February 1914

Sunday 1st   There were a few showers.  Willie & Grace went to spend the day with Mr & Mrs Glass.  Revd R. A. Macdonald held service in the Hall in the afternoon, I attended, only a small congregation.  Collection 4/10.

Monday 2nd   There were a few showers.  Willie finished digging the Potatoes near the grape vines, and then he commenced to plant Mangels where they came out.  I was digging out the convolvulus that was left in the ground.  In the evening I went down to the village to post some letters, waited till the “Kawau” came in & got the mail.

Tuesday 3rd   A few slight showers.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up a bag of sand , then went to Charlie Wyatts to borrow a horse to go to Matakana Show tomorrow.  Charlie was taking exhibits over today and Grace & I sent some by him.  Willie was planting Mangels.  I got firewood and late in the pm Willie & I washed the sulky ready for tomorrow.
Gypsy the fawn coloured heifer calved, a heifer calf, Billy is the father of it, being his first.

Wednesday 4th   It rained last night and was showery this morning, we borrowed a horse of Charlie Wyatt & Willie, Grace & I drove in our sulky to the Matakana show, the roads were very heavy,  Archie Dunning took Jane & Alma Wallace in his buggy.  Mr & Mrs Wallace & Mr McMurtrie came from Auckland in the Steamer so we met some old friends.  It cleared up and was very fine in the pm.  It was a very good show, the fruit peaches & plums being very good,  Grace got 3 prizes & I got 1 for 6 Dahlias.  The roads were in splendid order coming back & we enjoyed the drive very much.

Thursday 5th   It was a fine day ‘tho the wind blew very strong.  We were rather tired after our outing yesterday and did not get up very early.  Willie picked some fruit and took it down to the Steamer in the afternoon, I got some sand and Willie hauled it home for me.  In the evening Mr & Mrs Glass came for tea.  I had to go down to a Farmers meeting, but as so few attended it did not come off.

Friday 6th   It was a fine day.  I was helping Willie dig Potatoes in the farm orchard.   In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Saturday 7th   It was a fine day.  I got firewood, picked in the seed peas from the farm orchard & dug out convolvulus.  In the afternoon Willie & Grace drove over to the Claim & brought Alma W back with them to stay.

Sunday 8th   It was a fine day.  Willie, Grace & Alma drove to Ti Point to spend the day with Joe & Minnie.  Revd O. Blundell held service in the Hall in the afternoon, I attended,  after church I went to Mr Glass, had tea and spent the evening there, enjoyed my visit very much.

Monday 9th   There was a misty rain first thing in the morning, but it soon cleared away and turned out a very hot day.  I was helping Willie dig Potatoes in the farm orchard.  Grace & Alma went down to tennis in the afternoon & they brought home to spend the evening Ivy & Inez Dunning,  Dunnind  Ernie Greenwood & George James.

Tuesday 10th   It was a very hot day.  Grace & Alma went to spend the day with Mrs Ashworth.
Willie was digging Potatoes in the morning & he went to Sid Rhodes in the afternoon.

Wednesday 11th   It was a very hot day.  Willie was picking fruit in the morning.  In the afternoon he, Grace & Alma went out in a boat in the harbour fishing & brought home a few fish.
I went down to the Steamer, got the mail and carried up some sand.

Thursday 12th   There was a heavy shower of rain in the afternoon, but it soon dried up again.  Willie was picking Beurre Capiaumont Pears,  I dug round the young Commerce Apple trees in the orchard.
There was a choir practice in the evening, Grace & I attended.

Friday 13th   It was a hot day.  Willie was gathering Beurre Capiaumont Pears, I was digging round some young Apple trees.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was a meeting of the Farmers Association.

Saturday 14th   It was threatening for rain all day but we had no rain.  Willie nearly finished picking the Beurre Capiaumont Pears.
There was a Tennis Match between the men working on the road, those working at this end beat, there was afternoon tea in the Hall and a dance in the evening.

Sunday 15th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning Willie, Grace & I drove over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane.  Mr Racburn MacDonald held service in the Hall in the pm, all of us attended, he gave us a very good sermon.  We got home before dark having spent a very pleasant day.

Monday 16th   It was a fine day.  Willie finished picking the B. Capiaumont Pears, I emptied the buckets as I picked them & while waiting I dug out sorrell round the young trees.
In the evening I went down for the mail, the steamer was very late in coming in.

Tuesday 17th   It was a very hot day.  The Cow “Queenie” calved this morning (a heifer calf.)  by Gus Neeley’s Jersey Bull.
Willie was picking Bon Chretien Pears.  I was digging round young trees in the orchard

Wednesday 18th   It was a hot day.  Willie was picking Bon Chretien Pears, he pick 15  20lb  Cases off the one tree.
In the afternoon Stanley Rogers & his brother in law Mr Blackburn came to tell me that the Father Mr Samuel Smith.  Rogers [?] had died suddenly last night of heat failure & asking me to read the burial service tomorrow.
I went down to the Steamer and got the mail.

Thursday 19th   It was a very hot day.  There was a meeting of the Cemetery Committee at the Cemetery at 7.30 am.  I attended and staid there until 10 am when I went over to the beach and sieved some sand and carried it over to the wharf ,  Willie hauled his fruit down to the Steamer in the afternoon & he brought my sand up home.
Mr S. S. Rogers was buried at 3 pm.  I read the service at the grave, there was a good attendance of neighbours to show their respect, he was 74 years of age.  I went to spend the evening at W. Dunnings, Mr Roose was staying the night there, we played bridge, Willie & I against Mr Roose & Mr D,  we won three games to one.

Friday 20th   It was a very fine day.  The wind which has been to the N for some time has changed to SW, so it is much cooler.
Went for the mail in the evening, also attended the Library.  Gracie Knaggs spent the day here.

Saturday 21st   It was a fine day, but the wind was blowing strong for the E.   Willie being on the Show Committee was down at the village all day fixing up the sheep pens &c.
I walked over to the Claim in the morning, had lunch with Jane. There was a Tennis match between Warkworth & the Claim clubs commencing at 1 pm,  Warkworth won, afternoon tea in the Hall, I walked home with May Dunning in the evening.

Sunday 22nd   It was a fine day.  Revd Sims held service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a large congregation,  & Mr S  gave us a splendid sermon.
Afterwards I walked home with James Greenwood, had tea there and spent a very pleasant evening.

Monday 23rd   It was a fine day, but the wind is still blowing from the NE.  Willie was getting fruit for his exhibits at the Show.
I was not very well, but managed to chop a lot of firewood.

Tuesday 24th   It was a fine day.  We were all busy getting exhibits ready for the Show tomorrow, we took a lot of them down to the Hall in the evening.  I put my collection of flowers out & Willie put his collection of fruit & pears out.

Wednesday 25th   It turned out a fine day.  We were busy putting exhibits into the Show.  There was a splendid show of fruit, especially of peaches, pears & apples.  I got 1st prize for Collection of flowers,  Grace got 1st for buttonhole, 1st for Orange marmalade, 2nd for Eggs.  Willie got 2nd for Collection Fruit, 1st for Jersey Cow & 1st for Jersey heifer under 9 months.
It came on a misty rain in the evening.  A good concert in the evening, mostly local talent, the humourous portion was given by Mr A. Macevelwaiu [ sic ? ] from Auckland.  Mr Ashworth was chairman.  Flo, Harold & children staid her the night.

Thursday 26th   A very windy day.  Willie went down to the Hall to clear up.  I did not feel very well, got some firewood.

Friday 27th  A much finer day than yesterday, not so windy.  Willie was picking up and packing fruit.  I was not at all well, suffering from stomarch [sic: stomach]  trouble, having fasted for about 39 hours.

Saturday 28th   It was a fine day.  I was carrying manure for the garden.  Willie hauled some fruit down to the wharf in the afternoon and when he came back he went fishing down to the Cove and brought home a few fish.  There was a Tennis Match at the Claim in the afternoon between the Claim & Leigh Clubs, the former won, none of us went over.