February 1919

Saturday 1st   There were several showers during the day.  There was a Tennis match at Pakiri between Pakiri & Leigh Clubs.
I went down to the village in the morning to post some letters.
Willie started thrashing the Western Wolths but he had to knock off on account of the showers.  I commenced to dig the piece of ground the top side of the house where 2 rows of Stratagem Peas, 1 row of Cabbages & 1 row of Shallots grew.  I buried all the pea haulsa & horse manure in the trench.

Sunday 2nd   It was a fine day, but the wind is E.
I conducted service in the church in the afternoon, there were 25 present.  Collection 11/8.
Mrs Simpson, Grace & Raymond went home from church with Mrs Gozar and staid tea.

Monday 3rd   It was misty all day, and a few showers,  Willie was not able to get on with thrashing the Western Wolths on account of the weather, so he planted some butter beans and Potatoes in the new garden.  I cleaned and put away the Stratagem Pea seed, cleaned out the summer house, and dug the top side of the house.

Tuesday 4th   It was a fine day, wind NE.  Willie planted Potatoes in the morning. In the afternoon he thrashed Western Wolths.  I finished the strip of ground the top side of the house where crops had grown,  I buried rushes & horse manure in the trenches, the soil was shallow in some places, so subsoil had to be brought up to the surface.  Mrs Simpson walked to Ti Point in the pm.

Wednesday 5th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I cut the grass on the paths and then went down to the village to see if Alex Matheson had started to paint the gates at the Hall, but he had not started so I went and helped Willie thrash Western Wolths seed.  Willie was picking fruit to send away tomorrow.  Mrs Simpson returned from Ti Point.
Grace went down to the steamer and got the mail.

Thursday 6th   It was a very hot day.  In the morning I was helping Willie & Grace pick beans in the new garden to send to Auction. Willie carted them & 9 Cases Fruit & Box of Eggs down to the Steamer  & brought up a load of new fruit cases & a Sk each of Sharps and Bran.  Mr Jas Greenwood who is now living in Auckland and came up in the Steamer yesterday called here in the afternoon and staid tea.
I went down for the mail & changed my books at the Library in the evening.

Friday 7th   It was a very hot day.  Willie was thrashing Western Woths all day.  After breakfast I took Mrs A. Dunning some beans and then walked over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane, they received a wire in the afternoon that Mrs Wallace was coming down to Leigh by the “Kawau” this evening, so Jim borrowed Whitaker’s trap and so I rode back to Leigh with him and we went down to the wharf to meet Mrs Wallace and she went home with Jim.

Saturday  8th  It was a very hot day.   After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail and to send a wire to Mr Wallace that
Mrs W had arrived safely.  The Show Committee were putting up the sheep pens and preparing for the Show.  After I came home I was helping Willie pick fruit & after lunch picking beans for auction.  Willie took these down to the wharf in the pm.  Thrashing grass seed in the evening.

Sunday 9th   It was a very hot day.   Revd Gould (Presbyterian) held service in the Hall in the morning, there was a very good attendance.
I was present.
Willie, Grace, Mrs Simpson & Raymond drove over to the Claim in the afternoon to see Mrs Wallace who is staying with Jim & Jane.

Monday 10th   It was a very hot day.  In the morning I went below the school to get lycopodium to put with my collection of flowers.
Willie was picking fruit for exhibition.  Late in the afternoon I was helping Willie thrash Western Wolths seed.

Tuesday 11th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I went down to the Hall to clear up the furze [ ie  gorse ]  that was growing on the road out side the fence, also to cut down the approach to the gate.  Willie was getting his exhibits for the show, which he took down in the evening and placed out.  I was not too well so did not go down.
Jim drove Jane & Mrs Wallace over in the evening, Jane staid at
A. Dunnings, but Mrs Wallace came up here.

Wednesday 12th   The early morning was dull, but we were hoping that the weather would brighten up, but unfortunately as the day advanced a misty rain set in which turned into a steady drizzle which kept up with few intermissions all day and evening.
The Jubilee of the Omaha & Pakiri show was held today, the livestock in Mr A. Dunning‘s paddock & the produce &c in the public hall.  Willie showed a collection of vegetables & fruit, separate vegetables, and plates of fruit,  Grace showed jams & button hole,  I showed cabbage, beet, peas & 2 kinds of beans and a collection of flowers, for which I got 1st Prize beating Mr Knaggs  who was the only other exhibitor.  Jane came up here early in the morning to make a table bouquet & she & Willie helped me carry my flowers down to the hall & Jane arranged them for me, and truly it was a grand collection.  The Show Committee very kindly have elected me a life member of the Show, invited me to dine with the Judges & Committee, and also free admission to the Concert in the evening.
The steamer “Waipu” made the excursion trip from Auckland and brought about 50 passengers,  Mr & Ken Wallace & Mr McMurtrie came by her, also Mr & Mrs Joe & Dora Greenwood,  H. Brown,  Mr Mander M.P. , a string band & a Concert company.  Mr Tom Scandiet judged the vegetables, Mr Joe Greenwood the Fruit & Mrs Melville the Miscellanious.
The attendance during the day was not so numerous as on former years on account of the weather, but the concert was well patronized,  Mr Wallace, Mr McMurtrie & I had tea at
Mr A. Dunnings.    Ken went up to our place with Willie & Grace for tea, Mr & Mrs John Came of Matakana came for the show & stopped at our place.
The Steamer which should have left at midnight, but on account of the E wind did not leave until 7 oclock next morning, so the Wallaces & Mr MacMurtrie came to stay the night with us.  The hotel was full.  Mr A. Dunning put up a lot, and the band and concert company camped in the hall.
Mr Mander M.P. presided over the Concert who apologized for the absence [of] Hon A. Myers who is president of the Show, & Mr Elliott read a letter showing the advance made in agriculture during the last 50 years.  The band played several pieces , Dora Greenwood played the accompanyments and sang, also a girl friend & Mrs Addington, three young men sang and Mr Harris the comic recited, Mr Ross &   Mr Jos Greenwood  (Judges) spoke & I told them about the first Show held 50 years [ago] in my house.

Thursday 13th   There was a misty rain nearly all day.  Willie & I got up early to get breakfast for Mr & Ken Wallace & Mr McMurtrie and I went with them down to the wharf to see them off.  The “Waipu” had been sheltering round at Big Omaha and she left here at 7 am.
Mr & Mrs John Came drove home in the pm.  I went down to the village for the mail in the evening.

Friday 14th   It was a remarkably fine day & hot.  There was a childrens Industrial Exhibition at Warkworth today.  Willie was weeding in his garden all day.  I planted 2 rows of Dun Beans top side of house.  Grace, Mrs Simpson & Mrs Wallace took a walk down to the village in the afternoon to get the mail, they called in at Mrs Dunnings.

Saturday 15th   It was a very fine day.  Willie took a box of Eggs down to the Steamer in the morning, when he returned he took Bette over to Big Omaha to be shod by Seymour Smith.
I sowed 3 rows of Garden Swedes and some Manchester Defiance Cabbage in the last row.

Sunday 16th   It was a very fine day.  Willie, Grace, Mrs Simpson & Raymond drove over to Matakana to spend the day at John Cames.
Jim, Jane & Mrs Wallace also drove over to Matakana to spend the day at Joe Smiths, on returning home Mrs Simpson staid at Jim’s place.  I went up to Willie Dunning‘s in the morning and staid dinner and he & I attended the methodist service in the afternoon, Revd Orchard officiated.  Mrs John Greenwood & Mrs Handby who were at the service came up here to look at my garden,  & I made them tea.

Monday 17th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I helped Willie finish thrashing the Western Wolths.
In the afternoon I got longer sticks for the Tomatoes, dug between them and pulled up the tree Onions.

Tuesday 18th  It was a very fine day.  I commenced to dig a strip of ground the upper side of the house that had grown Tree Onions & Peerless peas, I cleared all the rubbish , took the Onions onto the front verandah, and cut several Cabbages that were standing and then started to dig, taking the soil against the fence and putting it against the house to fill up the trench where I would leave off.  I buried rushes, Western Wolths hay & horse dung in the trenches. My back was rather bad so I was not able to dig very much.

Wednesday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Grace took the sulky over to Ti Point to bring Mrs Simpson & Mrs Wallace  from H. Torkingtons where they had gone yesterday.  When they returned here about noon Mr & Mrs Jas Greenwood came so we had a large party for dinner.
I went down in the afternoon to get the mail that came by the steamer.

Thursday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Mrs Wallace returned to Auckland in the “Kawau” which left here at 11.30.  Willie drover her down and took his box of eggs, all of us went down to see her off.
Mrs Simpson called in at A. Dunnings spent the day and staid the night.  On returning home I dug the piece of ground or rather finished digging the piece of ground the top side of the house.  Willie  was cleaning the water pipes coming from the well.
I went down for the main in the evening.

Friday 21st   It was a fine day.  I was weeding & clearing up leaves & rubbish in the flower garden & took in the Onion seed.
RevOrchard called in the afternoon & in the evening he gave a lecture in the Hall on Methodist Mission work in Gipps land Australia which was very interesting and humorous.  A collection was taken up to buy a horse for the Methodist parson.

Saturday 22nd   It was very dull & threatening early in the morning , but it turned out a very fine day.  I got up early & did my work and got my breakfast & dressed my self and then went down to Mr A. Dunnings,  Willie was driving over to the Warkworth Show, he took his father’s buggy and he very kindly gave me a seat in it.  Mrs Archie & Mrs Willie Dunning also went with us.  It took us just 2½ hours to get to Warkworth.  I went to see Mr Cook the Editor of the Rodney Times and had a long talk with him, and he showed me all over the printing office, had lunch at the Hotel and then walked out to the show ground.  There were a greater number present than on any previous show, the exhibits in produce fruit , flowers and vegetables were not so good as at our Show.  The Ponsonby boys brass band numbering 25 players came from Auckland and discoursed beautiful music all day.  The steamer “Houiti” arrived from Auckland at 12.15 bringing a quantity of excursionists, among the number were 2 returned soldiers, viz Charlie Whitaker & Harry Cruickshank.
I met a lot of old friends that I seldom see, and enjoyed a very pleasant day.
Willie, Grace & Mrs Simpson drove to the Show in our sulky, I came home in the sulky and Mrs Simpson stayed for the concert & came home with the Dunnings in the buggy.  We left after tea and got home about 8.15 being a little more than 2½ hours coming home.

Sunday 23rd   It was a fine day, ‘tho dull the wind is inclined to come in from  E.   Mrs Simpson who stayed for the concert at Warkworth last night, and stayed at the Dunnings, returned here this morning.
In the afternoon I went down to put flowers in the church, met Mr & Mrs John Greenwood returning home from the Warkworth Show, their horse had got out and had gone back to Kaipara Flats where he had bought it.
Revd Macdonald held service in the Church in the evening,
24 present.  Collection 15/4

Monday 24th   It was a very fine day.  Willie sprayed his & my Tomatoes with arsenate of lead.  I was gathering in flower seeds, and I took up the bulbs of the dwarf Pink Gladiolus.

 Tuesday 25th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I went down to the village to get the mail & to post my bank book to get the interest added.  In the afternoon I was fixing the rubberroid on the roof of the summer house that was blown off by the wind.  In the evening I went down to Mr A. Dunnings to have a game of 500.   Willie was making a sleigh.  Mrs Simpson walked over to Ti Point in the evening.

Wednesday 26th   It was a fine day.  I went in the cream cart in the morning round to Jim’s place.  Soon after I got there Mrs Simpson came from Ti Point.  In the afternoon I went in his boat with Jim to the top wharf when the “Kawau” came alongside.
There was a welcome home in the Claim Hall in the evening to Private Charlie Whitaker who returned last Saturday from serving in Palestine, all of us went & Willie & Grace drove over for it in the evening, there was a great crowd from Matakana, Wangaripa, Pakiri & Leigh.  I was not feeling very well so I returned to Jim’s early and went to bed.  Willies horse got out so Willie & Grace had to stay till morning.

Thursday 27th   It was a very hot day.  Willie, Grace & I drove home after an early breakfast.  Willie dug out water holes for the cows to drink.  I went down for the mail in the morning.

Friday 28th   It was a very hot day.  Willie commenced to cut tea tree for charcoal the other side of the hill.  I went down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau“, called in at P.O and got the mail.