August 1912

Thursday 1st   It was a very dull morning.  After breakfast Willie took a box of Eggs down to the Steamer with the horse, and hauled up 1 Sk  Sharps, 1 Sk  Bran, before he got home it commenced to rain and rained continuously all day.
In the morning I got wood the other side of the hill & finished pruning the Roses in the diamond bed.
In the afternoon we could do nothing outside.

Friday 2nd   It was a very fine day, the wind has gone round to the S and the ground is drying up nicely.
In the morning I was cutting tea tree in the front.  Willie was making an Egg box.  In the afternoon Grace went down to the Hall to help cut up sandwiches for the concert this evening.  I went down to help outside the Hall.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library. The Concert got up by Mrs Gravatt commenced at 8 pm.  I was chairman £2 . 7 . 0  was taken at the door which is to go to the Hall funds.  there was dancing afterwards and refreshments.  We got home at 3 am.

Saturday 3rd  There were several showers during the day.  We did not get up very early.  After breakfast Willie walked over to Ti Point to fish for piper and brought home a few and a bottle of oysters.
I got firewood the other side of the hill, went down to the steamer in the afternoon  to get the meat, took the Engineer some flower plants and the Steward some violets.

Sunday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Revd O. Blundell held service in the Hall in the morning.  I attended.
In the afternoon I went up to Mr Handbys and staid tea, there was quite a large party there.

Monday 5th   It rained all morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon.
Ernest Wyatt came to see Willie.
In the afternoon I got some firewood the other side of the hill, afterwards cut some tea tree out in the front.

Tuesday 6th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail that came last night.
Willie and I were cutting tea tree in the front all day.

Wednesday 7th   It was a fine day with the exception of misty rain late in the pm.  In the morning I got firewood, then pruned some roses, and cut tea tree in the front.
Elsie Birdsall came to spend the day & I gave her a lot of young flower plants.
Went down to the Steamer in the pm and got the mail, carried up some sand.

Thursday 8th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning Willie took the horse down to the beach with a box of Eggs and 7 Cases of Apples (Red Warriors) the last of his apples. I went down and carried a lot of sand over to the wharf and Willie hauled it up for me.  We were all cutting tea tree in the pm.

Friday 9th   There were a few slight showers.  In the morning I got firewood, afterwards I was making the plans and estimates of timber for building a summer house.
In the afternoon I was helping Willie cut tea tree in the front.
In the afternoon walked to Ti Point and staid.  I went down for the mail in the evening and attended the Library,  I sent Alma Wallace a box of violets , the mail was closed here so had to post them on board the Steamer.

Saturday 10th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was cutting tea tree in the front all day.  Mr Roose came in the morning, Willie gave him a small order, we showed him the sulky and harness and he was very pleased with it.
In the morning I got firewood & got the dinner ready.  In the afternoon I attended a meeting of Church people in the Library, 6 persons attended, we agreed to guarantee £10  a year to the Warkworth Parochial district.

Sunday 11th   It was a very fine morning.  Willie walked to Ti Point and I walked to the Claim, we walked together as far as the Ti Point school, I called in at Jas Darrochs before I went to Jims place, we were going to Mr Whitakers in the afternoon but there came on a heavy shower of rain.  Revd Paris conducted service in the Claim hall in the evening, Jim, Jane, Hector & I attended , there were only 15 present all told, Mr Paris returned to Warkworth afterwards.

Monday 12th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was pruning fruit trees all day.  I got a lot of firewood and was working in the flower garden, raised the path near the rubbish heap and put gravel on the path.  In the evening I went up to Willie Dunnings he was away helping to load the scow with posts at Goat Island beach and he did not get home till late.

Tuesday 13th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter, then went to the wharf – the “Kawau” was very late coming, the tide was very low and the steamer could not get alongside of the wharf, the fish was boated out to her, Dan Kempt had some  fish  sheep to go away, but the steamer would not take them.
I carried up a bag of sand, when I got home I was working in the flower garden carrying soil to raise the border near the rubbish heap, was also weeding round the daffodils.  Willie planted some young peach trees in the pigs paddock, and commenced replanting the strawberries.

Wednesday 14th   It was a dull morning and it came on a misty rain about mid day.  After breakfast I dug up a Crimson Rambler rose tree for Jane and some small flower plants for Mrs Birdsall Senr  and packed them up, after that I was helping Willie plant strawberries, he finished them in the rain just before dinner, he has planted 7 rows containing 127 plants.  In the afternoon Willie and I went down to the steamer, I sent the Rose bush round by the steamer to the top wharf.  Some timber came by the steamer for me and Willie hauled some of it up for me.

Thursday 15th   My 69th birthday.  It rained a good deal last night and the ground and roads were very wet this morning which before had dried up nicely.
Willie & I went down to the wharf to haul the timber for the summer house.  I sawed the long lengths up into pieces to carry better on the catamaran, and Willie hauled it up in two loads, the roads were very heavy and it was hard work hauling .
In the afternoon it came on a steady misty rain.  I got wood the side of the hill.

Friday 16th   It was a fine day, but the ground is very wet after all the rain we had yesterday and last night.
I was helping Willie cut tea tree in the front in the morning.
In the afternoon I was making a pinnacle for the summer house.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library
Willie took the horse down to the wharf in evening and hauled up a bag of seed potatoes that was just landed.

Saturday 17th   It was a fine day, ‘tho dull.  Willie went fishing to Ti Point and brought home some pipers and other small fish.
In the morning I got firewood and was making the pinnicle.  Jim came and brought me a cake that Jane sent for my birthday, he staid for lunch.  In the afternoon I finished the pinnicle, then took the X cut saw into the bush the other side of the hill and sawed off two puriri house blocks and carried 1 home.

Sunday 18th   It was a fine day, wind SE but inclined to come from the S.  In the morning I went up to Mr Handbys  to see how he was getting on after his fall off the wharf, and found that he is improving nicely, returned home for dinner and afterwards we all went down to Church.  Mr J. Pigott (Student) conducted service in the absence of Revd Macdonald who has not thoroughly recovered from his accident,  there were 42 present, Collection 21/4.  Mr Pigott read us a very good sermon of Dr Whittington Ingram, Bishop of London.

Monday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was making an Egg box.
I started making the frame of the summer house, I cut the ground plates and halved them in at the corners.
In the evening I went down to Archie Dunnings, we played at bridge.

Tuesday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Willie cleared out the Store, and laid the seed potatoes out to shoot.
I pegged out the site of the summer house and put two house blocks in.
Mrs Dale came to get her signature witnessed.  There was a dance in the Hall in the evening , Willie had a bad head ache so neither he nor Grace went.  I went and was playing bridge, there were a good number present.
After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail, went across to the creek to get some sand,  Mr Tom Gathercole and his men came to start the wharf and Mr Shanon was pegging it out.

Wednesday 21st   It was a very fine day, wind from S.  After breakfast I took up some small plants for Mrs D. Matheson, sawed off some house blocks and fixed one in the ground.  In the afternoon Willie took a box of Eggs and the plants for Mrs D. Matheson down to the wharf and he hauled up empty egg box, tin of lime and a bag of sand for me.  I was also down at the wharf when the steamer came.

Thursday 22nd   It was a very fine day.  I was working at the summer house.  I put in six house blocks.
Willie was pruning trees and he commenced digging in the pigs paddock for potatoes.

Friday 23rd   It was fine in the morning, but later on it came over dull and there were a few slight showers.
Willie sprayed the trees with Beauxdeau mixture.
I finished putting in the blocks to the outside plates of the summer house, then I cut the wall plates and halved them in at the corners.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.
The “Kawau” was late coming in from Mangawai, there were 160 bundles of fish going away from here.

Saturday 24th   There was rain last night, but it was very fine today.
After breakfast I walked over to the Claim.  The roads were very heavy on account of the rain last night and so many cattle being driven along the road this morning,  had dinner at Jims, Mabel was there.  After dinner I went over the hill to see Mr Sadler who has lately lost his wife, had afternoon tea there and then went up to Mr Bowden Birdsalls, was shown over their new house which is very large and convenient,  Bowden who was driving cattle came in before I left and we had a chat together,  returned to Jims and in the evening we went to a dance at the Hall, there were only a few there so Jane and I came home early, staid there all night.

Sunday 25th   It was a very fine day.  Jim took us up in the boat to Mr Bonds to spend the day.  In the afternoon we took a walk up to Johny Williams place which adjoins Mr Bonds.  Got back to Jims place just before dark.  Staid at Jims all night.

Monday 26th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I left Jims, called at Mr Ashworths & Joe Wyatts on my way home, the road has dried up a lot since Saturday.
After dinner I went to Willie Dunnings and then went down to the village to get the mail, in the evening there was a meeting of ratepayers in the Library about the new wharf,  I was Chairman, Charlie Wyatt was present  & explained matters.

Tuesday 27th   It was a fine day.  Willie was digging round the young trees in the pigs paddock for potatoes.  I was planing  the studs for the summer house.  Eddie Wyatt spent evening here.

Wednesday 28th   It was fine in the morning, but came over a misty rain in the afternoon.  In the morning Willie was digging in the pigs paddock, I was helping him for awhile.
I finished planing the studs for the summer house.  In the afternoon Willie took the Eggs down to the steamer I also went down, a Jersey bull calf came up for Willie it was bred by Mr Pearson of Avondale and sent down by Fred Davey.  Willie hauled home 2 Sacks manure & empty egg box.

Thursday 29th   The wind was blowing very strong from NE a big sea outside, there were showers of rain.
I was planing material for the summer house.

Friday 30th   Wind still blowing strong it has got more round to the N.  Willie took the horse down to the beach in the morning and hauled up the remainder of the manure,  I went down to the store in the pm to get some nails, when I came back I tarred and nailed to ground plates to the house blocks in the summer house.  In the pm Willie was digging in the pigs paddock.  I got firewood & planed rafters.  In the evening I went down for the mail, the steamer did not come on account of the weather, so we only got the overland mail, I attended the Library.

Saturday 31st   It was raining when we got up this morning. but it cleared up and the sun came out, but in the afternoon it came on to rain again.
Willie walked to Ti Point and brought home a few fish.
In the morning I got firewood  and cut some house blocks off and carried them home.   Went down to the village, took Mrs Archie Dunning some flowers, expected the meat from Mangawai but the Steamer never went down last night on account of the weather.
Pruned the Cloth of Gold Rose and the Crimson Rambler that are growing up the verander.