Tuesday 1st There were several showers. In the morning I sowed a bed of Straw Coloured Onions given to me by Mrs Hedges in Willies garden. Willie also sowed a large bed of Brown Spanish Onions,
¼ lbs of seed. I got firewood and dug round 3 young Apple trees. Horace came in the evening.
Wednesday 2nd Raining last night, and a few showers during the day. In the morning Willie & I were cutting tea tree on the flat, and in the pm I went down again and cut & cut firewood for the house.
Thursday 3rd It was a showery day. Willie & I were cutting tea tree both morning & afternoon. Jane and the children came round in the steamer to go to the social tomorrow night, she went to visit Mrs Archie Dunning & Mrs Ernie Greenwood, and then came here to stay the night.
Friday 4th It was a showery day. Willie went fishing with Horace & Lyndon Hedges off Mathesons and brought home a lot of fish. I remained in the house all day and mended socks. In the evening there was a welcome home [possibly for Johny Greenwood, see June , Wednesday 25]
Saturday 5th It was a fine day. In the morning I was pruning the roses. In the afternoon Jane & I took a walk down to the wharf, we saw the steamer off, it was the “Kotiti“. Mr Hedges Senr and his young son Lyndon returned to Auckland by her, afterwards we called on Mr & Mrs Gozar.
Willie rode the new horse over to Schollums to see if Seymour Smith could do anything for the horse which has lampers.
Sunday 6th It was a fine day, Minnie came over in the morning, so I divided my uncle John’s unframed pictures between Minnie, Jane & Willie, reserving a share for John & Henry. All of us went to church in the pm . Revd Orchard officiated and gave us a beautiful address or memorial service on the occasion of the signing of the peace terms by Germany. Willie drove Jane & the children part of the way home. After church I went up to Eddie & Jim Wyatts for tea & spent a very pleasant evening.
Monday 8th [sic: 7th] Wind SW. Very fine day. Willie took the new horse up to Neeleys to get Neil to cut the lampers out, when he returned he put new springs into the cart.
In the morning I went to Horace Hedgers place to give him a days digging between his lemon trees, had dinner with him, he came to our place to spend the evening.
Tuesday 8th It was a very fine day. In the morning I was the other side of the hill cutting firewood, in the pm I was pruning roses. Willie finished putting springs to his cart. Willie, Grace & I attended the Mutual Improvement Society in the evening.
Wednesday 9th It was a very fine day., but the wind is SE.
Willie was hauling his wood out on the flat for a new kiln & later in the afternoon he took a box of eggs down to the wharf & carted up a bag of sharps.
I planted a row of Peerless Peas next to the others which have come up thick, I also planted 7 large Brown Spanish Onions for seed. Went down to the steamer in the afternoon and took Mr John Greenwood some Rose cuttings.
Thursday 10th It was a fine day, ‘tho dull, the wind is N. Willie finished hauling the wood for his kiln. I transplanted a Rose tree from near the closet to the front garden, also finished pruning the roses & carried the cuttings on to a heap in the pigs paddock.
Friday 11th It was a very dull day, wind N. Willie shifted the ash & commenced to build the kiln. I was working in the flower garden,
I planted a row of Canditufts & Alyissum, also 3 Larkspurs and 3 Nigellas & 6 White Forgetmenots.
Saturday 12th It was dull when I got up, showery in the morning & set in rain in the afternoon & evening. Horace came in the morning to go fishing with Willie, they went down to the beach, but could not get a boat so they came home again. I sowed seeds of Leeks in an old milk tin, also got a load of firewood, Horace came in the evening & played cards.
Sunday 13th It was a very dull day, it looks as if the rain is not all over. Revd Macdonald conducted service in the Church at 23rd [sic] it was a thanksgiving service for Peace, there were 29 present, Collection 14/3. Horace came up here after church.
Monday 14th It was a very showery day. Willie cut down a puriri tree on the hill for posts. I did nothing out of doors. I wrote a letter to Mrs Halliwell of Te Araroa.
Tuesday 15th It was a very showery day. Wind NE. Willie sawed two large logs off the puriri tree he fell yesterday. I wrote a letter to Mr Grindrod, cut some firewood, shelled some beans &c. Horace came in the afternoon and as it rained heavily he stayed the night.
Wednesday 16th It was a very fine day, wind SW. Willie blasted the puriri logs and commenced splitting. I cut firewood, went down to the steamer in the pm, received a letter from Jack who is in Auckland, he is not coming down, but wants me to go up to see them before they go away. He sent me £10.
Thursday 17th It was a very fine day. Willie was splitting posts. I got firewood from over the hill, got 2 sacks of leaves & several sacks of horse manure and made a heap in the flower garden. After breakfast I went down to the Post Office to post a letter to Jack, also to send him a wire, and to put the £10 he gave me into the bank. In the evening there was a meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society. It took the form of ping pong & cards &c. Willie & Grace went.
Friday 19th [sic: 18th] It was a very fine. Mrs Simpson, Grace & Raymond went to Auckland by the steamer which left here about 2.45 pm. Willie took them down in the cart, I went down & carried some sand across to the wharf & Willie carted it up with 2 bundles of sacks. Also went up by the steamer Mr & Mrs Archie & Willie Dunning to meet Pat and Archie who are expected from the war next week. There was a welcome home in the Hall in the evening for Corporal Guy Ashton & Private Percy Greenwood. Willie had a head ache so did not go, but I went & gave the address & enjoyed myself playing cards.
Saturday 19th It was a fine day, 1 slight shower, Willie continued splitting the puriri.
The Peace celebrations were held today. I went down to the village and rang the church bell and a few flags flying. I took Mrs Gravatt some rose cuttings , called at Arthur Greenwoods for the keys of the Library to consult the Encyclepedia.
In the afternoon I got firewood , Horace came in the evening, we played 500 – he stayed the night.
Sunday 20th A dull day, wind N. Horace went home in the morning.
I conducted services in the Church in the afternoon. 15 present. Collection 7/6
Monday 21st It was a very fine day. Willie hauled the posts to the front as he is going to fence off the side where the wheat is going to be grown. I stuck the first row of Peerless Peas. Also transplanted some Sweet Peas round an old peach stump. Willie went to Mr Ashworths in the evening to borrow a post borer.
Tuesday 22nd It was fine in the morning, ‘tho dull. Willie was getting some extra posts for his fence. I scattered some Superphosphate round the young Cabbages & Cauliflowers and dug it in. It came on to rain in the pm & rained all evening.
Wednesday 23rd It was a very fine day. Wind S. Willie sighted the fence line in front and commenced putting in the posts.
I took some rose cuttings & candituft plants to Mrs Ernie Greenwood, called at Mr Suttons and then went down to Horace Hedges to take him some seed peas.
Thursday 24th It was a very fine day. Wind S. In the morning I was preparing my paper for the debate this evening “Which is the best form of Government a Monarchy or a Republic”.
Willie continued fencing in the front. In the pm I went down to the steamer and got the mail, Mr & Mrs J. C. Wyatt returned home after several weeks trip down south. The Debate came off in the evening, Mr Hedges, Ernest Wyatt & I spoke in favour of Monarchy & Harold Knaggs, Willie & Joe Torkington in favour of a Republic.
The young people also played ping pong.
Friday 25th It was a very fine day. Wind SE. Willie took the horse & cart down to the wharf after breakfast and carted up 2 Sks Bran, afterwards continued fencing.
I sowed Onion seed of my own growing in an old zinc tub . In the afternoon I went down to meet the steamer, Lieutenant Angus Dunning & Private Arch Dunning, Mr & Mrs Archie & Willie Dunning came up by her.
Saturday 26th It was a very fine day. Wind SE. Willie finished the fencing. I sowed a row of Sweet Peas near the front gate.
Horace came to spend the evening.
Sunday 27th It was a very fine day, but cold. I attended the Presbyterian service in the morning, afterwards went to Mr Arch Dunnings for dinner, Willie D was there and all his children, as his wife is up in Auckland attending her brother Willie Harper’s marriage to Miss Anderson. In the afternoon I called on Mrs Gravatt. After church Horace came up here & had dinner with Willie, and Willie went down with Horace to his place in the afternoon and staid the evening.
Monday 28th It was a fine day. Willie was putting in posts in the fence between the barley paddock and the front, I went down to Horaces place in the morning and helped him dig round his Lemon trees.
Tuesday 29th It was a dull day. Wind SE. I dug up all Dahlia roots, dug over the ground they were in & trained up the Westeria. Willie took the post auger over to Stanley Rogers in the morning. In the pm he put the struts & guys to the straining posts in the new fence. We should have gone to spend the evening at Horaces place, but it was showery.
Wednesday 30th We did not get much rain last night, but it was blowing very hard from SE and there is a big sea outside. We were expecting Grace & Raymond, but the steamer did not come although we heard she had arrived at Kawau. I did not do anything outside. Willie did odd jobs.
Thursday 31st It rained heavily last night which put down the wind & it was a fine day although everything was very wet.
The “Kawau” called in the morning having been sheltering at the Kawau last night.
Grace & Raymond returned from Auckland by her, Willie took the sulky down with a box of eggs and drove them home. Willie went down to the wharf again and brought up some barbed wire for the new fence.