Saturday 1st It was a fine day. In the morning I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up 54 fruit cases.
In the afternoon I was digging out weeds in the orchard.
Jane went down to Mrs Harpers to help ticket the toys intended for the Christmas tree.
Sunday 2nd Willie did not return from Auckland in the “Kawau” as we expected.
When I went up to milk, Willie Wright came up to the slip rails and told me that his Mother had died last night at 12 oclock and asking me to read the burial service tomorrow at 3 pm.
I rode over to Ti Point to spend the day, returning home by moonlight. Jane went to spend the afternoon at Joe Wyatts, but she returned home before me.
It came over very cloudy and threatened for rain, but we did not get any.
Monday 3rd It was fine in the morning. I planted a row of Celery just below the house. About noon there was a heavy shower, I started to go to Pakiri, to old Mrs Wrights funeral. I went along with Mr & Mrs Archie Dunning, when we got near Pakiri it poured with rain, on account of the weather I conducted part of the service in the Hall and the remainder of the service at the grave, as the weather had cleared up we started for home, Annie and Maggie Harper, Mr & Mrs Archie and Jim Dunning and I came home together.
Minnie rode over to our place in the morning, she then walked up to Mrs Handbys over the paddocks, she got terribly wet coming home, I met her at our gate going home as I and the others were coming from the funeral.
Tuesday 4th It was blowing a gale from the NW. It looked very dull in the morning and there were a few showers.
I planted out a few Cabbage and Lettuce plants. Afterwards I was digging and breaking the lumps round the Burbank trees at the bottom of the orchard, I dug round 7 trees. It came on a steady rain about 4 pm and I had to knock off and it continued until about 6 pm.
Wednesday 5th It was a fine day. We got up very early in the morning, Jane caught Empress and rode over to Warkworth with Honor Wyatt to be present at an Odd Fellows Ball this evening.
I was digging and breaking lumps round the Burbank trees at the bottom of the orchard.
I went down to the village in the pm to meet the “Kawau“, Willie returned from Auckland in her.
Thursday 6th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up a load of Cases. I was digging round the Orleans plum trees in this orchard, and in the afternoon Willie was digging round some of the trees at the bottom of the orchard.
Jane returned from Warkworth in the evening.
Friday 7th It was a fine day. We went over after breakfast to help Walter Frearson get in the Sheep, we got them in to our pen at the stockyard, there were two sheep of ours with wool on, which Willie sheared, there were also two lambs with long tails which Walter Frearson cut for me, 1 Wether and 1 Ewe.
The Lamb tailed and cut stand at present thus.
Wethers 17
Ewes 14
31
Afterwards we looked to the Lambs that were cut before , cut the dirty wool from their tails and dusted them with sulphur.
Jane went to the Tennis in the pm, and called for the mail in the evening.
Saturday 8th It came on a misty rain in the morning, but it did not last long, more for heat than anything, although the wind is off the land.
In the morning Willie went round the farm picking up wool and bones, I was digging out weeds round the trees in the orchard all day, Willie was also doing so in the pm.
Jane went to Tennis in the afternoon and I went down later on, there was a meeting of the members of the Club and it was decided to remain in the Rodney Tennis Association.
Sunday 9th It was a fine day. Willie walked over to Ti Point to spend the day, returning in the evening.
In the afternoon Jane went up to Mrs Handbys & staid tea.
I staid at home and rested myself.
Monday 10th It rained heavily early in the morning, and there were some showers during the morning.
Willie and I were digging in the orchard.
In the afternoon I went to old Mrs Dunnings to witness her signature, afterwards I called in at the Tennis Court.
Tuesday 11th It was a beautiful day. In the morning Willie went up to Neeley’s top place to shear 3 of our Sheep, one of them a Two Tooth Wether we had to kill, so he and I went up to skin it and bring the meat home in the pm.
Mrs C. Gravatt came in the morning to register her baby, she staid for dinner.
In the morning I packed a box of eggs, afterwards was digging in the orchard.
Wednesday 12th It was a fine day. We packed 1 Sack of Bones, 1 Sack 8 Fleeces of Wool and 1 Sack Pieces of Wool, and hauled them down to the wharf, also a box (14 Doz ) Eggs and a crate of 19 Fowls and 6 Ducks, we waited down there until the Steamer went away .
We hauled up the remainder of the Fruit Cases, also a parcel of Books for the Library and a bag of Sugar from Harpers store. Wrote a letter to Henry & posted it.
Thursday 13th It was dull in the morning. Willie and I were weeding the Onions.
Willie Wright came in the morning to register the death of his Mother. In the afternoon it came on a steady rain which knocked us off work.
Jane went down to the Hall in the evening to prepare for the Xmas tree tomorrow night.
Friday 14th It was a fine day. Two of Harry Dyer’s girls came here before breakfast to get to the Xmas tree to night, they staid here all day.
After breakfast Willie went down to the Post Office to post some letters and to get the mail.
I finished weeding the onions and when Willie came up we commenced to dig from the onions, we sowed Two Rows of Dun Beans and dug out to the path.
Eva Harper came in the afternoon, staid for tea and she and the Dyer girls went with us to the Xmas tree in the evening.
There was a good crowd of people there, especially children, it was got up by the ladies for the benefit of the Hall. I heard afterwards that the entertainment yielded a net balance of £9 . 15 . 0. Alma came up here.
Saturday 15th It was a very fine day. Willie and I were digging round the pumpkins between the Hailes Early Peaches. Willie took Alma to Ti Point in the afternoon.
In the afternoon I cut some of the pine branches up the lane, afterwards was digging out sorrel in the orchard, later on I went down to the store and called in at the Tennis. Jane had gone down earlier in the afternoon.
Sunday 16th It was a fine day. Revd E. G. Evans held service in the Hall in the morning, there was a large congregation, I attended.
Mr & Mrs Jos Greenwood , Dora and Elliot came up here to spend the day. In the evening I went to Albert Wyatts to have a yarn. Willie returned from Ti Point in the evening.
Monday 17th It was a fine day. Willie and I were cutting Danthonia Seed in the front.
Tuesday 18th It was a fine day. Willie and I were cutting Danthonia Seed in the front all day. Ellis Dyer had a sale of his live and dead stock as he has sold his farm, the stock realised good prices.
There was singing practice in the Hall in the evening to prepare hymns for next Sunday and also for a Sacred Concert on Xmas night.
Wednesday 19th It was a fine day and very hot. Willie and I dug manure in round the Hicks Bay Pumpkins, also round some of the Maize. I went down to meet the Steamer in the afternoon.
Thursday 20th It was a fine day. Willie and I finished digging manure in round the Maize.
Friday 21st It was a fine day. We got a few Sheep in the morning and we killed one in the evening. Willie went down for the mail in the morning, I went down for it in the morning evening.
Saturday 22nd It was a very hot day. Willie and I were digging out sorrel in the orchard in the morning. In the afternoon there was a Tennis Match on this court between Kia Ora and Leigh clubs. Kia Ora won three of the events out of the five. This club gave afternoon tea and there was also a dance in the Hall in the evening.
The “Kawau” which left Auckland at 3 pm with about 150 passengers for the various calling places, did not arrive here until midnight. Most of those who were at the dance went down to the wharf to meet the Steamer, there were a lot of passengers for here, Grace Simpson and Alan and Bert Wallace came by her to stay with us.
Sunday 23rd It was a fine day. Willie and the Wallace boys walked over in the morning to Ti Point to spend the day. Revd Jory held service in the Hall in the afternoon , Jane, Grace and I went, we sang Christmas Hymns.
After church we went down to the wharf as the “Kawau” was calling in on her way to Auckland, Mr Harper, Ted and Willie went away in her, they are on their way up to the three Kings again to try and recover the Treasure lost by the foundering of the “Elingamite” at that place several years ago.
In the evening Grace walked over to Ti Point to see her sister, Mrs Harold Torkington.
Monday 24th It was a fine day. We commenced thrashing Danthonia. As the Wallace boys carried and Willie thrashed I got a slasher and cut some of the bigger of the tea tree that were coming up. In the afternoon the boys went down to the Post Office and I went up to Mr Handbys to crush some maize for the chickens.
Tuesday 25th Christmas Day. There was a slight shower in the morning, but it did not last long and it turned out a hot day. Grace returned from Ti Point in the morning, we all went down to the Tennis in the afternoon, returned home for tea, and then we all went down to the Hall in the evening to a Sacred Concert got up by Mrs Carr our School teacher, I was chairman. The stage was nicely decorated, and a motto over the arch, Peace on earth good will towards men. Mr G. Knaggs brought his phonograph and gave several selections, there must have been quite 150 persons present. There was a collection taken up which yielded £2 . 2 . 7 which was given to the Hall funds.
Wednesday 26th Boxing Day. It was a fine day. In the morning Willie and the boys finished thrashing the Danthonia seed in the front. I was cutting tea tree in the front.
Minnie, Joe and the children came over for dinner and afterwards we all went down to the beach to the annual pic-nic, there were not so many present as usual, but we had a very enjoyable time. I came home after tea.
Thursday 27th There was a heavy shower of rain at 7 this morning. It wetted the grass, but did not last long enough to sink deep into the ground. Jane and Grace went up the hill to spend the day at Mrs Jos Greenwood & Mrs Arthur Greenwood. I staid at home and picked 2 Cases Early Orleans and 2 Cases Burbanks and I hauled them down to the wharf in the afternoon, I consigned them to A. Tooman & Co, it was the “Kotiti“, she went into Big Omaha first and it was nearly 7 pm before she arrived here, I hauled up a fowl crate, an empty egg box and a case of Kerosine that came by the Steamer,
Willie and the Wallace boys went fishing to Ti Point and staid all night.
Friday 28th It was a fine day. Willie and the boys returned from Ti Point in the morning bringing a few fish with them.
We got some Sheep up in the pm and killed a Wether.
It came on to rain in the evening.
Saturday 29th We had a lot of rain last night, and some rain fell this morning, but it afterwards cleared up and the wind came round to the SW.
Cut up the Sheep in the morning and Willie took the Mutton out. Grace rode over to Ti Point in the afternoon and returned in the evening with Jessie Neeley and they went to a Dance in the Hall.
The boys went to the Goat Island beach in the afternoon.
I went down to the Hall to clean out, afterwards watched Tennis.
Sunday 30th The wind is blowing from SE and threatening rain, the looks improved as the morning wore on so we all went over to Ti Point to spend the day with Joe and Minnie. The weather was very threatening in the pm, so we all came home early.
Monday 31st It rained last night and early this morning, but cleared up a little afterwards . Willie and the boys took the bullock down to the Store and got 100 lbs of flour. In the afternoon they picked 4 Cases Burbanks and 3 Cases Jargonells.