Sunday 1st It was a wet day. Willie and Ken walked to Ti Point in the afternoon returning for tea. Fred came home with them.
Monday 2nd It was a fine day. I was cutting heather & tea tree in the front. The boys went down to the Goat Island beach in the afternoon.
Tuesday 3rd It was a fine day. Fred rode to Ti Point returning in the evening. Willie & Ken went out fishing to the reef and brought home some rock cod. Hettie & Miss Stevenson called here in the afternoon.
I did some concreting and took some Eggs down to the Store.
Wednesday 4th It was a showery day. Fred returned to Auckland by the “Kawau” in the evening.
Thursday 5th It was a fine day. I did some concreting. Willie & Ken went to the Ti Point. In the evening I went down for the mail, also attended the Library.
Friday 6th It was a fine day. Willie and I were making a sleigh in the Shed.
Saturday 7th It was a fine day. Willie and Ken walked to Ti Point, went over to the sand spit and returned home in the evening.There was a working bee at the Tennis Court, I went down to help. We filled up the drains and then commenced to level the ground to make another court. I had dinner at Archie Dunnings.
Sunday 8th It was fine in the morning, but it rained very heavily and blew strong in the afternoon. In the morning Willie & Ken took Willies boat round to Big Omaha walking home in the evening.
Monday 9th It was a beautiful day. Willie & Ken got a good supply of puriri firewood from the hill. I was doing some concreting.
In the afternoon Willie & Ken went eeling in the Koeroa creek, they caught some which they gave to Albert Wyatt.
I went down to the beach to get some sand, called in to Archie Dunnings. The “Kawau” arrived from Auckland while I was down there so I got the mail. Messrs Brown & Shannon were over to lay out a cutting at the cross roads, they got me to go and see it, and I agreed to sell a strip of land about ½ chain wide for £5 to straighten the road.
A Mr Creamer, Travelling Agent for the Mutual Life Insurance called here and staid for tea.
Angus & Archie Dunning came in the evening and we played at cards. Mr C is a very nice man and good company.
Tuesday 10th It was a fine day. I packed a box of Eggs (14 Doz) and Willie hauled it with Kens luggage down to the wharf. Ken went away in the “Kawau” back to his work in Auckland, he was very sorry to have to go back & we were sorry to lose him as he is a nice boy.
Willie hauled up a Sack of Maize that was landed nearly a fortnight ago. Messrs Brown & Shannon gave me £1 on account of the land for the road. In the afternoon Willie walked to Ti Point to be in readiness to dig Gum tomorrow.
Wednesday 11th It rained nearly all last night and very heavily early this morning, but it turned out to be a very fine day, the wind was blowing very strong and the ground dried up.
Jane went down to meet the “Daphne“, but she got stuck at Mangawai, there were several passengers waiting here for her, Jane waited until the “Kawau” came in. I received a letter from Noel from Te Awamutu, also some photo’s from Fred which he took while he was down here.
In the morning I was cutting tea tree in the front, and in the afternoon I did some concreting .
Thursday 12th It was fine in the morning ‘tho rather dull. After breakfast I took the bullock down to the wharf & hauled up some gravel & sand.
Jane went to spend the day with Mabel. In the afternoon I continued the concreting to the bridge. It came on to rain about 2 pm. Jane went down to Albert Wyatts in the morning and on to Joe Wyatts in the afternoon. I went down to get the mail and attend the Library in the evening. There was a meeting of the Subscribers of the Tennis Club to consider the desirability of joining the Rodney Tennis Association, the meeting decided to join.
There were some very heavy showers in the evening while we were down there,
Friday 13th It was showery in the morning, but was fine in the pm.
In the morning I was cutting tea tree in the front, and in the afternoon I was doing some concreting.
In the evening I walked down to the wharf and found that the “Kawau” which called in here about 6 pm had landed some goods for me from Dumpers. It was a beautiful moonlight evening.
Saturday 14th It was showery in the morning. After breakfast I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Potatoes, a box of Groceries and an empty Egg box.
it was fine in the afternoon and I was cutting tea tree in the front.
Willie returned from Ti Point in the evening.
Sunday 15th It was showery in the morning, but fine in the afternoon. Mabel came to spend the afternoon with Jane.
Mr Bottomly (Wesleyan Home Missionary) stationed at Port Albert should have held service in the afternoon, but he did not turn up, I went down to the Hall and we sang some hymns. I heard while I was down there that Mr Joseph Greenwood had bought 20 acres of land at Henderson, 15 acres of which being orchard. Joe has sold his farm up here to a Mr Banks.
Willie returned to Ti Point in the pm.
Monday 16th It was very fine in the morning, but it was inclined to be showery in the afternoon.
In the morning I was cutting tea tree in the front and the afternoon I put the last coat of lime on the path near the bridge. Jane was not very well and was lying down most of the day.
Tuesday 17th It was a beautiful day. I wrote a letter to Henry last night which I posted today.
Mrs Archie Dunning & Emma were her for dinner.
In the morning I was laying some concrete near the garden gate.
In the afternoon I took a box of eggs down to the wharf with the bullock and I hauled a bag of Cement and a bag of gravel up to the Tennis Court.
Wednesday 18th It was a fine day. I went down to the Tennis Court in the morning and filled the earthen pipe with concrete for a roller.
Jane was down in the village in the afternoon to meet the Steamer and Julia Rollinson came round from Ti Point in the Steamer and came up here to stay.
Thursday 19th It was a fine day. In the morning I went down to the Tennis Court and finished concreting one end of the roller. In the evening I went down for the mail, also attended the Library, afterwards there was a meeting of the Hall Committee, Mr Joseph Greenwood who is leaving the district tended his resignation as Treasurer and Mr D. Kempt was appointed in his stead.
As Mr Jos Greenwood is leaving next Thursday it was arranged to give him & family a farewell Social in this Hall next Tuesday evening.
Friday 20th It was a fine day. In the morning I went down to the Store and then on to Mrs Dunnings Senr where I had lunch. In the evening there was a Euchre party in the Hall which was a great success.
Saturday 21st It was a fine day. After breakfast I went down to the Tennis Court, there was a working bee to make the new court. I had dinner at Mr Archie Dunnings. Joe Torkington, who came to help us, came up here for tea, Willie returned from Ti Point in the evening.
Sunday 22nd It was a fine day. After breakfast I rode over the Dacres Claim. Called at Jas Ashtons where I had dinner, then at Mr Jas Darroch & Mr Bowden Birdsalls, and then on to Mr Whitakers where I had tea, arriving home about 7 pm.
Willie had returned to Ti Point and Jane and Julia were away, I believe at Jos Wyatts.
Monday 23rd It was a fine day. After breakfast I went down to the Tennis Court and finished cementing the roller. The remainder of the day I was getting firewood, packing Eggs & doing odd jobs.
Tuesday 24th It was a fine day. In the morning I took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of Eggs and I hauled up 100 lbs Flour from Harpers, the remainder of the cement that was used for making the roller and the mixing trough I had been using.
Eva Harper & Mrs Junnings were at our place for tea and we all went down to the Hall in the evening to a Farewell Social tendered to Mr & Mrs Jos Greenwood & family who, having sold their farm are removing to Henderson where Mr G has bought a large orchard.
We had a very pleasant evening with games, dances, songs, recitation etcetera, short speeches were made by myself, Mrs Carr, A. Matheson, A. Haskell, W. Neely – and Mr Greenwood responded. It is intended to make the Greenwoods a present, but could not get it down in time, however we gave Dora & Elliot an illustrated edition of Dickens works, viz David Copperfield and Pickwick Papers. The ladies provided a bountiful supper and we joined hands & sang Auld Lang Syne before seperating. Messrs J. Dennis & G. Brown supplied the music for the dancing.
Wednesday 25th It was a fine day, wind blowing very strong from the W – think it must be the equinoxials. I was digging round the Bon Chretien Pear tree. I was down in the village in the afternoon.
Jane, Julia & Agnes went round to Ti Point in the “Kawau” having spent the day at Mrs Dunnings Senr.
Thursday 26th It was a fine day. Mr Jos Greenwood and Elliot left by the “Kawau” for their new home at Henderson, taking all his furniture with him, a great many friends were on the wharf to wish him farewell.
Jane & Agnes returned from Ti Point in the Steamer.
There was a working been at the Tennis Court in the afternoon. I went down and I also went down for the mail & attended the Library in the evening.
While I was at the Library there was a heavy shower of rain.
Friday 27th It was showery in the morning, but finer in the afternoon. I was digging in the far side of the orchard all day.
Jane & Agnes were down at the Cottage sewing all day.
Saturday 28th It was a fine day. In the morning I went down to get the mail, to the wharf to get an empty egg box, called in at the Library & swept it out. Willie returned from Ti Point thinking there was to be a working bee at the Tennis Court, but there was none.
In the afternoon Willie & I got “Roney” from the farm who has calved a Bull Calf. The remainder of the afternoon we were digging in the orchard.
Sunday 29th It was a showery day. Willie returned to Ti Point in the pm. Jane & Agnes went down to Uncle Johns.
Monday 30th It was a showery day. Jane and Agnes were down at the Cottage sewing all day.
In the morning on account of the weather I staid inside and wrote letters to Jack & my sister Fanny. In the afternoon I was digging the far side of the orchard.