Thursday 1st It was a dull day, threatening for rain, but it kept off until evening when slight showers fell.
I finished planting the flower plants I got from Auckland including 8 Cactus Dahlias. I took a bunch of flowers down to the Steward of the “Kawau“, got the mail and carried up a bag of black soil.
Charlie Gravatt made a start for the stone breaker by levelling a place for the machine.
Friday 2nd It rained last night and all to day, after beakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, was not able to do any work outside.
Saturday 3rd It rained nearly all day. Wind still blowing from the E, were not able to do anything out of doors.
Sunday 4th It was a fine day and the wind has gone down, but the weather does not seem settled. The “Kawau” called in here this morning on her way to Auckland, she has been wind bound at Mangawai since last Thursday. Revd Teale conducted service in the Hall in the pm, there was a very fair congregation. Offertory 13/9 .
Monday 5th It was a fine day, dull in the morning, but very warm in the pm. Willie was hoeing the Potatoes in the farm orchard, I stuck 6 Tomato plants in the garden and was working in the flower garden. Grace rode to Ti Point in the afternoon. Leonard Raymond Wilson who is to be married to Lizzie McDevitt tomorrow came for his Marriage Certificate in the pm, afterwards I went down to the village after the arrival of the “Kawau” from Auckland to get the mail.
A scow arrived with the stone breaker, engine & timber, they will be landed tomorrow, Tom Gathercole is going to erect it
Tuesday 6th It was a fine day. After breakfast I rode over to the Claim to spend the day with Jane, in the pm Jane and I went to call on the Jas Darrochs, we returned for dinner when Jim came home from his work.
I reached home a little after dark.
Wednesday 7th There were several slight showers, but not enough to wet the ground. Willie took the Eggs down to the wharf in the morning & he hauled up two loads of Empty Cases. I also went down, they have made a start in erecting the stone breaking plant, Mr Shannon was superintending. I paid him the Church Guarantee 17/6 . I carried up a bag of sand.
Mrs Carr, Harold & her neice called in the evening. I planted 4 Dahlias and 1 Miniture Sunflower.
Thursday 8th It was a fine day. Albert gave us a kerosine tin full of Potatoes and 3 Cabbages, I went down to fetch them from Ab’s shed. Willie was spraying and digging in the orchard. I stuck the 2 clumps of Salmon Pink Sweet Peas, also planted 1 Dahlia. I carried some sand from the Koeroa creek.
Grace went to Joe Wyatts in the pm and Willie went fetch her home in the evening.
Friday 9th There were several heavy showers during the day. After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up a bag of sand.
I could not do much in the flower garden as the ground was too wet to dig, so I tied up some plants, burned some clay & got firewood. Willie hauled 2 loads of Cases up from the wharf.
Mrs Witten called in the pm & staid tea and Bertie & Lizzie came in the buggy to take her home.
I went for the mail in the evening and attended the Library.
Saturday 10th There were a few rather heavy showers, but not enough to stop work. I burned some clay in the back yard, pared the weeds off the path in the flower garden. Planted 2 Dahlia plants (Yellow) (H. F. Robertson) 5 Aquilegias & 5 Gotetias in the round bed and replanted ie filled the blanks of the Dwarf Nasturtiums, also carried up a bag of sand from the Koeroa creek.
Willie was digging in the orchard.
Sunday 11th There were some very heavy showers in the morning, but the afternoon was very fine.
Willie & Grace walked over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane. I staid at home in the morning and went down to the Hall in the pm, Revd Paris conducted service and preached an excellent sermon, after service I walked to Mr Ashworths, but they were not at home, so I went on to Harold Torkingtons where I had tea, coming home I called in to Mr Ashworths and found they had returned , they had been up to Mr Waldons to look at his garden.
Monday 12th There was a heavy shower early in the morning, the remainder of the day was fine. The wind was blowing strong from SW. Willie was digging in the orchard all day.
I planted in the flower garden 3 Cosmeas that Mrs Ashworth gave me, also 6 Phlox, which came from Mr Waldens, also 1 Acquilegia. I carried up a bag of sand from the Koeroa, went down to the village in the evening to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand.
Tuesday 13th It was a beautiful day, wind from the SW. In the morning Willie sprayed with Bordeaux mixture the Tomatoes in this garden also those in the farm orchard, he also sprayed for me some Rouvar dius & Fuchsias that have the blight. In the pm he was digging in the orchard. I was working in the flower garden, I was cutting and paring the grass on the paths also planted out some Godetras in the long bed. In the pm I went down to the village to post some letters and I carried up a bag of sand.
Wednesday 14th It was dull in the morning. I was helping Willie pick Plums, we picked 4 Cases Evans Early, 1 Do Tibbetts, 1 Do Mixed Tibbetts & Wrights Early. Willie hauled them & a Box of Eggs down to the wharf in the pm. I planted out some Godetias and Phlox. It came on a steady rain late in the afternoon.
Thursday 15th It rained early this morning, but it cleared up about the time we got up, but the grass was very wet. I wrote a letter to Mr G. Wallace & went down to post it & other letters in the pm, also got the mail which had just arrived by the “Kawau“.
Went down to the wharf and watched the men driving piles for the stone breaking machinery. After I came back I went down to the Koeroa and carried up some sand. Willie commenced cutting Danthonia in the Barley Paddock in the afternoon.
Friday 16th Willie & Ernest were cutting Danthonia in the Barley Paddock all day. Grace went to Auckland in the “Kawau” which left here at 10 am, I went down to carry her luggage & carried up a bag of sand. Soon after I got back it commenced to rain and there were heavy showers for the greater part of the afternoon. I planted out an Honesty plant.
Willie & I went down to the Hall in the evening, I attended the Library afterwards & there was a meeting of the Farmers Association, also of the Hall Committee, the chief business of the former meeting was the testing of milk.
Saturday 17th It was a fine day, but at about 6.30 pm it commenced to rain and it seems as if it had set in for a wet night. In the morning Willie & Ernest were cutting Danthonia, Willie came home for dinner and in the pm he dug round the Pumpkins in the farm orchard. I was working in the flower garden, I planted 1 Honesty plant, 2 Clumps Godetia & 1 Phlox.
Sunday 18th It was a very dull day, it had every appearance of a wet day, but there were only showers and they were light. I had intended to go up to Mr John Greenwoods, but the weather prevented me. Willie and I did not go out anywhere.
Monday 19th It was a very fine day. Willie & Ernest were cutting Danthonian in the barley Paddock all day.
In the morning I got firewood, then I dug round the Everlasting Pumpkins, planted a Scarlet Granium I got from Mr Waldens. In the pm I sieve 3 Kerosene tins full of Pine needles and spread it on the garden, also weeded the Onions.
Grace returned from Auckland in the “Kawau” at about 6.15 pm, Willie took the horse and sleigh down to meet her and hauled up a bag of lime & Graces luggage. I received a letter from my brother Henry, also from my son Henry.
Tuesday 20th It was fine in the morning. Willie & Ernest were cutting Danthonia in the Barley Paddock, but they had to knock off in the middle of the afternoon as it set in a steady rain. In the morning I was planting a Canna that Grace brought from Auckland, also a Rhubarb root, carried up some sand from the Koeroa creek.
I went to spend the evening at Archie Dunnings, we played cards, it poured with rain while I was there, but cleared up when I came home.
Wednesday 21st It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, got the mail and then went down to the beach & got a bag of sand. Willie packed a box of Eggs, picked and packed 2 Cases of Tibbetts plums and hauled them down to the wharf and hauled up a bag of Flour, a box of Groceries, a Case of Beef & empty Egg box.
Mr James Gozar who has sold his farm at Pakiri to Robert Wyatt left with his wife in the “Kawau” to live in Auckland. In the pm Willie was lying down as he had a head ache. After I returned from the village I got firewood, in the pm I was weeding Onions, dug the diamond bed and got a bag of sand from the Koeroa creek.
Thursday 22nd It was a very fine day. Willie & Ernest were cutting Danthonia on the farm all day. In the evening they caught a Ewe & 2 Lambs and tethered them in the pigs paddock. In the morning I got firewood, carried up some sand from the creek, planted out some Migmorette plants. In the pm I rode up the hill to Mr John Greenwoods but found he & his wife, then I called at Kempts where I had tea, after I got home I went down to the meet the “Kawau“, Victor Simpson & Miss Johnson came up here to stay.
Friday 23rd It was a beautiful day. Willie & Ernest were cutting Danthonia in the Barley Paddock all day. Victor rode to Ti Point in the pm returning in the evening. Harold Torkington drove over in the evening to take Ettie Johnson back with him. Willie killed a Lamb in the evening. I got firewood, weeded some onions and commenced digging in the oats.
Saturday 24th It was a beautiful day. Willie & Ernest were cutting Danthonia in the Barley Paddock in the morning. In the pm Willie was digging round the Pumpkins in the farm orchard.
My days programme was, carried sand from the Koeroa creek, got firewood, finished weeding the Onions, dug some of the Oat stubble, re-planted 2 Zinnias in the round bed.
Sunday 25th Christmas Day. There were a few slight showers, but not enough to wet the ground. We all spent a quiet day at home. In the evening I conducted service in the Hall, there was a very good congregation. Collection 12/10, which was divided between the two Bible Classes.
Monday 26th It was a beautiful day. Willie was cutting Danthonia seed in the Barley Paddock all day by himself. In the morning I got firewood, carried up sand from Koeroa and planted a Dahlia. Pilot Terra Cotta. In the pm I was cutting and fixing stakes to the Dahlias, and digging the Oat stubble.
Tuesday 27th It was a beautiful day. Willie & Ernest commenced thrashing Danthonia, Albert was helping them to day. Jimmy Haskell was carrying for them. I was working in the flower garden, I planted a clump each of Phlox & Godeetias, also replanted 1 Hunnemania & 1 Dahlia (Gladiator) that were not doing well where they were planted. I also carried up sand from the Koeroa & got firewood.
Grace walked to Ashworths & Miss Johnson came back with her.
There was a Dance in the Hall in the evening, the young people went.
Wednesday 28th It was a beautiful day. I picked 1 Case Tibbetts plums and 6 Cases Burbanks, Willie picked 2 Cases Tibbetts last night. I hauled these 9 Cases and a Box of Eggs down to the wharf in the pm for the “Kotiti” who came instead of the “Kawau“. Willie & Ernest were thrashing Danthonia, Jimmy Haskell was carrying for them.
Thursday 29th It was a beautiful day. Willie & Ernest were thrashing Danthonia. In the morning I carried sand from Koreoa, put manure round the Dahlia plants, in the pm I got firewood, went down to the beach to get sand.
Friday 30th It was a beautiful day. Willie & Ernest were thrashing Danthonia. After breakfast I carried up sand from creek, then went down to the Village to post some letters, carried up some sand. In the pm was digging the Oat stubble, got firewood. In the evening Willie killed a sheep. I went down for the mail, attended the Library.
Saturday 31st It was a beautiful day. Willie & Ernest finished thrashing Danthonia in the morning. In the pm Willie & Grace walked over to the Claim, there was a friendly Cricket Match between Omaha & Matakana and they staid for the Dance in the evening. I was working in the flower garden all day, I finished digging the Oat stubble round the Lemon tree and where the rubbish heap was, cut all the Docks that were going to seed below the house and I buried them in trenches.