August 1907

Thursday 1st   It was a fine day.  In the morning I finished putting in the socket pipes & I filled in the earth over them.
In the afternoon I went down to the Steamer, Joe, Minnie & Agnes & Arthur were on board the “Kawau” going to Auckland.
I was also down to the village in the evening for the mail & at the Library.

Friday 2nd   It was very wet early in the morning, but it cleared up and turned out a fine day, but the wind is still blowing strong from SE.   In the morning I got a good supply of firewood.  Willie came home from Ti Point in the morning, in the afternoon he & I filled in the hole at the corner where the water used to lie.

Saturday 3rd   It was a beautiful day and the wind has got round to the S.  In the morning I did some concreting and got firewood.  In the afternoon Jane & I went down to the beach to bag up gravel for the Tennis Court, Mabel was also there.

Sunday 4th   It was a beautiful day.  In the morning Willie went to Ti Point to be in readiness for digging gum tomorrow.  Jane went to the beach.  In the afternoon I went up to Mr Handbys and spent a very pleasant afternoon, and staid for tea.

Monday 5th   It did not rain but it was a most uncomfortable day, the wind is round at the east again blowing strong.  In the morning I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up a lot of gravel and sand.  In the afternoon I did some concreting.  In the evening I wrote a letter to Jack.

Tuesday 6th   After milking the cows, feeding fowls &c in the morning, it set in to rain and rained all day with scarcely a fine spell.  In the morning Jane went down to the cottage and remained all day sewing

Wednesday 7th   It rained heavily all last night and nearly all today.  The rain has beaten the wind & sea down, but the wind has not changed from the east.
I wrote a long letter to my sister Fanny.  I went down to the store in the pm to sell some Eggs,  I waited for the “Kawau“, but she did not come, so went home.

Thursday 8th   It rained all last night and all the morning, it cleared up a little in the afternoon & was quite fine in the evening and the wind has got round to the SW.  I could not do much out of doors , but get some firewood.
Jane was down at the Cottage sewing.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended to the Library.  I received a letter from my sister Fanny telling me of the death of her dear husband Charles Way.

Friday 9th   It was a showery day.  Jane was down at the Cottage all day sewing.  I got a lot of firewood.

Saturday 10th   The wind has changed round to the W, but we had a lot of westerly showers.  I was making a fastening for the bottom gate.  Willie returned from Ti Point after dark.

Sunday 11th   It was a fine day, with the exception of a few showers. The weather is a bit colder the  [wind] being SW.
Jane went to Ti Point in the morning intending to stay all night.  Willie returned to Ti Point in the pm to be in readiness to dig gum tomorrow.
The “Kapanui” returned from Whangarei calling in here at 3 pm bringing the footballers back.
I remained at home all day.

Monday 12th   It had every promise of a fine day, but towards noon there was a change, the wind shifted round to the E again and it rained all afternoon .  In the morning I did some concreting .  In the evening Jane returned from Ti Point.

Tuesday 13th   It was fine first thing in the morning, but after breakfast there was a heavy shower of rain, after that it cleared up for a while.
I went down to the P.O to post a letter I had written to Noel.  There were a lot of sheep down there waiting to go up by the “Kawau” and she called in here about 12 .45 pm.  There were heavy showers during the afternoon , between them I went up the hill getting firewood.

Wednesday 14th  It was the finest day we have had for some time. The wind has got round to the SW.  In the morning I was getting some stones to pave the cow bail with.
In the morning Jane went down to the Cottage to sew, and from there she went down to the Steamer.  In the afternoon I cemented two pieces of the path.

Thursday 15th   My 64th birthday.  The day was tolerably fine, only a few showers.
In the morning I went down to the village to post a letter and to take some Eggs for Joe Wyatt for setting.  In the afternoon I got a lot of firewood.  Jane went down for the mail and attended to the Library in the evening.

Friday 16th   It was a very fine day, but a heavy shower in the evening.  I did a bit of concreting going to the garden gate, afterwards I put in the kerbing to the path leading to the bridge.

Saturday 17th   It was a fine day, with the exception of a shower or two.  There was a working bee at the Tennis Court to drain it and form another court on the lower side of it.  Willie and I took the bullock down and hauled up three loads of gravel to the court to put on the top of the drain tiles.  Albert Wyatt was also hauling with Walter Frearson’s horses.  He hauled up the drain pipes and several loads of gravel.  We hauled some gravel up here also 100 lbs Flour that we got at Harpers store.
Walter Frearson came up here for tea and spent the evening.

Sunday 18th   Hettie & Honor Wyatt came to spend the day.
Willie returned to Ti Point in the afternoon.  In the morning the weather was very fine, but the sky soon became overcast and it rained steadily in the middle [of the day]
In the afternoon I went down to the Hall, Revd Jory was there, but on account of the weather there were so few there that he gave us a Bible reading, a prayer and a few hymns.

Monday 19th   First thing in the morning it was raining steadily, but after breakfast it cleared up.  There was also a heavy shower in the afternoon, but otherwise the weather was fine.
Jane was down at the Cottage all day sewing.
In the morning I was getting firewood on the hill, in the pm I did some concreting and fixed up a panel of paling fence in the pigs paddock.

Tuesday 20th   It was a showery day.  I fixed up all the gaps in the fence in the pigs paddock.  In the afternoon I went down to the Store to pay my Sheep tax, called at the Library to change my books.
In the evening Eddie Wyatt came to practice music with Jane.  Mabel came also and staid all night.

Wednesday 21st   It was a beautiful day, the finest we have had for some time, not a drop of rain.
Mabel helped Jane with her washing and they went down to the Steamer in the afternoon.
I commenced pruning in the orchard.

Thursday 22nd   It was very fine in the morning.  I did some cementing, also planted out 2 Wrights Early Plums in the orchard and cut down a Hobbs Late Peach.
There were heavy showers in the afternoon and evening.  I went down for the mail in the evening.

Friday 23rd   It was fine in the morning.  I did some pruning in the orchard.  In the afternoon I went down to meet the “Kawau” from Auckland.  Revd McWilliam arrived by her and he came up here to stay.  There was a Euchre party in the Hall in the evening, Jane and Revd McWilliam went.

Saturday 24th   It was a showery day, wind at the W.   Willie returned from Ti Point in the morning.  I went down to meet the “Kawau” to try and get some meat, afterwards went up to the Hall to clear out.
In the afternoon I got a lot of firewood.  Lent Empress to Mr McWilliam to go up to John Greenwoods.

Sunday   It was a fine day.  Revd McWilliam held service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a good congregation, the offertory was
£1 . 0 . 3.  8 partook of the communion.
There was a slight shower in the evening.

Monday 26th   There was a heavy shower in the morning, after that it was fine.  I was doing some concreting.
Willie was making a pair of paddles.
Revd McWilliam returned from Dacres Claim.  Mabel Wyatt was here in the evening playing cards and staid all night.

Tuesday 27th   It was a fine day.   Willie was making his paddles.  I was doing some concrete.

Wednesday 28th   There was a slight shower in the morning, but with the exception of that it was a very fine day.  Minnie came over here just in time for lunch.
After lunch we all went down to John Wyatts to be present at the marriage of Oscar Zanders and Honor Wyatt, all the relations and friends of both families were present , Revd McWilliam performed the marriage ceremony.  Ben Smith who had come up from Auckland on purpose took a photograph of the wedding group , also of the newly married couple.  Tea and supper was provided for the guests and the evening was spent in dancing, games & cards.  In the evening the married couple departed for their new home at warkworth .  Minnie went home with us, when we arrived home we found Fred Simpson & Ken Wallace in bed, having arrived by the “Kawau” this afternoon without our knowing it.

Thursday 29th   It was a fine day.  Minnie returned to Ti Point in the morning.  Fred & Ken went with her.  Jane & I went to see Mr McWilliam off, the steamer leaving here about noon .  I was also down in the village in the evening  for the mail and to attended the Library.

Friday 30th   It was very showery in the morning.  Willie & I took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up 1 Sack Sharps & 1 Sack Bran, we got wet.  Fred and Ken returned from Ti Point in the afternoon.

Saturday 31st   It was a wet day.  Joe came over in the morning and he brought us some pork, he had lunch here and Fred returned with him in the afternoon.