Friday 1st It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing strong from the W, however it is drying up the ground. In the morning I went down to the P.O to post some letters.
I was pulling up tea tree behind the cottage on the hill all day. In the evening I went down for the mail.
Saturday 2nd It was a beautiful day, the wind has gone down and the wind tho’ in the same quarter is nice and balmy.
In the morning I rode to Ti Point to take two saws to get Mr Torkington to sharpen them, called down at Joes and had lunch there.
Sunday 3rd It was a beautiful day. Revd E. G. Evans (Presbyterian) conducted service and Communion in the Hall in the morning. Jane and I went. I partook of Communion with them, there was a large congregation and a very impressive service.
Harold and Flo came in the pm and staid tea.
Monday 4th It was a beautiful day. I was burning logs in the orchard, also burning heaps and pulling up tea tree and cutting fern in the front. Duncan Knaggs and his brother in law, Mr Gilbert Rollinson came to spend the evening , we played at cards.
Tuesday 5th It was a beautiful day. I went down to the Post Office in the morning. I was pulling and burning tea tree in the front both morning and afternoon. In the evening I wrote a letter to my sister Fanny which will be posted tomorrow.
Wednesday 6th It was a fine day. I was pulling up and burning tea tree in the front all day. In the afternoon Jane went down to the Steamer, she was late in coming in. The Telephone to Pakiri was finished and opened today, they have been only eight days in erecting it.
Thursday 7th It was dull in the morning, I was down in the front burning and pulling up tea tree. About dinner time it came on to rain and rained until about 3 oclock when it cleared up so I went down to the front again and was pulling up tea tree again until it was time to milk.
Friday 8th It had been raining last night so everything was very wet this morning. I went down to the Post Office after breakfast to get the mail, afterwards went down to the wharf where I found that 2 Sacks Maize, 1 Do Sharps, 1 Do Bran had been landed for me by the “Kawau” this morning.
The remainder of the day I was chopping up pine logs in the orchard and setting fire to them.
Saturday 9th It was a very dull day. The wind has got round to the SE. In the morning I put the pine logs together and set fire to them. Afterwards got some danthonia hay for the calf place and pig sty and carried down and cut up a lot of firewood.
In the afternoon I got the bullock and went down to the wharf and hauled up 1 Sack of Sharps & 1 Do Bran.
Sunday 10th A frost last night. It was very fine today, but cold in the shade. Mr G. Rollinson held service in the afternoon, there was a good congregation. A collection was taken up for the organ insurance fund which realised 13/7.
Monday 11th A very heavy frost last night, pices of wood lying about and the grass was white with frost. It was a fine day, but the wind changed round to the N and it seems as if we are going to have a change of weather.
In the morning I lit the pine log fires in the orchard and then went to look for the bullock and only found him just before dinner. In the afternoon I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Maize.
Mrs Knightly and children were here for tea.
Tuesday 12th It was a very dull day and it seemed as if it would rain any minute. In the morning I got the bullock in and went down to the wharf and hauled the last Sack of Maize, after I had got it in the store there was a sharp shower of rain. In the afternoon I cut up some more pine logs in the orchard and set fire to them. I heard down at the wharf that the Right Hon R. J. Seddon had died in Australia yesterday of heart disease.
Wednesday 13th It was a beautiful day. I was looking after the pine log fires and digging in the orchard all day.
Jane went down to meet the Steamer in the evening , the Steamer was very late coming in, Willie sent me some papers containing full account of Mr Seddons death.
Thursday 14th It was a fine day. Jane rode up to call at John Greenwoods and Mrs Arthur Greenwood, returning home just before dark. Mr Shakespear called here in the morning.
In the afternoon I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up 100 lbs Flour and a bag of Sugar. Mr Harper had returned from Auckland with an oil engine fitted into his yacht.
Friday 15th There was a rainbow in the morning which indicated a showery day, and we had several showers during the day. After breakfast I went down to the wharf to meet Revd T. J. Parry the newly appointed Anglican Lay Prea Home Missionery who is not long out from home. He visited about among the people in the afternoon . I was getting firewood and burning logs in the orchard. Willie Dunning came in the evening to play cards.
Saturday 16th It was a fine day, there was a frost in the morning and a cold wind was blowing.
In the morning I went over to Joe Wyatts to get a piece of pork, afterwards I went with Revd Parry up the hill, called at Mr Handby’s then went on to Mr Jos Greenwoods where we had dinner, afterwards called at Arthur Greenwoods, & Mr Kempts. I left Mr Parry then to go on to Mr John Greenwoods where he was going to stay, and I returned home.
Sunday 17th It was a very fine day. Revd T. J. Parry (Diosesan Missionery) conducted service in the Hall in the afternoon, there were over 70 present, we had a very hearty service, the offeratory was 18/- . Mr Parry came up to our place for tea and Jane rode with him over to Dacres Claim for service in the evening.
In the service this afternoon Mr P touched on the death of Mr Seddon the psalms and lessons were appropriate and Jane played the Dead March after the service.
Monday 18th The weather was not so fine, but it did not rain. I cut up the pine trees that fell over the fence into the front, rolled them into heaps and set fire to them. We were expecting Revd Parry back from Big Omaha, but he did not come.
Tuesday 19th It was very dull in the morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon .
I had the pine logs burning again. I cleared all the rubbish from the Macrocarpa trees and burnt it. Also burned some of the dry tea tree down below and cut the green tea tree and burnt it on the fires
Wednesday 20th It was a dull day. I was burning and pulling up tea tree in the front all day. Jane went down to meet the Steamer in the afternoon, Willie returned by the “Kawau“, the Steamer was rather late in coming in.
Thursday 21st It was a fine day, but it looked dull. We killed the Pig in the afternoon. Jane went with Mrs Archie Dunning to call on Mrs Mrs D. Matheson on Point Rodney.
Friday 22nd It was a fine day. We cut up the Pig and salted it away, it weighed 185 lbs and was very fat. In the afternoon Willie took a piece of pork to Joe Wyatts in return for the piece I borrowed, I took over pork to Mrs Archie Dunnings & Mrs Knightlys also called at the Post Office for the mail which came this morning.
Saturday 23rd It was a fine day. I prepared the pig’s head for brawn. Jane was busy making pork pies and brawn. I was doing other odd jobs. In the morning Willie walked over to Ti Point, he took Minnie a piece of pork, and returned home in the evening.
Sunday 24th It was a dull day. I dressed myself to go down to the Hall for Church, but it came on rain when it was time to start so I did not go. I heard afterwards that there were only 12 present so Revd Jory only gave them a short service. It poured with rain about 5 pm.
Willie walked to Ti Point, but on account of the rain he staid all night.
Monday 25th There were several showers of rain during the day. In the morning I took a piece of pork and some brawn down to J. C. Wyatts, afterwards went to the Library to change a book.
Willie returned from Ti Point in the middle of the day. In the pm he and I cleared the line for the new fence at the top of the cow paddock in place of the post and rail fence. After we knocked off work Willie went down to meet the “Kawau“, to get a lantern that he left in town.
Tuesday 26th There was a heavy shower in the morning and a big rain bow & we thought it was going to be a showery day, but it turned out to be a tolerably fine day. We finished clearing the line for the new fence at the top of the cow paddock, in doing so we cut down a lot of big tea trees and carried them out and they will make grand firewood, I also cut up a lot of coarse grass which I brought down into the orchard to dig in. We made two fires on the line of fence and burned a lot of sweet briars and brambles. After dinner Jane started to ride to Warkworth.
Wednesday 27th It was a showery day. In the morning Willie and I cut down a big puriri tree on the top of the hill just outside the fence. In the afternoon Willie went down to the village to get the mail on the arrival of the Steamer, but as the wind was blowing so strong and the Steamer so late in coming that Willie came home, the Steamer however came later in the evening.
Thursday 28th It was a showery day. When we were having breakfast young Gus Avey came in having walked from Ti Point, he came up in the “Kawau” last night.
Willie and I cross cutted the puriri that we fell yesterday. We tried to split it but could make no impression on it, Gus was going to catch the Steamer here at 1 pm, Willie & I went down to see him off, but Gus missed the Steamer so he came up here again. Jane returned from Warkworth in the evening.
Friday 29th It was a showery day. We made a start to put up the fence. Gus Avey went away by the “Kawau” about 5 pm.
I was down at the Library in the evening.
Saturday 30th It was a showery day. Willie and I continued to put up the fence on the hill. There was a Football Match at the Claim in the pm between Omaha and Matakana, Jane went over and staid for the dance.
Minnie, Joe and the children came over to stay.