May 1909

Saturday 1st   It was a fine day, but rather dull, it rained a little in the evening.
I was working in the flower garden , I was digging the diamond shape bed, chopping and firing the pine stump again.  Commenced fixing the kerbing round the diamond shaped bed.  Jim Dunning came in the evening and brought us a cock pheasant which he shot today, the shooting season having commenced today.  We heard that Mrs George Cruickshank was dead and that she was buried at Matakana today.

Sunday 2nd   Alma & Agnes came over from Ti Point in the morning to see us, they staid all night.  It was very dull in the morning and it rained in the afternoon.

Monday 3rd   Willie hauled 6 Cases of Apples down to the wharf in the morning to meet the “Kawau” which arrived here from Mangawai at 9 am,  on returning home it commenced to rain and he got wet.  It rained the remainder of the morning and part of the afternoon when it cleared up and the remainder of the afternoon was very fine and the wind has gone round to the SW.
While it was raining I sawed up tea tree blocks for kerbing the flower beds, I sawed up and sharpened 104.  In the afternoon Willie was grinding axes, afterwards he was cutting blackberry.  Alma & Agnes returned home in the afternoon.

Tuesday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Willie picked 9 Cases Apples in the morning and hauled them down to the wharf in the afternoon, he brought up a bag of sand to set the stove in the chimney.
I was sawing off & sharpening blocks for kerbing and fixing them in round the diamond shaped bed in the flower garden.

Wednesday 5th   It was a fine day.  After an early breakfast Jane rode up to Mr John Greenwoods and she and Mrs John went to Mrs Pratts to spend the day returning in the evening.  Willie and I were all day fixing the stove into the kitchen chimney.
In the evening Mrs Willie Wright, her youngest son Harry & Mr Handby came to see us,  Mrs Wright & son staid all night.

Thursday 6th  Mrs Wright left here to go to her home at Whitford  she and her husband now reside.  She went to Auckland in the “Kawau” which called in here at 10.30 am,  Jane went down to the Steamer with her.
I was fixing the kerbing round the diamond shaped bed in the pm when there was a heavy clap of thunder and it poured with rain.

Friday 7th   It was fine during the day – but there were two showers of rain in the evening.
Willie made a bonnet for the chimney pot in the kitchen to keep the rain from coming down on to the stove.  I finished putting the kerbing round the diamond bed .  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Saturday 8th   It was a very fine day.  I was chopping & set fire to the pine stump in the flower garden.  Also cut the grass on the path.  Willie went down to the village in the afternoon intending to go fishing, but Archie Morley had his boat out at the reef fishing – he caught two Hapukas & he gave Willie half of one to bring home.
Jane rode to Matakana in the morning to see Mrs Harry Ellis who is on a visit there.

Sunday 9th   A black retriever dog came to our place last night, so before breakfast this morning Willie took it to Harpers and he found it that it belonged to young Tom Ashton,  coming home it commenced to rain and Willie got wet, it rained nearly all day and none of us went out anywhere,

Monday 10th   There were a few showers during the day.  After breakfast Willie went down to the Village to post some letters and he brought home the sad news that George Wyatt had died in the Auckland Hospital after undergoing an operation for some internal growth,  great sympathy is felt for his poor widow and four young children.
I set fire to the pine stump again and got a lot of firewood.  Willie was digging out blackberry outside the farm orchard.

Tuesday 11th   It was a fairly fine day.  In the morning Willie was uprooting some trees outside the farm orchard,  I was chopping and firing the pine stump in the flower garden,  also wrote a letter to Noel Wallace.
In the afternoon we all went to George Wyatts funeral.  I read the service.  The body was brought up from Auckland in the “Orewa“,  Walter Wyatt and his wife , Alf & Charlie Austin & Mary came up for the funeral.
The Bee Expert came up in the “Orewa” to give a Lecture before the Farmers Association this evening.  Willie went down.

Wednesday 12th   It was a fine day, with the exception of a few slight showers, the wind is from SW.   Willie was uprooting trees outside the farm orchard all day, he broke his axe handle late in the afternoon and had to go down to the Store before tea to get one.
I got the pine stump out in the front garden and set fire to it .

Thursday 13th   It was a fine day.  Willie was working outside the farm orchard clearing and uprooting trees.  I was working in the flower garden,  I dug up the diamond shaped bed digging in manure, also dug up the top three cornered bed and planted 42 Primroses round the edges of the bed.  Mr C. A. Riley called in the pm and delivered the First Aid Cabinet I ordered a week or so ago.

Friday 14th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning Willie went to help Albert kill his pig, in the afternoon he was uprooting trees outside the farm orchard .  I did not get up very early as I was not very well.  The pine stumps had burned so small that I carried all the pieces out into the back yard,  I collected a sackful of leaves, ditto horse manure to put into the hole where the stump came out and then levelled it over.  In the afternoon I planted out the following seedlings into the three cornered bed viz 11 Ranunculus and 44 Anemones.
Jane went to spend the afternoon at Mrs Archie Dunnings and afterwards got the mail and attended the Library.

Saturday 15th   It was a fine day, but some showers fell last night.
In the morning Willie went down to help Albert cut up the pig and he brought home a nice piece of pork.  The remainder of the day he was uprooting tea trees outside the farm orchard.  I was fixing some kerbing opposite where I took the pine stumps out.  In the afternoon I went over to Ernest Wyatts to get a case of Apples.

Sunday 16th   It was a fine day.  Willie went over to Ti Point to spend the day, Jane & Jim went to Mr Ashworths in the afternoon.
I  strained my back in a very simple manner.

Monday 17th   to Saturday 22nd    I was in bed on account of my strained back.

Sunday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Revd S. Entrican held service in the Hall in morning, Jane went.  I got up for dinner.  Alec Matheson came home with Jane & staid dinner.  Alex Haskell called in the pm.

Monday 24th   Empire Day.  Johny Salt, Bob Wyatt & Mrs Geo Wyatt came in the morning for me to witness their signatures in connection with Georges will.  I went to Auckland in the “Kawau” leaving here about 1 pm and arriving in Auckland at 6 pm.  Several people went up from here to go to the winter Show which was opened today by the Governer.   Mr Torkington & Fred met me and I went up to Mrs Simpsons.

Tuesday 25th   It rained last night, but it was very fine today.
In the afternoon I met Johny Salt by appointment in Queen St and we went to Sharlands to consult Mr Lindsay, he gave me a thorough overhaul and told me that I was thoroughly sound and that there was not anything seriously the matter with me , that I was suffering from indigestion , and that I required careful dieting.

Wednesday 26th   It was a fine day.  I went over to Devonport in the morning, had lunch at Mr Wallaces and in the afternoon Mr W,  Alma & I  went over to Auckland and we went to the winter Show,  I went up to Mrs Simpsons again.

Thursday 27th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I went to call on Mrs Picken  who has just returned from a trip to the old country, she has appartments at the Avenue in Karangahape  road.  I also saw her daughter Winifred who is a Teacher in the Girls High School.  In the afternoon I packed my bag and went over to Devonport to stay at Mr Wallaces.  Mr & Mrs john Came  &  Mrs Smith were calling there when I arrived.

Friday 28th   It was a fine day.  In the afternoon I went over to town with Alan, we met John Greenwood who was going to the Winter Show so I went with him and had a god look round, met several Omaha people.  I returned to Devonport.

Saturday 29th   It was a fine day.  I went across to Auckland in the morning, returning to the Shore for lunch.  In the afternoon Mr Wallace & I went over to Auckland and we went to the Winter Show.

Sunday 30th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Mrs Wallace, Alma & I went to Trinity Church.  Revd Mark Sutton the new Vicar officiated and preached a very good sermon.  In the afternoon Mr Wallace and I took a walk to O’Neils Point to look at the work that is going on preparing for the Takapuna tramway.
Mr Wallace & I went to Trinity Church in the evening, Revd D. Sutton acting Vicar of St Sepulchies, officiated and preached a good sermon, the singing was very good.

Monday 31st   It was a fine day, but very dull.  In the afternoon I went across to Auckland and went up to the Domain & into the garden which is much improved since I was there last,  I returned across the Cemetery Gulley and saw the Ferro-Concrete Bridge which is being erected across the Gully.