Friday 1st It was a very fine day. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. After breakfast I went down to the P.O to post some letters and to open an account in the P.O. Saving Bank lodged £95 – my sister Fanny’s legacy to me, carried up a bag of sand, the remainder of the day I was digging the border next the pigs paddock fence commencing next the broad beans. In the evening I went down for the mail & attended the Library. There was a choir practice, Willie & Grace came down to it.
Saturday 2nd It was a very fine day. Grace walked over to Ti Point soon after breakfast and Willie having dug in the orchard until about 11 am walked over there also.
I dug up the long bed and afterwards started digging from the pig stye down to meet what I dug yesterday.
Late in the pm I went down to the village, got a bag of sand, called into the Library, Mr Handby was finishing the new cupboard.
Sunday 3rd It was a very fine day. After breakfast I walked over to the Claim to see Jim & Jane, had dinner there and after, we all went to the service at the Hall conducted by Revd O. Blundell, I walked home afterwards. Jim & Jane were going to ride over after Church to Mrs Dunnings Senr, Jane staid there all night. In my absence Harold, Flo & the children and Gracie Knaggs & Harold Knaggs came to spend the day – and they were there for tea when I returned.
Monday 4th It was a beautiful day. Willie sowed seeds in shallow boxes of Lettuce and 3 sorts of Tomato.
I was working in the flower garden all day. I planted out a pink & white Pelargonium a Calliopsis and a clump of Gladiolus, I dug the bed below the spare bedroom window and started digging the piece of ground against the Madam Lambard rose. Jane & the baby came in the afternoon to stay. In the evening Willie & Grace went to spend the evening at Mrs C. Gravatts.
Tuesday 5th It was a beautiful day. After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail, I went down to the beach and sieved a lot of sand & carried up some. Willie took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Maize, he was expecting some goods from A. Yates, but they did not come. In the pm he was digging in the orchard. Jane & Grace went to see Mrs G. Knaggs in the afternoon.
Mrs Dale came in the morning to get me to witness her signature, and in the afternoon Mrs Archie & Mrs Willie Dunning came to register the birth of Mrs Willies baby.
Wednesday 6th It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing in from the SE. Jane went down to Charlie Wyatts in the morning, in the pm she was going to see Mrs Archie Dunnings and was going to stay with old Mrs Dunnings this evening. Willie & I were packing the swing Cot for Jane & Willie hauled it down with a box of Eggs to the wharf to send it round by the Steamer this afternoon to be landed at the Top Wharf. I was down to the village in the pm but did not wait for the Steamer which proved to be the “Orewa“, I carried up a bag of sand , Willie remained down to get some goods he expected by the Steamer, but the Big Omaha goods were stowed on the top, so the goods for Leigh were not discharged so Willie came home without his goods,
Thursday 7th It was a fine day ‘tho dull, wind blowing from the E.
After breakfast Willie took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf and hauled up for me 1 Cwt Steamed Bonedust, 7 lbs Plant food & some Bluestone for himself, also some sand for me & grit for the fowls.
In his absence I was digging in the orchard. The remainder of the day Willie was digging in the orchard. In the pm I dug up the outer circle of the round, applied bone dust and planted 26 Lobelia plants 12 inches apart and 9 inches from the outside of the kerbing.
Willie & Grace went to spend the evening with Mrs Carr and I went down to Archie Dunnings to spend the evening.
Friday 8th It was a fine day ‘tho dull, wind still blowing from E.
Willie was digging was digging [sic] in the orchard all day, I loosened up round the Roses in the diamond bed and put sand or ashes round them. I took up & replanted 2 Tagetes plants & planted a large Lobelia where they came out, also planted a mauve Scabious in the bed the left hand side of front steps.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was a choir practice, Willie & Grace came down to it. they commenced to practice a Service of Song for Christmas.
Saturday 9th It was a fine day ‘tho dull, wind still blowing strong from E. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. I was digging in the flower garden all day. I took up and replanted the large flowered Penstemon below the front steps. The “Kawau” could not get out on account of the wind.
Mr Large, the Ti Point School Teacher came for tea and spend the evening.
Sunday 10th It was a very dull day but it did not although it looked very threatening wind still blowing pretty strong from NE. The “Kawau” called in here about 11 am on her way to Auckland, not being able to get out yesterday.
Bishop Crossley was to hold a confirmation at Warkworth and several young people were going from here to be confirmed.
Mr & Mrs Gus Neeley came to spend the day & Alma, Agnes & Arthur came here for dinner from the Bible Class.
Revd Paris held service in the Hall in the morning afternoon, I attended.
Monday 11th It was a very dull day, although it was threatening it did not rain, wind still blowing strong from NE. In the morning I went down to the village to post the Weekly News & to get a bottle of boiled oil for Willie, carried up a bag of sand. In the afternoon I sowed seeds and put out plants in the border the top side of the front steps. Nemophila, Clarkia, Saponaria Alba & Phlox mixed and one plant each of Candituft & Anchusa.
Willie was doing odd jobs.
Tuesday 12th It commenced to rain at about daybreak and rained continuously nearly add day, at about midday it came down very heavy, but it cleared up towards evening and the wind has got round to NW & W.
After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail, went to the Library and shifted a lot of the books into the new cupboard, Willie Dunning was helping me.
Willie got a ?? of Kauri out of the bush and commenced to make a model yacht.
Wednesday 13th It was a showery day. In the morning I got two tins of charcoal ash and put it round the roses in the diamond bed, made a lot of Garden Labels and painted them white.
In the pm I went down to the village and found out that the “Kawau” was not going to leave Auckland for Big Omaha until tonight, carried up some sand. Willie was making his model yacht.
Thursday 14th It was a showery day especially in the afternoon, but in the evening it cleared up and the wind went round to the SW so it is to be hoped the weather will now clear up.
In the morning I took the horse & sleigh with 2 boxes of Eggs down to the Steamer, hauled up an empty egg box & some sand . After dinner also went down to the beach again and carried up a bag of sand. In the evening Willie went to Mr Ashworths and got a broody Silver Wyandotte hen for sitting.
Friday 15th It was a fine day. After breakfast I went down to C. Wyatts to get a setting of White Leghorn eggs and when I came back Willie set them under a hen he got from Mr Ashworth. I planted some Paspalum plants in the front, in the pm I went down to the Hall and filled the lamps with kerosene and carried up a bag of sand.
In the morning Willie went over the the E.R and was helping Mr Ashworth mend the fence between his place and ours, the remainder of the day he was digging in the orchard and I was helping him a bit in the afternoon . In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was a choir practice and also practice of the Service of Song. Willie & Grace came down to it.
Saturday 16th It was a fine day. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. In the morning I dug over the round bed, sowed seeds of Saponaria (Scarlet) and Cyanus (mixed) planted out 2 Anchusas and 1 Tagetes, also pricked out in a box, Pansy Aubrietta & Scabious seedlings.
In the afternoon I went down to the wharf when the “Kawau” arrived from Mangawai.
Willie is commencing getting Beef from Wintle Bros, Butchers of Mangawai. I carried up the meat also a bag of sand. Mrs Ashworth and her sister Mrs Walton called in the pm & had a look at the flowers.
Sunday 17th There were several showers during the day, wind is back to the N. The anniversary of the Bible Class was held in the Hall in the morning, Grace, Willie and I went, I gave them an address.
After the service I went to Mrs Dunnings Senr for lunch, Minnie and her three children & Willena Neeley came up here for lunch.
Revd A. H. Macdonald the new Anglican clergyman held his first service in the afternoon, there was a very fair congregation, Ernest Pratts baby was baptised, the collection amounted to 12/8 .
Monday 18th It was a showery day especially in the afternoon, driving showers, the wind in the morning was blowing strong from NW, but in the pm it got round to the W.
In the morning I sowed a row of Stratagem Peas near the gate leading into the orchard, Willie was digging in the orchard all day and I was helping him in the afternoon.
Tuesday 19th It was raining when we got up this morning, but it cleared up after breakfast. Willie walked to Ti Point to get a setting of Eggs from Minnie and a Silver Wyandotte hen from Mr Ashworth.
I sowed seeds of Calendula, Marigold Balsam & Early Baseball Tomato. Grace & I went to Mr Ashworths for tea and Willie came afterwards, we played cards and had music and spent a very pleasant evening.
Wednesday 20th It was a fine day. Willie planted 2 roots of Rhubarb that Minnie gave him, & manured the plants we had before, grafted a Pear tree, packed the Eggs & dug in the orchard. I planted out 18 Drumhead Cabbages next to the row of Peas.
In the afternoon I took the horse & sleigh & the box of Eggs down to the wharf & hauled up empty egg box, bag of sand & some grit for the fowls. Received by post from Arthur Yates the young flower plants I sent for.
Thursday 21st It was a very fine day. I planted the following plants that I received last night from Yates.
4 Bonfire Salvia, 9 Asters, 7 Delphiniums & 9 Verbenas. Willie was digging in the orchard all day.
Friday 22nd It was a very fine day. Wind SW. Willie was digging in the orchard all day, I planted out 7 Mimulus, 7 Canditufts, took up divided & replanted the Heuchera Sanguinea.
In the evening went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was a practice of the Service of Song, Mr Ashworth presided at the organ, Willie & Grace attended.
Saturday 23rd It was a very fine day. The Cream Cart commenced running to day, Alf Gravatt has the contract of carting the cream from Pakiri to the Leigh Hall, and Chas Dunning from Leigh Hall to Matakana factory.
After breakfast I took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf to get the meat that came by the steamer from Mangawai, hauled up an empty egg box, a bag of sand & some fowl grit. Willie was digging in the orchard all day, I was helping him after I came from the beach. In the afternoon I sowed Early York Cabbage in a shallow box, was also digging round some plants near the front gate.
Sunday 24th It was a very fine day. Willie, Grace & I went up to John Greenwoods to spend the day, we took two horses between us, Willie rode the new horse. Jim Gozar called there in the pm & staid tea. We spent a very pleasant day.
Monday 25th It was very fine in the morning. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. In the morning I put some cuttings in that I got from Jno Greenwood, viz Cream Margarite & Marigold, also 2 roots of daisy. I dug over the long bed and rooted out the Belladonna Lilies. In the afternoon I planted 22 Pansies in the round bed.
Tuesday 26th There were a few slight showers during the but not enough to wet the ground. After breakfast I sowed seeds of Nemophila & Balsam near the front gate, I then went down to the village to post a letter to my brother Henry, got the mail and carried up a bag of sand, in the pm I sowed of Phlox, planted a pink Geranium with white eye, put sand round some of the roses in the diamond bed, broke up a lot of the clods.
Willie was digging in the orchard all day.
Wednesday 27th It was fine in the morning. I planted out 15 varieties of Sweet Peas that I had growing in beef tins , near the closet, as there was some space over I sowed some Salmon Pink Sweet Peas, I cut the grass on the path and dug up the long bed.
Late in the pm I took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf and hauled up 100 lbs Flour, Box of Groceries, empty Egg Box & Bag of Sand. There was a very heavy shower of rain when I was going down to the wharf & I got wet, but I got home dry, but after I got home it rained again.
Willie was digging in the orchard all day.
Thursday 28th It was a fine day. After breakfast Willie took the new horse in the sleigh down to the wharf & hauled up a Sk Sharps & Sk of Bran in one load. I took some flower plants down for John Greenwood & carried up a bag of sand. In the pm I planted out 3 Sweet Williams and 3 Double German Wallflower, afterwards I went down to the village to post some matter then to Mrs Dunning Senr to witness her signature, carried up some shell sand from their beach.
Willie was digging in the orchard the remainder of the day.
Grace walked over to Ti Point in the afternoon and staid all night.
Friday 29th It was showery in the morning. Grace returned from from Ti Point. I planted out 2 Nemesias, 1 Ponsy, 4 Stockc, 1 Caterbury Bell, also planted a clump of mixed Gladioli in the long bed. It was very fine in the pm. I was digging out bulbs and dug from the ginger plant right down to the Citron tree.
Willie was digging in the orchard all day.
I went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was a practice of the Service of Song, Willie & Grace attended.
Saturday 30th It was a very fine day. I was digging with Willie in the morning in the orchard, Willie continued digging all day, in the afternoon I took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf for the meat and I hauled up a load of sand. Archie Morley gave me two butter fish to bring home. After I returned home I sieved the sand and cut the grass on the paths in the front garden.
After tea I went down to Charlie Wyatts, I found he and Maggie laid up with a bad attack of influenza.
Revd Blundell was holding a service in the Hall in the evening.