August 1906

Wednesday 1st   It was a fine day, tho’ dull.  Jane walked over to Ti Point in the morning to spend the day and returned in the evening in the “Kawau“.
Willie was working at his charcoal.  I put a new strut and tightened the wires of the fence at the top of the hill going along to Haskells

Thursday 2nd   It was a fine day.  In the morning I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up 100 lbs Flour and some grit for the fowls.  In the afternoon I was cutting tea tree on the hill,  Mr G. Knaggs and Mr McKenzie came for me to witness their signature.
Willie was working at his charcoal.

Friday 3rd   It was a fine day.  In the morning I went down to the Post Office to post some letters and to get the mail.
Willie went to Ti Point in the pm and staid all night.  I was cutting tea tree on the hill outside the new fence.
There was a Euchre party in the Hall in the evening.  Jane went down in the afternoon to prepare for it and she had tea at Mr Archie Dunnings.  In the evening I went down to look after the Library, there was a meeting of the Hall Committee.

Saturday 4th   It was a fine day.  Willie returned from Ti Point in the morning.  I finished cutting the tea tree outside the fence on the hill.  In the evening I went up to Mr Handbys, he lent me a lot of the N. Z. Farmer.

Sunday 5th   It was a fine day.  Revd Jory held service in the Hall in the afternoon, I went.  Willie Dunning came up here for tea and to spend the evening.

Monday 6th   It was a fine day.  Willie started to make another charcoal kiln on the hill.  I was pruning trees in the orchard all day.

Tuesday 7th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I made some Bordeaux Mixture, ½ lb Bluestone and 5 Gallons Water dissolved in a cask and Lime mixed with water in a kerosene tin.  These solutions are mixed together when they are applied.  The remainder of the day I was pruning trees in the orchard.

Wednesday 8th   It was a fine day, tho’ cold, the wind is blowing strong from the SE.  I was pruning in the orchard all day.

Thursday 9th   It was a fine day, tho’ the wind was blowing strong from the E.  I took down a box of Eggs with the bullock to the wharf, and hauled up some grit for the fowls.

Friday 10th   The wind is still blowing very strong.  In the morning I went down to the Post Office, the “Kawau” had not arrived with the mail, I suppose she was detained on account of the strong wind.
I was pulling up tea tree on the hill.

Saturday 11th   The “Kawau” arrived from Auckland this morning bringing the mail, she had been sheltering at the Kawau all yesterday, she was not able to proceed to Mangawai.  The “Gael” also went by on her way to Waipu, but had to turn back and take shelter here.
Revd T. J. Parry came up in the “Kawau“, he arrived at our house just in time for breakfast , afterwards we lent him Empress and he rode over to Mr Birdsalls.  I was getting firewood and cutting tea tree just below the farm orchard .  The wind increased in violence during the day and towards evening it came on a steady rain.

Sunday 12th   There were several showers during the day.  Revd  T. J. Parry held service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was not a very large congregation, the offeratory was 9/9.  Mr Parry went up to John Greenwoods after church and walked down to Pakiri in the evening.

Monday 13th   It was very fine in the morning , but there were some heavy showers in the afternoon.  In the morning I was cutting Kaikakatea poles in the bush on the top of the hill.  Afterwards I squared a post on the road between Haskells & our place.
Revd  T. J. Parry returned from John Greenwoods in the afternoon , afterwards he went visiting down at the village.  Willie Dunning came to spend the evening, we played at whist & bridge.

Tuesday 14th   There were several heavy showers during the day.  I morticed the post I squared yesterday and I squared a smaller post.  Revd  T. J. Parry returned to Auckland in the “Kawau” in the evening.

Wednesday 15th   My 63rd birthday.  Jane went to Auckland in the “Energy” which left here at 9 am.  Willie went down to the wharf with her to carry her bag.  There were several sharp showers of rain in the morning, but it was fine in the afternoon.
I was pulling up tea tree all day on the hill behind the cottage.
Willie took the bullock down to the wharf in the afternoon to meet the “Kawau“, he took a box of Eggs and hauled up a Sack of Bran and an empty Egg box.

Thursday 16th   It was very fine in the morning, but there were a few slight showers in the afternoon however the ground dried more that it wetted.  In the morning I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Maize.  In the afternoon I cleaned out the Store.

Friday 17th   It was a beautiful day.  After breakfast Willie went down to village to post some letters and to get the mail.
In the morning I syringed some fruit tree with Bordeaux mixture. using up all I had mixed.  I mixed some more.  In the afternoon I was scraping the bark of some Pear trees.  Willie was making a charcoal kiln.

Saturday 18th   It was a fine day, tho’ dull.  Willie set fire to his charcoal kiln, Mr Handby came in the morning to give him advice about it.  I was syringing fruit trees with Bordeaux mixture.  In the afternoon I went down to J. C. Wyatts.  Willie and I swept the chimney before breakfast.

Sunday 19th   It was a fine day.  I rode over to Ti Point in the morning and spent the day with Joe & Minnie.  I had company home as Alf Gravatt had been spending the day at Mr Lloyds.  Willie staid at home to watch his charcoal kiln.

Monday 20th   It was a beautiful day, more sun than we had the last two days.  Willie was taking his charcoal out .  In the morning I syringed some fruit trees with Bordeaux mixture, afterwards I started to dig in the orchard at the fence near the Romanote apple tree working downwards.

Tuesday 21st   It was a beautiful day.   I was digging in the orchard all day.  Willie hauled 9 Sacks Charcoal down to the wharf in the afternoon.  We expected Jane home today in the “Energy“, but the steamer went into Big Omaha without calling in here, we did not hear from Jane the reason she did not come.

Wednesday 22nd   It was a fine day.  After breakfast Willie went down to the wharf to send his charcoal away by the “Energy“.
I was digging in the orchard all day.  Late in the afternoon Willie hauled a box of Eggs down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Sharps.

Thursday 23rd   It was a fine day although the wind is blowing strong from the E.  In the morning I went down to the wharf to get the empty Egg box that Willie forgot last night.  Mr Jos Greenwood very kindly hauled it up as far as our gate for me.
In the afternoon I was digging in the orchard.

Friday 24th   The wind was still blowing very strong from the E.  There were a few driving showers, but nothing to stop work or wet the ground.  After breakfast Willie went down to the Post Office to see if there was any mail, but the “Kawau” had not called in, being detained in Auckland on account of the weather.
I was digging in the orchard all day.  Willie was working on the hill.
In the evening there was a meeting to elect Trustees for the Cemetery, I attended, but no business was done.

Saturday 25th   A very disagreeable day, wind still blowing strong from the E, also lots of driving showers of rain.  I was pruning trees in the orchard all day.
Willie was working up on the hill.  We very mush miss the Weekly News which we have not got yet.

Sunday 26th   It was a fine day although the wind is still blowing from the E and there is a big sea outside.  Revd  E. G. Evans held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended, returned home for a solitary dinner.  In the afternoon I went over to Joe Wyatts to have a chat.
Willie went to Ti Point to spend the day.

Monday 27th   It was a fine day.  The wind is still blowing strong from the E and there is a heavy roll outside.  In the morning I was pruning trees and in the afternoon I was digging the far side of the orchard.
Willie was getting wood to make another charcoal kiln.

Tuesday 28th   The wind and sea are going down, but still it is a bit rough.  It was a fine day.
In the morning I was doing a lot of odd jobs about the house. In the afternoon I was digging in orchard .  Jane returned from Auckland in the evening in the “Energy“, she had a long rough passage, Willie went down to meet her.

Wednesday 29th   There were several showers during the day.
In the morning I was pruning.  In the afternoon Willie took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of eggs and hauled up 1 Cwt of Seed Potatoes and empty egg box.

Thursday 30th   It was a fine day.  The wind has got round to the west.  In the morning I placed ¾ Cwt of the Seed Potatoes out on a shelf in the store to sprout.  Afterwards I took ¼ Cwt of the Potatoes to Joe Wyatts to return to him what I had borrowed some time ago.
Joe gave me two small Macrocarpa trees which I planted in the row outside the orchard fence, to make up for those that had been destroyed by sheep.  In the afternoon I was digging in the far side of the orchard, I finished the strip below the Louise Bonne of Jersey pear tree.

Friday 31st   It was a fine day.  Willie went down to the Post Office in the morning to get the mail, he walked over to Ti Point in the pm and returned home in the evening.  I was digging in the orchard all day.  There was a euchre party in the Hall in the evening, Jane and I went.  I looked after the Library and catalogued 6 new magazines.