June 1914

Monday 1st   It was fine in the morning.  Jane, the children & I walked to Mabels and had lunch there, and then I walked home, there were several showers on my way home,  I called at Mrs Dunnings to witness her signature.  It rained heavily in the evening.

Tuesday 2nd   Very wet in the morning, but cleared up in the afternoon and came on to rain in the evening.
Willie got a lot of firewood and packed pears.  In the afternoon I went down to meet the steamer and got the mail.

Wednesday 3rd   The Kings Birthday.  It was a showery day.
I was helping Willie pack pears.  No steamer today.  A public holiday.

Thursday 4th   The weather was not quite so bad today.  First thing in the morning I helped Willie pack pears, then I went down to the beach and sieved sand and carried it across to the wharf.  Willie brought 45 Cases Vicar pears down to the wharf and he hauled my sand home.  I went down to the steamer again in the afternoon to take the engineer some pears and I carried some sand home.

Friday 5th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat to dig gum.  When he came home in the evening he packed 8 cases pears and took them down to the wharf and brought home some empty cases that he borrowed from Wm Dunning.  I got firewood & did odd jobs, in the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Saturday 6th   It was a very fine day.  Willie went to the flat to dig gum.  After getting a lot of firewood I walked over to Ti Point, called at Harold’s, had dinner there, called at Joe’s & had afternoon tea.

Sunday 7th   It was a fine day.  Revd O. Blundell held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended.  Minnie & Joe came to spend the day.

Monday 8th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  Grace and Mrs Simpson walked to Ti Point,  Mrs S staid at Flo’s, but Grace returned with Willie in the evening.
I was working in the flower garden.  I planted out 1 Heliatrope,
5 Antirrhum and 4 Dark Blue Forget-me-nots.
Went down to the village in the afternoon, got the mail, carried up some sand.

Tuesday 9th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  I was working in the flower garden,  I planted a Hunimannia & 3 Mauve Scabious.
In the afternoon I took some plants and cuttings to Mrs D. Matheson

Wednesday 10th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie went to the flat.
Jim came over to tell us that Jean had been scalded very badly by the overturning of a pot of boiling water.
I was working in the flower garden, I put in cuttings of Pelargoniums, Verbenas and Yellow Margarite  that Mrs D. Matheson gave me.  Also planted 3 MauveScabious & 6 Dark Purple Seabioas (?) .  and fixed some kerbing at the round bed.
Dr Morrison of Warkworth attended at Harpers for the first time.
Grace went down to the wharf in the pm and carried up some fowl grit.  I went down to get the mail and carried up some sand.

Thursday 11th   A good deal of rain fell last night and everything was very wet this morning, but the wind changed round to SW and it turned out a very nice day.  Willie went to the flat.  I got a lot of firewood.  In the afternoon I went to Mr Ashworths to pay the premium of Insurance on the Hall and Piano.

Friday 12th  It rained early this morning, but it turned out a beautiful day.   Willie went to the flat.  In the morning I went down to the village to post some matter, carried up some sand.  Gathered up a lot of manure and put it on the heap, dug in the flower garden.
In the evening went for the mail, attended the Library.

Saturday 13th   It rained again early this morning, but it turned out a fine day.   Willie went to the flat.
After getting a lot of firewood I walked over to the Claim to see how little Jean was getting on.  Elsie Birdsall had been with Jane since the accident to Jean.  Mrs Simpson came today and was going to stay a week.

Sunday 14th   It was a very fine day.  Willie & Grace walked over to Ti Point to spend the day, Willie came home in the evening, but Grace went to Janes to stay the night.  There was no service today.  In the afternoon I called at G. Knaggs and found him looking much better, afterwards called at Jas Greenwoods to have a chat, but did not stay long as I wished to come home before dark to get the calves and cows in.

Monday 15th   There were a few showers in the morning, but it was very fine in the afternoon.  Willie went to the flat.  I staid at home and did odd jobs.  Grace returned from the Claim in the afternoon.

Tuesday 16th   It was a very fine day.  Willie went to the flat.
After breakfast I went down for the mail.  The Roses I ordered from Lippiatt came.  I carried up some sand.
In the afternoon I planted them.

Wednesday 17th   It was a fine day.  Willie staid at home and packed Vicar Pears, these are the last to go away.  I was helping him nail down the cases  & marking them.  I cut a lot of firewood and in the afternoon I went down to the beach and sieved a lot of sand and carried it over to the wharf and Willie hauled it up for me.
I heard today that Duncan Greenwood died yesterday.

Thursday 18th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was working in the garden and getting firewood.
In the afternoon I went down to the Steamer and got the mail.  Willie went for the mail.

Friday 19th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up some sand.  I was working in the flower garden, I loosened round the Daffodils and sprinkled sand between them.   Planted out a Fuchsia. In the evening I went for the mail and attended the Library.

Saturday 20th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  Grace walked to Ti Point to get oysters.  I walked over to the Claim to Jims to see little Jean, and was glad to find her getting better.
The men were putting on metal on the road near the Koeroa bridge.

Sunday 21st   It was a fine day but very cold.  Alma & Agnes came for dinner.  Revd Macdonald held service in the Hall in the afternoon, all of us went, there was a fair congregation.  He gave us a very good sermon.  Collection 9/1 .

Monday 23nd    It was a fine day, ‘tho dull and threatening.  I got firewood,  cut and sharpened kerbing ,  dug in the flower garden, took up some Dahlia roots and stored them under the house.  In the afternoon I went down for the mail , carried up some sand.  Willie went to the flat.

Tuesday 23th   Wind S, very dull.  Willie went to the flat.
After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up sand.
I sowed in a box seeds of Centaurias that I got from Jarmin of Chard, Somerset, England.  as Follows
V              The Honeymoon.  Golden Yellow   2 rows
VV           The Bridegroom.  Mauve                    3 rows
VVV       The Bride .            White                          3 rows
VVVV   The bridesmaid  Lemon Yellow        3 rows
In the afternoon I went up to see Mr Murray

Wednesday 24th   It was a very disagreeable day, sudden gusts of wind and driving showers.
I was digging the strip near the arch in the morning, in the afternoon I went down for the mail.  Willie went to the flat.

Thursday 25th   The wind has gone down and it was a very fine day.
After breakfast I went down to the beach and sieved some sand and carried it over to the wharf.  Willie had some fruit trees up by the Steamer yesterday so he took the horse down to haul them up, he also brought up my sand.
I got some stakes for Willies trees and dug a piece of ground near the citron trees.  Willie planted some Scarlet Queen Apples in the pigs paddock in the afternoon.

Friday 26th   It was very squally, cold driving showers.  Willie & Grace drove over to Ti Point and brought Mrs Simpson back with them.
I racked up the leaves under the willow tree and put them on the rubbish heap in the garden.  I went down to the village in the evening to get the mail & attend the Library, there was a dance in the Hall in the evening in aid of the Tennis Club, but I did not stay.

Saturday 27th   It was a very fine day.  Grace & Mrs Simpson went to Auckland in the “Kawau” to day to be present at Fred Davey’s wedding next Wednesday.  Willie & I went to see them off, I carried up some sand.
In the afternoon Willie was planting Apple trees,  I finished gathering up the Willow leaves & getting firewood.

Sunday 28th   It was a very fine day.  As there was no service I walked up to spend the day at John Greenwoods, Mr & Mrs Harry Birdsal were there also.  Spent a very pleasant time.
Willie went to Ti Point to spend the day with Joe & Minnie.

Monday 29th   It was a very fine day.  Willie went to the flat.
In the morning I went over to Willie Dunnings to look at a swamp that he is draining, he came with me to see a puriri tree that I am giving him.  The remainder of the day I was doing odd jobs.

Tuesday 30th   It was a very fine day.  Willie went to the flat.
After breakfast I went down to get the mail, carried up some sand, cut firewood and worked a little in the garden.  In the evening the Annual Meeting of the Tennis Club was held in the Library, there was a good attendance, I was Chairman.  It was decided to make 2 more courts.