Wednesday 1st It was a fine day. Wind got round to SW. In the morning Willie hauled up 2 loads from the wharf, viz a Sk of Maize & Sk Sharps, afterwards finished lining the bed room, I was doing odd jobs
Thursday 2nd It was a fine day. Willie was working in the bed room all day preparing for papering. In the morning I was fixing up the fence round the garden. In the pm I was working in the flower garden, I took up the Uncle Tom Dahlia and dug up a lot of bulbs that had come up round it. In the evening we cut a lot of fowls wings that were roosting in the dog kennel & a chicken coop.
Friday 3rd It was a fine day, although the wind has changed to the NE, it was dull and has every appearance of rain.
After breakfast I went down to the P.O. also carried up a bag of sand. In the pm I was working in the flower garden, burned a heap of rubbish out of the garden in the back yard, in the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, Jane received by the mail a present from Aunt Fanny, viz an Oak Biscuit Barrel and a Tea Cloth. Minnie was here in the morning and staid dinner. Willie was scrimming the bed room.
Saturday 4th Wind still blowing strong from NE, a very dull day, but the rain kept off till late in the afternoon when it came steadily down. Willie was working in the bedroom all day taping the scrim and cleaning the ceiling.
In the morning I got firewood , burned some clay in the back yard and did other odd jobs.
Sunday 5th It poured with rain last night and the ground was very wet this morning, it was a very dull day with occasional showers, but it poured with rain late in the pm which caused a flood, but it cleared up in the evening.
None of us went out anywhere.
Monday 6th It was a dull day, but it did not rain, the sun came out several times, but the ground did not dry. Jane rode to Pakiri in the morning. After breakfast Willie went to post letters. He commenced papering the bedroom.
Tuesday 7th It was a fine day, that is it did not rain, but the ground did not dry up much as it was so calm. Willie finished hanging the paper in the bed room, he now only has to the frieze on at the top.
I burnt some clay in the yard. In the pm I went down for the mail and carried up a bag of black soil.
Wednesday 8th It was a fine day, but the wind has gone round to the E and it was dull, but it came on to rain steadily in te evening.
Willie put the frieze in the bedroom and in the afternoon he went down to John Wyatts to get some glass cut. I burned some clay in the back yard and did other odd jobs.
Jane returned from Pakiri in the evening. Joe Wyatts horse dropped dead this morning when he was hauling some pipes up from the wharf.
Thursday 9th Wind still blowing strong from NE. In the morning it was showery, and in the pm it was a steady rain.
Willie was painting the woodwork in the bedroom.
I could do nothing out of doors
Friday 10th It was a showery day, but there were some fines spells in the pm, the wind has got well to the W.
After breakfast I went down to the P.O to get the mail. Willie was fixing up the doors & painting the bed room . Jane went to look after the Library for me in the evening.
Received the 1st instalment of the “Garden”.
Saturday 11th It was a fine day, the wind has got round to the SW and the ground is drying up. Willie finished painting his bedroom, in the pm he took the horse down to the Store and hauled up a bag of B & B manure.
I got a lot of firewood for the house and some soil and leaf mould for the garden. In the pm Jane went over to old Mrs Dunnings.
Sunday 12th It was a very fine day, with the exception of a heavy shower in the pm. Revd Parris (Methodist) held service in the Hall in the pm , Jane & I went. Mr P gave us a splendid sermon.
Monday 13th It was a fine day, but it looks as if there was going to be a change in the weather. In the morning Willie was planting the fruit trees he got from Morrison, in the pm he was fixing up the fence near the pig stye. I took the Hams and Bacon out of pickle and hung them up in the smoke house and started to smoke them. In the pm I took some letters down to post and carried up a bag of black soil. Cut some tea tree blocks and fixed up the kerbing of one of the three cornered beds.
Tuesday 14th A quantity of rain fell last night and everything was very wet this morning , it turned out a fine day, but there was a shower in the evening. In the morning I was getting a lot of firewood & in the pm I went down to the beach & sieved some black soil and sand & I carried a little black soil home with me. Willie was making a gate for the entrance into the pigs paddock against the pig stye.
Wednesday 15th Very heavy showers both morning and afternoon.
I was clearing out the drain in the lane going to the stockyard.
The Steamer made the round trip today, Willie went to Auckland in her, leaving here about 3 pm, I went down to see him off and carried up his boots and some black soil. Jane had a letter from Aunt Fanny which will probably be her last, she also sent me a book.
Thursday 16th It was a very fine day, the wind at the S and very cold in the shade. I was cutting a lot of firewood on the hill, I went down to the village in the morning to get the mail that arrived by the “Kawau” at 11.30 am, also carried up a bag of black soil.
Friday 17th There were several rainbows in the early morning which indicated a showery day, and it turned out such, especially in the morning, in the pm the showers were not so frequent, but we had hail and thunder. After breakfast Vincent Wyatt came to tell us that Mrs John Wyatt had died this morning, this was very sudden news as she has only been ill a few days. The cows got into the orchard as a panel of fencing had blown down, so I had to mend it up in the rain. I dug up a Crimson rambler rose and took it down to the lower gate for Frank Pratt. I wrote letters to three English Seedsmen asking them to send their Catalogues & also to Willie, which Jane posted. In the pm Jane went down to John Wyatts and was going to get the mail & attend the Library for me.
Saturday 18th It was a very fine day, but cold, wind at S. After breakfast Alf Wyatt came to register his mothers death. Afterwards I went with him, first to the Cemetery where Jim Dunning and C. Gravatt are digging the grave, afterward I went across the beach up to John Wyatts to get some particulars that Alf could not give me. The “Kawau” came in while I was down there, and Walter Wyatt, Mary & Mr Austin & Sarah came down for the funeral tomorrow. I had dinner at Willie Dunnings.
Sunday 19th It was a very fine day, wind from S and very cold. In the morning Revd Perry (Presbyterian) held service in the Hall , there was a good congregation, I attended. Dan and Johanna Kempt came here for dinner, afterwards we all went down to the Cemetery to attend Mrs John Wyatts funeral, Revd Teale conducted the service at the grave. At 3 pm Mr Teale held service in the Hall, quite 100 persons attended, Mr Teale preached a funeral sermon based on St Pauls epistle to the Corinthians respecting the resurrection. The offeratory was £1 . 0 . 1 .
Monday 20th It was a beautiful day, but very cold in the shade, the wind still S. Revd Teale called in the morning and staid for lunch. I showed him my pictures and he was very pleased with them. In the afternoon I was taking levels for a permanent path leading to the round bed.
Tuesday 21st It was a beautiful day. In the morning I was fixing the kerbing on the path I am fixing up. In the pm Mesdames Roderick and Norman Matheson called here. I went down to the village expecting to get our mail, but I found out that the steamer was going to make the round trip and had gone into Big Omaha, so I came home and had tea and milked the cows and then went down to the village again when the Steamer came in and got the mail, I had a letter from Willie who is in Auckland, also one from John Lewis Childs of New York saying that he had sent the seeds I had ordered.
Wednesday 22nd It was a fine day, and not so cold, I think the wind has got round more to the W, and it seems as if we are going to have a change. I was making kerbing and fixing it. Mrs Wilson Knaggs called in the afternoon.
Thursday 23rd. It rained steadily early this morning and everything was very wet when we got up, but it turned out a fine day, the wind has got more to the west and it is not quite so cold.
When I went up to milk Juno in running down the hill slipped and injured one of her hind legs and was unable to get up again, I went to fetch Ab to look at her, I fed her with grass.
Besides getting firewood I fixed some kerbing and got some tea tree to cut up.
Friday 24th It was a fine day, but rather dull. I was fixing kerbing and getting more tea tree for it. In the evening Jane & I went down to the Hall to hear the concert got up by the Peirrôt Troupe to get funds to pay for a drop curtain for the Hall, the curtain was already fixed and used for the first time . The concert was very good and everybody seemed to enjoy it. I received per mail the Seeds from John Lewis Childs of NY.
Saturday 25th A very dull day. Juno had got down into the swamp so Ab came and helped me and as there was no prospect of her ever getting on to her legs again we knocked her on the head and buried her in the swamp, the remainder of the day I employed myself in getting firewood , getting and preparing & fixing kerbing.
Sunday 26th It was a fine day, and very calm. Jane & Jim rode to Ti Point to spend the day.
In the afternoon I went over to Joe Wyatts and staid tea. Mrs Handby & Harry Ashton were also there.
Monday 27th It was a dull day and it came on a misty rain in the pm. In the morning I was getting firewood & tea tree for kerbing which I sawed in blocks and sharpened, After dinner I went down to the P.O to get the mail that came on Saturday, carried up a bag of soil, after I came back home I was fixing some kerbing.
Tuesday 28th It rained steadily last night and nearly all this morning. It was blowing very strong from N, but in the pm the wind went down and it cleared up. In the morning I was sorting seeds and putting them away, in the pm I went down to the village when the Steamer arrived, Willie did not come back. I got the mail.
Wednesday 29th It was a fine day. I was getting firewood also for kerbing preparing them and fixing them. Mrs J. C. Wyatt & Jessie were here in the afternoon and staid tea, I went home with them and spent the evening.
Thursday 30th It was a fine day.I I was getting firewood, making kerbing and fixing them.