Monday 1st After breakfast Willie went down to the village to post some letters and to get the mail. It was very dull and in the afternoon it settled in to settled [sic: steady?] rain.
Tuesday 2nd It was showery in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon. In the afternoon Willie took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf as he expected some goods by the Steamer, but she went into Big Omaha first and she did not come here till dark so Willie and I came home.
Wednesday 3rd It was a fine day.Willie hauled 3 loads up from the wharf, also 2 loads to Ab Wyatt’s barn. In the morning I cleaned out the Store and in the pm I papered a box for Jane.
Thursday 4th It was a fine day.Willie was shoeing the sleigh. In the morning I painted the sashes of the frame (2nd coat), in the pm I went down to the village to meet the Steamer, I got the mail that came by her and also carried up some sand.
Friday 5th The wind is blowing strong from NE. The “Kawau” is wind bound at Mangawai, therefore the mails were sent overland today.
The S S “Kotiti” & tug boat “Wairoa” are taking shelter in this harbour, the former unable to proceed to Waipu and the latter has a raft of logs here waiting fine weather to go to Auckland. Willie went down to the village in the morning to post letters.
It was dull in the morning and in the afternoon it came on a misty rain setting in a steady rain later in the afternoon. On account of the weather I did not go down for the mail or to attend the Library.
Saturday 6th It rained heavily early this morning, and very heavy rain fell all morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon, but rained again in the evening. We were not able to do anything out of doors.
Sunday 7th It was a very fine day. We thought that Revd Parris was to hold service this afternoon, so Jane, Jim and I went down to the Hall and found that we had made a mistake, that he is not coming till the Sunday after next. Jane & Jim went to Joe Wyatts , but I came home.
Monday 8th It was a fine day, with the exception of a few slight showers. After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up some sand. The “Kawau” which has been in Mangawai ever since last Thursday on account of the weather, came out today and called in here at about 11 am on her way to Auckland, Mrs Jones and the late Mrs Webster’s children left the district by her.
Willie took off the paper & scrim in the front passage & re-scrimmed it. Mr Ambler came to get his Marriage Certificate for his marriage with Miss Johanna Kempt. I was getting a lot of firewood. Jane went down Charlie Wyatts in the afternoon and staid tea.
Tuesday 9th It was a fine day – with the exception of a shower in the afternoon, but it was very cold and wintery. Willie calcimined the ceiling of the front passage. In the pm I took the eggs down to the store and waited down expecting the Steamer but she was very late coming in, it was a round trip today and she was delayed at Ti Point putting out timber for Jim Dunning. Mr & Mrs Ambler who were married by Revd Parris to day went away by her.
Wednesday 10th It was a beautiful day. Willie was papering the front passage. After breakfast I returned the lanthorn to W. Dunning which I borrowed last night, called at C. Gravatts and carried up some pie melons from Ab Wyatts orchard. In the pm Jane went over to Joe Wyatts & Mrs Dunning Senr. Dolly Greenwood called in the pm.
Thursday 11th It was a beautiful day, there was a frost this morning. In the am Jane walked over to Ti Point and staid the night.
Willie went down to the Store and the beach. In the pm Willie made the frame for me.
Friday 12th It was very fine in the morning, but there was a pretty heavy shower in the pm. Mrs Birdsall Senr came in the morning & staid lunch. Jane returned from Ti Point in the morning. After breakfast I went down to the P.O to get the mail, carried up some black soil. In the evening I went down again for the mail & to attend the Library. Willie went down to the wharf in the pm to meet the Steamer, he took two pumpkins for Joe T & he gave Willie some small schnappers, Archie Morley gave Willie two Crayfish.
Agnes came here after school and stayed.
Saturday 13th It was fine in the morning, but very showery in the afternoon. I was getting a lot of firewood, also getting leaves &c out of the bush and horse manure for the frame.
Sunday 14th It was a very fine day with the exception of a pretty smart shower during the morning. Revd K. Teale held service in the Hall in the morning. All of us went. There was a fair congregation. The Bans of Marriage were published for Jane & Willie. The collection was 12/1. Mr Teale & Jane came up here for lunch, the former had to go to Dacres Claim to hold service this afternoon, we all went down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau” which was making an excursion trip up to the Auckland Winter Show, Jane went & 24 others, the Steamer should have been here at 3 pm, but it was nearly 5 pm before she arrived, she did not leave Mangawai at her advertised time, besides which she called at Pakiri where she picked up 4 passengers. The sea was very calm and they would have a beautiful trip up.
Monday 15th My 67th birthday. There were several slight showers in the morning, but it was very fine in the afternoon. A beautiful day for the opening of the Auckland Winter Show. In the morning I was getting leaves and horse manure for the frame and in the pm I put the soil on it, fixed the glass in the sash lights and it is now all ready for sowing the seeds. Willie was doing odd jobs round the house.
Tuesday 16th It was rather a showery day. After breakfast I got some firewood, wrote letters to Noel Wallace & Mr Jim Young. I sowed 11 kinds of flower seeds in the frame , afterwards took the Eggs down to the Store, got the mail & carried up some black soil.
Willie was making a mantelpiece for the kitchen.
Wednesday 17th It was a very fine day. Willie was making the mantelpiece. I finished sowing the flower seeds in the frame, the following is a complete list.
Thursday 18th The day was very fine, but there was a heavy shower at about 5 pm. I dug up the borders under the front verandah, the ground was nice and dry.
Willie fixed the mantelpiece up , he went down to the village in the pm after the arrival of the “Kawau” & got the mail.
Friday 19th It rained pretty heavy last night , but the weather was beautiful and fine today, and the ground is drying up nicely. After breakfast I went down to the Post Office to send away all the invitations to Jane & Willie’s wedding. Carried up some sand, also went down in the evening for the mail & to attend the Library. During the day I was doing a little in the garden , I took up the Dahlia bulbs, but I am afraid several of them are rotten. Willie was carving some brackets for the mantelpiece, it is finished now and ready for painting.
Saturday 20th It was a beautiful day, not a drop of rain. After breakfast I got firewood, after that I mended the fence in the front garden next the pigs paddock, in the pm I was fixing kerbing.
Willie painted the mantelpiece.
Sunday 21st It was a beautiful day. Revd Paris held service in the Hall in the afternoon , I attended, Mr P gave an excellent sermon, afterwards I went to Willie Dunnings to ask them to the weddings and to Charlie Wyatts to borrow some bread. Willie did not go out anywhere.
Monday 22nd It was a dull day, there were a few slight showers, but no rain fell to speak of. After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter, get the mail, and I carried up some sand. The remainder of the day I was getting tea tree sticks to make a rustic arch.
Will painted the kitchen mantelpiece (second coat). Some of the seeds are coming up in the frame.
Tuesday 23rd It was a beautiful day. After breakfast I got some firewood and then commenced planting the Roses in the Diamond bed which had been heeled in on account of the ground being in an unfit state in the Diamond bed before. The following are the varieties just planted , Lyon Rose, Lena, Hugh Dickson, Mildried Grant, Duke of Edenbugh, Merveille de Lyons.
Willie took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf with a box of Eggs for Newdick which is the first he has sent away this season, I was also down at the Steamer, Jane came up and Willie hauled her luggage up.
Wednesday 24th It was a fine day. Willie was painting the gate on the verandah and afterwards he put the socket pipes into the drain in the backyard. I was making the rustic arch.
Thursday 25th It was a very fine day. Willie was working in the back yard levelling it off and filling in over the pipes he put in yesterday he also painted (2nd coat) the gate on the back verandah. I finished making the rustic arch, went down to the village in the evening to meet the steamer as we expected Jack down by her, but when I got down I found out that the steamer was not going to leave Auckland until midnight.
Friday 26th It was a fine day. Jack arrived before we were up this morning. After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters and get the mail, in the afternoon Jack and Henry Willie helped me fix the rustic arch in the garden. In the evening I went down for the mail & attended the Library.
Saturday 27th It rained heavily and blew very strong last night and the ground was very wet this morning, there were several showers during the day, and although the wind was blowing strong from the SW, it did not dry up much.
In the morning I got firewood, in the pm I was putting some finishing touches to the rustic arch. Willie finished papering the front passage as Jim had given him some more paper of the same pattern. Jack walked over to Ti Point in the afternoon.
Sunday 28th It was a very showery day. I called at Archie Dunnings in the afternoon. Jack returned from Ti Point in the evening.
Monday 29th There were a few showers during the day, but the wind which was blowing strong from the W dried up the ground more than the showers wet it. In the morning Willie went down to the village to post some letters, afterwards he painted the seat he made green. Jack carried down and chopped up a lot of firewood, he went down to Charlie Wyatts and staid the evening. I carried a lot of soil for the flower garden, was clearing up the back garden and burned a lot of clay in the old stove. Mrs J. C. & G. Wyatt were here in the pm.
Tuesday 30th It was a fine day. I burned some more clay in the back yard. In the morning Jack went to Joe Wyatts and staid dinner and then went down to the village, we heard that old Mrs Mills of Auckland had died last Sunday and that Mr & Mrs Joe Wyatt had gone up to Auckland yesterday to the funeral. Willie took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf with the Eggs and hauled up a box of Beef, box of Groceries & empty Egg box, I was also down to the village. Jack & I went down to Mr Archie Dunnings to spend the evening. We played cards.
Wednesday 31st It was a fine day. I burned some more clay, also dug out all the onion weeds in the flower garden, re-planted the Doronicum and a Fuchsia. Maggie Harper came in the afternoon to bring some presents for Jane & Willie & she staid for tea. Jack went to C. Gravatts in the evening