Friday 1st It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters.
Was not able to do much on account of my back.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was a dance in the Hall, but I did not stay.
Saturday 2nd There was a misty rain, but not sufficient to wet the ground. My back was so bad I was not able to do anything outside so I wrote a long letter to my son Jack and posted it in the pm when I went to the Steamer for the meat, received a parcel of clothing from Bridgman.
Sunday 3rd It was a fine day. Alma & Arthur were here for dinner. Revd P. R. Paris held service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a good congregation and he gave us a splendid sermon, all of us went, Flo’ & Dorothy came up here to see the roses and staid tea, it came on a drizzling rain and they staid the night.
Monday 4th A misty rain was falling all day but not enough to soften the rough ground.
Flo’ & Dorothy returned home in the morning.
Willie Harper brought up Three Heifers for Willie.
As it was a wet day and could do nothing out of doors, I lay down most of the day and rested my back.
Tuesday 5th It was a very fine day. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. After breakfast I went down for the mail, when I got back I got firewood.
In the afternoon I plunged the Dahlia roots in the frame and was digging in the flower garden.
Wednesday 6th It was very dull in the morning, but it did not rain. After breakfast I got firewood, then I was working in the garden, digging near the front gate, in the afternoon I went down to the village, posted a letter to Joseph Greenwood and a Xmas Suppliment to my brother Henry, was also down on the wharf when the steamer came in, it commenced to rain and rained steadily for some time, I got wet so came home and changed my things.
Willie was digging in the orchard in the morning, and in the afternoon he took the Eggs down with the horse. 200 Fruit Cases were landed for him on Monday and the “Kawau” brought 200 again for him today, so Willie had to remove them from the end of the wharf and stack them further up the wharf, so it made him very late when he got home, he hauled home 4 bundles of lids.
Thursday 7th It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers which had no effect of wetting the ground.
I got firewood, afterwards, I did up the border the top side of the verandah, cut the grass on the paths, dug up the piece from the front gate.
Willie was digging in the orchard all day.
Friday 8th It was a fine day. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. I was working in the flower garden. Mrs Handby & Mrs Jas Greenwood called in the afternoon to see the garden. There was a dance in the Hall in the evening got up by the ladies in aid of the Xmas tree, all of us went, Minnie & baby came up here and staid the night.
Saturday 9th It was a fine day. After breakfast I took a big bunch of flowers down to the steamer and gave it to the Steward, fetched the meat home, after I got home I was working in the flower garden.
Willie was digging in the orchard.
Sunday 10th It was a fine day. We drove over to the Claim Hall in the morning. Revd Macdonald officiated. Willie & Grace went to Gus Neeleys for dinner, I went to Jims, Mr & Mrs Thos Ashton were also there, in the afternoon I walked to Gus Neeleys and we all drove home together.
Monday 11th It was a very fine day. I made a heap to burn a lot of soil near the summer house, was also working in the flower garden , in the afternoon I went down for the mail and carried up a bag of sand. Willie finished earthing up the Potatoes below the house and then commenced to hoe those in the pigs paddock.
Tuesday 12th It was a very fine day. In the morning Willie Dunning came to borrow some raffia for budding, he had a look at my roses, also the orchard.
Willie hauled two loads of cases from wharf. In the pm he was hoeing the Potatoes. I got firewood and afterwards was working in the flower garden.
Wednesday 13th It was a fine day. Willie was spraying the Pear trees in the morning, in the afternoon he took the box of Eggs down to the wharf and hauled up two loads of fruit cases,
In the morning I got firewood, and was working in the flower garden, made another heap and burned a lot of soil, went down to the wharf when the steamer arrived, got some sand and Willie hauled it up for me. It rained a little in the evening.
Thursday 14th It was a fine day, but in the afternoon there was a misty rain, but not enough to do any good.
After breakfast I got firewood and then went down to the village to post some letters, took a bunch of roses to Captn Ohlsen, carried up a bag of sand, in the afternoon I planted a rooted cutting of Pelagonium that I got from Mr Wallace, 2 do Scarlet Geraniums that I got from Jno Greenwood and 2 clumps of Gladioli.
Willie sprayed in the morning and hoed Potatoes in the afternoon.
Friday 15th It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, one to Mr Goertz of Warkworth containing £1 . 11 . 0 to make up £5 . 0 . 0 our half yearly contribution to the Anglican Church, and one letter to Wildman & Arey containing £1 . 3 . 0 to settle an Act. Carried up a bag of sand.
In the afternoon I got firewood, planted a clump of Gladioli, and sowed seeds of Goditia & Nigella. In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.
Saturday 16th It was a very fine day. Willie walked to Ti Point to fish, I walked with his [sic: him] as far as the To Point school and then I went on to the Claim to witness a cricket match between Omaha and Warkworth, Warkworth went in first and made 62 runs, Omaha then went in and made 236 runs, Warkworth then went in again and made over 70, thus Omaha had a three point win. As a vice President the Club entertained me to Dinner & Tea, Charlie Dunning gave me a ride in his waggon as far as his place.
In my absence Bertie Witten and Mr John Burton called to see me.
Sunday 17th It was a fine day. Willie, Grace & I went up to Mr Handbys to spend the day, in the afternoon I came down to the Hall, Revd Blundell held service. I returned to Mr Handbys for tea and we all came home in the cool of the evening.
Monday 18th It was a fine, but windy day. Alf Gravatt came in the morning to register Mr Lloyd’s death. Gracie Knaggs was here for dinner.
Willie planted 2 rows of Cabbages and sowed 2 rows of beans the lower side of house. I got wood and was working in the flower garden.
Willie hauled up a load of cases in the evening.
Tuesday 19th A very strong wind blowing from the S, ground very dry want rain very badly.
After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail, received my new suit from Bridgman, carried up a bag of sand. The remainder of the day was working in the flower garden, sowed the following seeds. 2 rings of Chrysanthemum Tricolour, 1 each of Lupin, Linaria, Asters & Phlox, also planted out a Scarlet Geranium and a plant I got from Mr Grindrod. Willie hauled 3 loads of Cases from the wharf.
Wednesday 20th It was a very fine day, and not so windy as yesterday. I got firewood and afterwards was working in the flower garden, I beat and prepared the piece of ground near the summer house for Dahlias. Willie hauled 2 loads of cases from the wharf in the morning, and in the afternoon he rode over to Jas Darroch’s.
The Annual Picnic of the Bible Class was held in A. Dunning‘s paddock, tea, meeting & supper in the Hall, all of us went.
Thursday 21st It was a very hot day. In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up Fowl food, flour & groceries that came by the steamer yesterday. I got firewood and was preparing holes for Dahlias.
Friday 22nd It was a very hot day. In the morning I got firewood and then was preparing stations for Dahlias. In the pm I went down to meet the Steamer, It turned out to be the “Kotiti” which is a very slow boat and consequently was very late in coming, Miss Freda Tucker came up by her, and Mr Grindrod sent me a box of Dahlia plants. I also had some seedling plants from Yates. Willie, Grace & I drove to Pakiri, we had tea at Johny Salts, Mr Ashworth was also there for tea. In the evening we all went down to Hall to a farewell to Mr Henry Brown & family who are leaving Pakiri, the Concert was presided over by Mr H. R. French, there was a very good concert, and speeches by old Councillors & myself, after the concert there was a good supper and dance. I walked home.
Saturday 23rd It was a very fine day. Willie went down to the wharf to get the meat. I was busy planting, I planted 14 Dahlias, 8 Zinnias and 1 Bonfire Salvia.
Went down to the village in the pm to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand.
Sunday 24th It was a fine day. Willie & Grace drove to Ti Point to spend the day, I called in at Mr Handbys on my way up to John Greenwoods, he was also going up so we went together. Called in to show Mrs Arthur Greenwood a bunch of roses I was taking up to Johns. Mr & Mrs W. Dunning & children and Sid Rhodes were also there so we were a large party, spent a very pleasant day, I came home with the Willie Dunnings in their waggon.
It was very misty up on the hill in the evening and looking like rain.
Monday 25th A fine day, wind N, thick mist on the ranges, but no rain. Willie was planting out onions below the closet. I got firewood, went down to the beach to get sand. Planted out 6 Bonfire salvias and 4 Everlastings.
Tuesday 26th A slight misty rain all day, wind blowing strong from NE. Willie was planting Onions. I was working at the round bed.
I planted Lobelia and Panseys round the border. Went down for the mail in the pm, received some more plants from Yates.
Wednesday 27th There was a misty rain in the morning, but the wind changed to the SW and it cleared up although it looked dull. Willie took 2 Boxes of Eggs down to the steamer and hauled up the remainder of his cases. He planted Tomatoes in the afternoon.
I got firewood and then worked in the flower garden, I planted 4 Verbenas, 6 Gaillardias & 6 Larkopurs.
Thursday 28th It was a … [illegible]
Willie was spraying in the … [illegible]
I was working in the flower garden.
I planted 3 Verbenas, 6 Antirrhinum and 2 Dahlias, (H. H. Thomas & H. F. Robertson)
I went down to the village in the afternoon to get the mail, carried up some sand.
Friday 29th There were several slight showers, but not heavy enough to do any good, Willie was digging the top side of the house.
I got firewood and worked in the garden, I stuck the Peas and planted 4 Dahlias namely Pilot, R. D. Williamson, Clincher and Princes. In the evening I went down for the mail, attended Library, carried up a bag of sand.
Saturday 30th It rained very heavy early this morning, but it turned out a fine day, wind blowing strong from the S.
Willie went fishing to Ti Point brought home 2 fish. Mrs Carr & Freda Tucker called in pm, staid tea.
I planted 4 Dahlias, viz H. Shoesmith, Snowstorm, Gondola & Red from Yates