August 1897

Sunday 1st   It was fine in the morning, but at dinner time it came over misty and it rained steadily, but about 2 pm it cleared up and the sun came out.
I went down to the Hall after it cleared up,  there were very few there so there was no service.
Willie rode up to Mauds in the morning returning in the afternoon, he reported that there had been no rain up there.

Monday 2nd   It was a fine day though rather dull.  I was cutting tea tree and rooting out briers in the cow paddock.  Miss Fordham came up in the pm and asked me to go down and kill a heifer of theirs that had fallen over a cliff.  Joseph Wyatt came this morning and paid me 6/- for the grazing of a horse for 8 weeks up to to day.

Tuesday 3rd   It was a fine day though dull.  I went over to Joe Wyatts in the morning and got 20 young Cupressus Macrocarpas at 1½ d  each.  Total 2/6 and I planted them out in the front alongside of the fence.     I went down to the Village in the evening and posted a letter and a N. Z. Graphic to my brother Henry.
There was a dance in the Hall in the evening, the girls and Miss Niccol went to it, it was in aid of the Cricket Club,  Leah Brown came home with Jane and staid the night.

Wednesday 4th   It was a very dull day.  I planted 2 Burbank Jap Plums & 1 Sea Eagle Peach that came from Mr E. Morrison of Warkworth, also 4 seedling Peaches.
Jane and Leah Brown rode up to Mauds and staid all night.  It came on to rain in the afternoon and poured with rain all night.

Thursday 5th   It was a fine day.   Jane & Leah Brown returned from Mauds in the morning, Leah staid for dinner and then went home.
I was cutting tea tree and rooting out briars in the cow paddock.  There were a few showers in the afternoon and it rained heavier in the evening.

Friday 6th   It was a fine day.   I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock all day.  The Wethers that we  have in the horse paddock got out in the front, so I put them into the barley paddock.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 7th    It was a fine day.   Took the mutton out in the morning and cut tea tree in the cow paddock.  There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the afternoon.  Mr Greenwood came up here for tea.  Minnie & Miss Niccol who had just returned from Mauds  were also here for tea.
There was a meeting of the Omaha and Pakiri Farmers & Fruitgrowers  Association in Mr Harpers large room in the evening, there was a large attendance,  Mr Witten was elected President  and I was elected Secretary & Treasurer.  It rained while we were in at the meeting.

Sunday 8th   It rained all day.  I did not stir out of the house.  Honor Wyatt came in the afternoon and staid all night .

Monday 9th    It was a fine day, but it was blowing very strong for the SE,  It was too windy on the hill to work so I went down and pulled and cut tea tree round the young Macrocarpas near old Mr Wyatts.

Tuesday 10th    It was a fine day, but the wind was still blowing strong from the SE.  I was cutting tea tree near old Mr Wyatts.  Annie Matheson was here for tea and we all went down to the village in the evening.  The Steamer did not come on account of the wind.  There was a meeting in the Hall to try and get up an entertainment in aid of the Crick Club.  Jim Dunning was here in the evening.

Wednesday 11th   The Steamer came early in the morning.  It was a beautiful day and the ground is drying up fast.  I was cutting tea tree near old Mr Wyatts all day.

Thursday 12th   It was a fine day.   I grubbed out 2 apple trees in the orchard and planted Plum stocks in their place to graft on.
In the afternoon I was pulling up creeping weed at the bottom of the orchard.

Friday 13th   It was a very fine day.    I planted 6 Onions for seed and some Tree Onions near the closet, also cleared away the rubbish and dug up the ground.  Killed a Sheep in the afternoon.
There was an entertainment at Pakiri in the evening to celebrate the completion of the Pakiri School.  Jane, Minnie & Miss Niccol went and it was a great success, they cleared over £8.  Jane went home with Maud and staid all night.  Willie & I went down for the mail and then up to the Library.  It was a beautiful night and as light as day.

Saturday 14th   It came over thick and misty in the morning and a fine rain fell, but it cleared up in the afternoon.  I bored and morticed a post to mend the garden fence.  Jane returned in the afternoon .  Willie went down to the Wharf and caught a lot of small fish.

Saturday 15th   My birthday, I am 54 years of age to day.  It rained all day and strong wind blowing from SE.  We did not stir out anywhere. No service in the afternoon.

Monday 16th   It rained heavily in the all day, wind still blowing strong from SE.  It is the greatest quantity of rain we have had at one time all this winter.  Was not able to do anything out of doors.

Tuesday 17th   It rained nearly all day.  I went down to the store in the afternoon to take the Eggs and post a letter to John.  It stopped raining for a short while in the afternoon, but it poured again in the evening.  The Steamer did not come in  the evening on account of the swell.

Wednesday 18th    It was a fine day, but the ground is saturated with water.  I was pulling up tea tree in the cow paddock in the morning.
The Steamer came in the morning.  I walked over the farm in the pm, we have about 20 Lambs now and they look strong and well.
I went over to Masefields to liberate some insects, parasites of the Mealy Bug which  Captn  Brown sent me by the mail.

Thursday 19th   It was fine in the morning and I was cutting tea tree, but it came on to rain at dinner time and rained all afternoon.  I set a Hen in the Pine tree on 11 Eggs, half bred between Wyandotte and White Leghorn.

Friday 20th   I went down to the Post Office in the morning.  I got caught in the rain coming home, it rained all morning, but cleared up in the afternoon.  There was a heavy shower in the evening and it was very cold.

Saturday 21st   There were a few heavy showers during the day.  I took the mutton out in the morning and then pulled up tea tree in the cow paddock.  In the afternoon I went down to the Wharf to meet Charlie Wyatt and Mr Otway, Engineer to lay out a road with an easier grade from the Wharf.

Sunday 22nd   There were a few showers during the day but nothing to speak of.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a fair congregation.  Annie Harper came up with us and had tea.

Monday 23rd   It was a beautiful day, not a shower, but it came over cloudy in the evening.  I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock in the morning.  In the afternoon I was mending the fence next Frearson and Matheson’s paddock.

Tuesday 24th   It was fine in the morning, it came on to rain before noon, cleared up in the afternoon, but rained heavily in the evening and during the night.  I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock in the morning and alongside of the road in the afternoon.

Wednesday 25th   It was a fine day.  The Steamer came early in the morning.  I was cutting tea tree in the cow paddock in the morning.  In the afternoon there was to have been a meeting of the Road Board at 4 pm, but Mr Greenwood, Charlie & I were the only ones that turned up so there was no particular business done.  Jane went up to Miss Niccols in the afternoon and staid tea.

Thursday 26th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few showers in the afternoon.  I finished cutting tea tree in the cow paddock in the morning.  I then went pulling up & cutting tea tree outside the orchard fence near the gully.
Mrs A. Dunning came in the pm to register her baby, after that I went down and Miss Fordham and I fixed up the organ which had been injured by the skaters.
I wrote a letter to Henry in the evening.

Friday 27th   It was a fine day with the exception of a shower in the middle of the day.  I was pulling tea tree outside the orchard fence.  Killed a Sheep and went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 28th   It was fine in the morning though dull.   I took the mutton down to Harpers in the morning,  and then fixed up the footpath near the Hall.  It commenced to rain about noon and rained all afternoon.  Willie went down fishing at the Wharf.

Sunday 29th   It rained early in the morning, but it cleared up and turned out a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the pm.

Monday 30th   It was a beautiful day.  I put in a new post in the fence below the closet, trimmed the vines and made preparations for planting potatoes.  I went to Mrs Dunnings beach in the afternoon to get some flax.  Jane went down to the beach in the afternoon and got some oysters.

Tuesday 31st   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing strong from the N.  and it threatens for rain.  We got the bullocks up in the morning and hauled 1 bundle  (13)  Skins down to the Wharf and hauled up from Harpers, 1 Cwt Potatoes,  100lbs Flour, and 2 Bags  2½ Cwt Blood & Bone Manure.
Commenced to dig next the Grape Vine preparing for Potatoes, but we did not plant any, Jane helped me.
Ringi & Beckie Brown came for tea.