm Willie dug round the October Purple & the Satsuma, I went to Mrs Matheson Senr. Jane went down to John Wyatts.
Saturday 19th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie and I went down into the orchard to dig, but I had not started long before my back gave out and had to knock off. Willie dug round 4 trees, I was lying down most of the afternoon. Willie went fishing.
Sunday 20th A fine day, but dull. It was the anniversary of the Bible Class, Jane went and Mabel came home with her to dinner, she and Jim were here for tea. I staid at home to rest my back. Willie spent the day at Ti Point, Joe & Harold went to Auckland in the yacht this morning.
Monday 21st It was a fine day. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. In the morning I re-planted the Lobelia plants in the round bed.
Also sowed Tomato seed.
Bert Witten came in the afternoon, had a look round the orchard and staid tea.
Tuesday 22nd Willie started to dig in the orchard in the morning, but he had to leave off as it came on to rain, and it poured, cleared up late in the afternoon and began to blow.
Willie sold 2 Steers to Willie Harper. Carron put some cattle into the front in the evening until tomorrow morning when he is going to drive them to Warkworth for the sale Friday.
Wednesday 22nd [sic: 23rd] It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers in the morning. Wind W & SW. Willie was digging in the orchard in the afternoon he took the Eggs to Store. I had a bad back, could not dig. Made a fire in the orchard to burn the prunings & scraped some pear trees. In the afternoon went to the Library, P.O & Mrs Dunning Senrs. Posted a letter to Noel Wallace.
Thursday 24th It was a fine day. Willie was digging in the orchard all day . In the afternoon I went down to the Hall , Willie Harper hauled the organ up from the wharf, it is returned from being repaired and it looks quite like a new instrument. When I got back home I found Bert Witten there, he had brought some grafts, a saw & some grafting wax, he headed back the Duchess D’Angoulem pear tree and grafted it with Keifer Pear. I went down to the mail & attended the Library in the evening.
Friday 25th It was a beautiful day, not too hot as there is a S wind blowing.
In the morning I got some firewood and then went up to Mrs Handby’s to get a setting of white Leghorn eggs. Set a hen in the evening near the well with 13 of these eggs.
Willie was digging in the orchard all day, I was digging with him in the pm, we dug up past the Bon Chretian Pear. In the afternoon there was a meeting of ladies in the Ti Point school and afternoon tea. It was for the purpose of presenting Miss Ida Darroch who is shortly to be married to Donald Jones with a variety of kitchen requisites. Jane walked over and returned just before dark.
Saturday 26th It was a fine day. In the morning I was helping Willie dig in the orchard, and Willie was digging there in the afternoon until after 4 pm when he went out fishing and brought home a few cods and one schnapper. In the afternoon I was working in the flower garden. Jane was playing Tennis.
Sunday 27th It was a showery day. I staid at home, Willie went down to Albert Wyatts in the afternoon to have a look round his garden. In the morning Jane walked to Ti Point returning in the evening.
Monday 28th It was a fine day. I was helping Willie dig in the orchard in the morning, in the afternoon I was working in the flower garden.
Tuesday 29th It was a fine day. I was helping Willie dig in the orchard in the morning, in the pm I went down to the beach to sift some black soil, and I carried some home, the remainder of the afternoon I was working in the flower garden.
Wednesday 30th I was helping Willie dig in the orchard in the morning. In the morning I went down to the Village to post a letter to Jack, afterwards went down to the wharf. When the “Kawau” came in Morley gave me two crayfish to bring home. I also carried home a bag of sand. In the afternoon I helped Willie dig in the orchard.
In the afternoon Jane rode to the claim to be present at a send off for Miss Ida Darroch which was to take the form of afternoon tea, there was also going to be a dance in the evening.