Monday 1st It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down to Harpers to give to Mr Macdonald to take to Warkworth, after I came back & picked 6 Cases of October Purple Plums off the big tree. Mr & Mrs Leroy called in the afternoon, they came in a motor boat from the Great Barrier and were on their way to Auckland. Alma Wallace & Leila Entwhistle arrived by the Kawau to stay here. When Willie returned from his work he & I picked & packed peaches.
Tuesday 2nd It was a fine day. Willie hauled the fruit down to the wharf first thing in the morning.
Wednesday 3rd It was a fine day. Grace, Gertie, Alma & Leila went down to the Tennis court in the morning to have a game, and I went down in the afternoon to get the mail, I took the axe with me and cut down some of the tea tree on the road opposite the Church site.
Thursday 4th It was a very hot day. The girls took their lunch down to the tennis court to play and staid there all day. I took an axe down and finished clearing the road opposite the Church site, I burned all the scrub and the buts I kept out for firewood for the Hall, Willie Dunning carted one load to the Hall for me and I rode up home with him and had dinner there, got the mail in the evening and attended the Library.
Friday 5th It was a cloudy day & very cool. I got up at 5 pm and picked a collection of flowers for the Matakana Show, met John and Mrs Greenwood at our gate at 7 am and they drove me to Matakana, we picked up May Dunning at their gate, we arrived there at 9 am, arranged my flowers. John Greenwood and I had a good look at the Anglican Church. Mr Richards showed us round & explained everything to us, had dinner at Sinclair’s, met a lot of old friends I knew. My flowers only gained second prize. The show inside was very good considering the dry season. I arrived home at 8 pm.
Saturday 6th It was a very fine day. I was not very well in the morning and took it easy. In the afternoon there was a meeting of church people in the Library, 6 present to see what assistance could be given towards the new Church, a Committee of 5 was appointed to manage matters & co-operate with Mr Macdonald, namely John Greenwood (Treasurer), Jas Greenwood, W. Neeley, J. B. Birdsall and C. S. Clarke (Chairman & Secretary). A Subscription List was made out and £16 . 10 . 0 was subscribed by the Committee.
Willie went fishing to Ti Point and brought home two large schnappers.
Sunday 7th It rained a little in the morning but the wind changed round to the SW and it cleared up and the wind blew strong.
Willie and Grace drove to Ti Point to spend the day with Joe & Minnie.
Alma, Leila and Gertie returned here in the evening.
Monday 8th It was a fine day. I went down to the store in the afternoon. In the evening there was a dance in the Hall in aid of the Tennis Club, all the young people in this house went.
Tuesday 9th It was a fine day. The girls went down to the P.O to get the mail and when they came back they went to Mr Ashworths to spend the day, returning here early in the afternoon. After an early tea they all went down to the Steamer, Alma & Leila returned to Auckland, the boat leaving here at 5 pm. I received a letter from Mr Wallace telling me he was going to have a holiday early in March and that he and Mrs W. were going a trip to Rotorua and asking me to join them.
Wednesday 10th It was a fine day. Grace, Gertie & I went down to the village in the afternoon, they played tennis and I got the mail. In the evening Willie took Gerties’ luggage down to the wharf as she is going away tomorrow morning.
Thursday 11th It was a very fine day. All of us got up early in the morning as Gertie is going away by the “Kawau” this morning at 6 am. Grace went down to the wharf to see her off. Willie hauled her luggage down last night. I was digging in the garden. In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.
Friday 12th It was a fine day. After breakfast I cut a lot of firewood. Afterwards I picked 4 Cases of Golden Drop Plums, and then I went down to the village for the mail.
Saturday 13th There was a slight shower early in the morning, but it soon cleared up, but it was a cloudy day.
There was a Cricket Match at Warkworth between Kaipara Flats and Omaha clubs. The show Committee were fixing up the sheep pens in Mr Dunnings paddock and putting up the tables in the Hall, Willie who is on the Committee was down there all day.
After breakfast I went down to post a letter and afterwards I went down to the beach and sieved a lot of sand and carried it across to the wharf shed for Willie to haul up when he is down. In the afternoon I took up clumps of Paper White Narcissus, & Yellow Bunch Daffodils and re-planted them again.
Sunday 14th It rained a little last night but not sufficient to do any good. I started to walk over to the Claim this morning, Charlie Dunning in the cream cart overtook me at Cox’s Creek and gave me a lift to Jims, had dinner and tea there, went to service in the Claim Hall in the afternoon. Mr A Russell (Presbyterian Student) officiated, and gave us a very good sermon, walked home in the evening.
Monday 15th It rained last night after we went to bed but the sun to day soon dried it up.
In the morning I took up and re-planted a clump of Paper White Narcissus and got a lot of firewood.
In the afternoon I took up a clump of Bride Gladiolus and planted again half of them, then went down to the wharf when the Steamer came in, got the mail and carried up a bag of sand and a drapery parcel for Grace. Heard while I was down there that Mrs Ted Harper was confined of a daughter last Saturday, also that Mrs C. Gravatt’s baby boy died this afternoon. I went to see Mrs Gravatt in the evening.
Tuesday 16th It was a fine day. Willie staid at home and was getting ready his collection of fruit for the show tomorrow. Jim came over to our place in the afternoon to get the sulky to drive Jane & children over to our place to be ready for the show.
At 4 pm I went to C. Gravatt’s to read the Burial service over their baby, part of the service we had in the house.
When Jim came back with the sulky Willie took his exhibits down to the hall.
Wednesday 17th The morning broke dark and lowering and a misty rain set in and it had every indication of a wet day but it cleared up but it was a dull day. The threatening weather would no doubt keep many away from the show.
Willie took three Jersey heifers to the show and got a prize for each of them. I put in a collection of flowers and got 1st Prize.
Willie got 1st prize for Collection of Fruit also a prize for everything they put in. The exhibits in the Hall were equal in quality to other years, the fruit being exceptionally good, the vegetables were not so numerous but of good quality.
The “Kawau” arrived from Auckland with excursionists about noon, among them being Mr Mander M.P. and Mr Woods who has the contract for the new Anglican Church which is to be built at Leigh.
I renewed my acquaintance with him and we had a long talk with him about old times at S. Thomas’ Church Auckland. I had lunch at Mr Archie Dunnings and we came home for tea, and went down to the Hall again in the evening to the concert which was very enjoyable, Mr Mander was Chairman.
There was dance afterwards but none of us staid, Jane and the children came up here and staid the night. We were all very tired after a long strenuous day.
Thursday 18th It was a very fine day. The wind has gone round to the SW. Being very tired we did not get up very early. After breakfast Willie drove Jane & children home and he brought home a bag of sand for me. After lunch we went down to the Hall to clear up. I went down to the village in the evening to get the mail and attend the Library. It was a very dark night & a shower of rain.
Friday 19th It was a very fine day. In the morning I got firewood, afterwards worked in the flower garden, I planted clumps of Bride Gladiolus, Star Ixia & Grande Monaique Jonquill.
Went down to the village in the evening to get the mail.
Saturday 20th It was a very hot day. The Warkworth Show was to day. A few from here went over.
In the morning I went down to the village to catalogue some magazines that came by the Steamer last night. Minnie was up here for lunch and she and Grace went down to Tennis in the afternoon.
Sunday 21st It was a fine day. After lunch I walked over to the Claim to church, Revd Spiers (Methodist) officiated, he preached a splendid sermon. Minnie and I went home with Jim & Jane for tea and I walked home in the evening.
Monday 22nd It was a very fine day. Willie staid at home to dig potatoes & I helped him in the morning. In the pm I went down on to the road near our bottom gate and burned the blackberry that I slashed down some time ago and then chopped out all the canes and put them into a heap for burning another time, also got some firewood.
Tuesday 23rd It was a very hot day. In the morning I went down for the mail, carried up a bag of sand. I got firewood and planted a clump of Paper White Narcissus near the summer house.
Wednesday 24th It was a very hot day. In the morning I took up a clump of Yellow Ixias and re-planted them a little further over, also planted a clump of Grand Monaique Narcissus near Mrs David McKee rose tree.
In the afternoon I picked a case of Peaches & 2 cases of Bon Chretien Pears and packed a box of Eggs, afterwards went down to the village for the mail. Willie hauled the fruit & eggs down to the wharf in the evening.
Thursday 25th It rained early in the morning and wet the soil nicely in my garden.
Willie went to work but had to come home again as it was too slippery. He was fixing up the catamaran. I got firewood and in the evening I went for the mail & attended the Library, there was a slight shower while I was down there.
Friday 26th It was a very hot day. In the morning I was working in the flower garden. I planted 3 Anterrhinums in the long bed, also took up & replanted a clump of Daffodils. In the afternoon I went down to meet the steamer, got the mail and carried up a bag of sand. Willie staid at home and picked pears.
Saturday 27th It was a very hot day. In the morning I got firewood and was digging in the front garden. In the afternoon I attended a meeting of the Church Committee to meet Revd Macdonald to arrange matters about the new Church.
Sunday 28th Revd Macdonald held service in the Hall in the afternoon, we attended, collection 7/1. Afterwards walked over to the Claim had tea at Jims, went to Mr Macdonalds service in the evening, staid at Jims.