Monday 1st It was a very fine day, but a cold wind blowing from S.
Grace & Mrs Leroy walked over to Ti Point to spend the day with Mrs Harold Torkington.
Willie was working at the trap shed.
My back was very bad this morning so I am not able to do much, I made out my Quarterly returns & put a new handle in the axe & chopped a lot of wood.
In the afternoon I went down to the village to post my returns & get the mail, carried up some sand.
Tuesday 2nd It was a very fine day, but cold, as the wind id from the S and there was a frost this morning.
After breakfast Mrs Leroy, Ada & I walked down to the village to post some letters, I took them to see the Cemetery, the Hall and the Library.
In the afternoon I loosened round and between the Daffodils that are coming up. I applied slag and covered them with sand. Willie was working at the trap shed.
Wednesday 3rd It was a fine day, but dull, wind still from S.
My back was pretty bad and I was not able to do much, I got some firewood and sawed up some pine branches. In the pm I went down to the steamer to get the mail, carried up some sand.
Flo came over in the pm and went round home in the steamer, Grace & Mrs Leroy went down to the wharf with her. Willie was working at the trap shed.
Thursday 4th It was a very fine day. But the wind changed round to the E in the afternoon. After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter, picked up some sand on the road which I brought home. After I returned I sowed the following seeds in shallow boxes, Cauliflower, Early York Cabbage, 6 Varieties of Antirrhinum, planted a pale pink Carnation.
Friday 5th The wind was blowing a gale from the NE. In the morning I went into the bush to get some ferns for Mrs Leroy.
Willie was wheeling earth into the trap shed to level the floor.
Alma and Dorothy came in the afternoon and staid all night.
Saturday 6th It rained steadily all last night which beat down the wind and changed it to NW. It was very fine to day. After breakfast I went down to get the mail. The “Kawau” only came in this morning, she was sheltering at Kawau last night on account of the gale.
Mrs Leroy was intending returning to Auckland in the “Kawau“, but on account of the roll outside in consequence of the late gale she postponed her return until next Tuesday – so I sent a wire to Mr Leroy informing him of this.
Got some firewood & pulled up tea tree in the afternoon,
Grace and Mrs Leroy went to Mrs C. Wyatts in the afternoon & staid for tea.
Sunday 7th It was a beautiful day. Revd O. Blundell held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended.
Monday 8th It was a very fine day. Willie went fishing with Willie Dunning and returned in the evening with a lot of fish. I got firewood , also 2 kerosene tins of sieved pine needles, made some kerbing and fixed some near the rubbish heap.
Mrs Ashworth came to spend the day.
Tuesday 9th It was a very dull morning, the wind blowing pretty strong from NE which was raising a rough sea outside.
After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail. On account of the rough sea Mrs Leroy decided not to go by the “Kawau” today, so Willie took a telegram for Mrs L down to the P.O saying she was not coming. I got up a lot of flower plants for Mrs Leroy which will now have to wait. I sawed up some more kerbing & sharpened them. It came on to rain in the afternoon and continued to rain steadily all evening.
Wednesday 10th It rained heavily last night and everything was very wet this morning, there was also a heavy shower early in the afternoon. I got some firewood and prepared some kerbing.
Mrs Leroy & her little girl are leaving us to day so we all went down to see her off, Willie took her luggage down to the wharf on the catamaran, he was expecting goods up, but they did not come. We have enjoyed Mrs Leroy’s visit to us, as she is a very nice person.
Thursday 11th It was rather showery in the morning, but fine in the afternoon. After breakfast I went down to the village to send away a wire for Willie, after I came back I wrote a letter to Alan Wallace also a letter of introduction to my brother Henry for Alan to take to England with him, also wrote a letter to my brother Henry telling him that Alan was coming home. Willie was altering the wheels on the catamaran.
Friday 12th It was a fine day, without rain. The “Kawau” came from Auckland about 1 pm, I went down to get the mail, I posted letters to Alan Wallace & my brother Henry.
Willie had a Sk Maize, a Sk Wheat and several sheets of second hand iron for the walls of the trap shed, he hauled it up in three loads.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.
In the afternoon I prepared kerbing and fixed them near the rubbish heap.
Saturday 13th It was a fine day dull, wind at the S. I was not very well this morning and did not get up until the middle of the morning. Willie was putting the iron onto the sides of the trap shed and he finished it in the evening. I was holding the sheets of iron for him when I got up.
Alf Wyatt and wife came in the afternoon to get me to witness their signatures to enable them to take on the duties of the Post Office and Telephone at Pakiri, Alf having bought out George Browns store at Pakiri.
There was a football match at the Claim between Omaha & Matakana, and there was a dance in this Hall in the evening, Willie & Grace went.
Sunday 14th It was a very dull day with a few slight showers.
Revd Paris held service in the pm, Grace attended, I did not go anywhere.
Monday 15th It was a dull miserable day wind blowing strong from NE. I did not do anything out of doors on account of my back.
Willie put the finishing touches to the trap shed and he went down for the mail in the late afternoon.
Tuesday 16th It was a dull day with showers. I went down to the village to change my book at the Library, thought that the “Kawau” might have brought the meat from Mangawai, but she did not.
Willie was putting wires on the barley paddock fence.
Wednesday 17th A showery day, I stayed in bed all morning as my back was very bad. Jim Dunning called to see me. Willie was putting wires on the barley paddock fence, he went down to the Steamer in the evening, there was a heavy shower of rain and he got wet.
Thursday 18th A showery day. I was in bed most of the day with my back. Willie took some Eggs down to the wharf to pack down there.
Friday 19th A fine day. I was in bed most part of the day with a bad back. Willie was putting wire on the barley paddock fence. In the evening he went down to the village for me to get the mail and to attended the Library, also went down to the Steamer to get a parcel that Mrs Leroy sent.
Saturday 20th It was a very fine day with the exception of a heavy shower in the middle of the day. Willie walked to Ti Point to fish and returned in the evening with 90 pipers.
Grace went down to the wharf in the pm to get the meat that comes from Mangawai in the “Kawau“.
I was in bed all day only getting up in the evening, but I feel much better.
Sunday 21st It was a beautiful day. Revd Macdonald should have held service to day, but he was thrown out of his silky on the road over yesterday, so he turned back and wired over that he could not come. We did not any of us go out anywhere. I feel much better to day.
Monday 22nd It was a beautiful day. My back was much better & I got up for breakfast, afterwards sawed up a pine branch in to blocks to burn in the evening, went down to the Library to change my books. Willie dug round the young Lemon trees in the farm orchard, afterwards was widening the grade road in certain places.
Tuesday 23rd It was a fine day ‘tho dull, wind from the E and cold.
After breakfast I went down to post & receive letters. Received a bottle of ink from Wildman & Arey for Registration purposes. Also received a letter from Allan Wallace who is leaving for Wellington on Saturday on route for England to study at Oxford having gained the Rhodes Scholarship, he also sent me his Photo which I shall prize very much.
Willie was widening the grade road & commenced making a gate.
Wednesday 24th It was fine in the morning, but misty rain in the afternoon . Hector’s birthday, a year old today.
In the morning I was digging up some small plants for Mrs Morley, sawed off some blocks for kerbing, sharpened and fixed them.
In the afternoon I went down to the village , called in at the Library for a magazine for W. Harper, took a bunch of violets to Miss Dunnings. Registered a letter to Wildman & Arey and then went down to the wharf, took a bunch of violets to the Steward, had a long talk with the Engineer about flowers, and gave Archie Morley the young plants for his wife.
Jim, Jane with Hector came over later in the afternoon and staid tea, it was Hectors first birthday. All of us went to a dance at the Hall in the evening got up by the Boxing Class, it rained all evening and sometimes poured, the weather kept a lot of people away, what few attended enjoyed themselves. Mr Ashworth very kindly played for the dances. I was playing cards, the rain did not moderate until long after midnight and we did not get home till 3.30 am, Jane returned with us, but Jim went home
Thursday 25th It was a very showery day. We did not get up very early on account of being up so late. I was unable to do anything out of doors. Jane went over to Mrs Dunning Senr late in the afternoon. Willie went with her to carry Hector.
Friday 26th It rained steadily all day. Wind blowing steadily from the E. I did not go out anywhere all day and in the evening on account of the weather. I did not go for the mail or attend the Library.
Saturday 27th It did not rain much to day, but it was still blowing a gale from E. After breakfast I went down for the mail. No Steamer for Mangawai the end of this week on account of the rough weather, so we got no meat, no steamer until next Monday. Could not do anything out of doors, the ground saturated with water.
Sunday 28th It rained nearly all day & none of us went out anywhere. Willie Dunning and George James came in the afternoon to have a look at the sulky.
Monday 29th It was a very fine day and the wind has changed to the S, but the ground is saturated with water. After breakfast I pulled up all the small tea tree on the ground that is top dressed, afterwards got tea tree poles and sawed them up into lengths for kerbing. Got firewood the other side of the hill.
In the afternoon I went down to the steamer to get the mail.
Willie was cutting tea tree out in front.
Tuesday 30th It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down to get the mail, waited until the Steamer came from Mangawai thinking that she would bring the meat, but it did not come. Carried up a bag of sand , split and sharpened some kerbing, got firewood. In the afternoon helped Willie cut tea tree in the front. Willie was cutting tea tree there all day.
Wednesday 31st It was a very fine day. Willie was cutting tea tree in the front all day. I gathered cow manure & put it on the heap. Helped Willie cut tea tree. Commenced pruning the Roses.
Went down to the Steamer to get the mail. Carried up a bag of sand.