February 1916

Tuesday 1st   It was a fine day. Wind still blowing from the E.
Willie had to shoot Beauty (Heifer) as she has been sick a long time, on opening her he found that the cause was stoppage of the bowels. I finished digging the piece of ground that was in Oats.
In the afternoon I went down to the village to post some letters.
Men are widening the road going down to the wharf.
Mrs Simpson returned from Ti Point in the evening.

Wednesday 2nd   It was a fine day. I went down to the village in the afternoon.  I got some meat, a new butcher came to day in place of Percy Laycock, he has gone to Civils at Warkworth.
I was down at the wharf when the steamer came in, the Captain gave me a paper.

Thursday 3rd   It was a very calm day.   Grace went to Auckland in the “Kawau” at 8am, Willie drove her down in the sulky.   Dave came and he and Willie were thrashing danothinia, which they finished.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Friday 4th   It was showery all day.  I got firewood and then I washed the sulky as Willie Dunning was going to drive me to Warkworth tomorrow as Omaha Cricket Club is going to play against Kaipara at Warkworth.   I went to Charlie Wyatts to get a sample of Wheat to take to the Editor of the Rodney Times, afterwards I went down to the village to meet the steamer from Auckland, but when I got down there I heard that she was not coming to day on account of the weather, I also heard that the cricket match had been put off for the same reason.  It blew a hurricane and it smashed down some Dahlias.

Saturday 5th   It was very fine in the morning. I was sorry that our trip to Warkworth was put off, but in the afternoon I changed my mind as it thundered and poured with rain which would make the roads in a terrible state.   I read in the Weekly News this morning that the steamer “Squall” was wrecked near East Cape, she had on board 400 bales of Wool which she had loaded at Te Araroa and was bound fro Napier, she sank in 20 fathoms of water and no possibility of getting her up.  I was wondering whether the boys had Wool on board her, so I sent a wire to them to enquire.
Willie went fishing late in the pm and brought home some schnappers and rock cods.

Sunday 6th   It was a very fine day.  I held service in the Church in the afternoon. There were present 25 – Collection 7/2. Jane & Minnie were present.  After Church I got a wire from the boys saying that they had no Wool on board the “Squall” that was wrecked at East Cape.  I was much relieved to get this news.

Monday 7th   It was a very fine day.  Minnie & Jane came over in the morning to gather blackberries, I helped them we got 3 billies full, they had lunch here and then they went up to say good bye to Mrs Handby who has sold her place and is leaving this week, they called in here for their billies of blackberries on their way home.
Willie was cultivating with the horse in the orchard in the afternoon.
I went down to the village at 6 pm to get the mail.

Tuesday 8th   It was a very hot day. In the morning I went down to the village to post some letters.
Willie was thrashing cocksfoot seed.   Mr John Burton & Lizzie Witten called in the morning.  In the evening I planted 14 Cabbage plants that Minnie & Jane brought from Mrs Handbys Swedish Giant Cabbage.

Wednesday 9th   It was a very hot day.  Willie was cultivating in this orchard.  We put the cows out in the front paddock.   In the afternoon I went down to the steamer and got the mail, a good many passengers came up.  Grace sent a newspaper and a bag of bananas.

Thursday 10th   It was a very fine day.  I sowed 1 Row of Dun Beans the upper side of the house.   Minnie, Alma, Agnes, Dorothy and Edith came to pick blackberries, I helped them, Willie took the butter & eggs down to the wharf & he hauled home 1 Sack of Maize & a bag of manure, afterwards he sowed 2 Rows of Garden Swede turnip top side of the house.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Friday 11th   It was a very fine day.  The wind is from the SW and is much cooler.   It was a busy day with me as I am going to Warkworth tomorrow, I got two loads of firewood, cut the grass on the garden path, took up a clump of Jonquils near the front gate and re planted them, planted out 2 Zinnias, 3 Yellow Cornflowers & 2 Mauve do  & 4 Antirrhinums.
Willie sowed broadcast John Bull Turnips with manure in the potato ground the topside of the house, and also in the upper side of the strawberry bed which have died out.  In the evening Willie & Mrs Simpson went down to meet the steamer.

Saturday 12th   It was a very fine day. There was a nice cool breeze blowing which made it very pleasant.
Willie Dunning brought his horse here early in the morning to get my sulky to take me to Warkworth, we picked up Joe Torkington at the Ti Point Road.  There was a cricket match at Warkworth between Omaha and Kaipara Flats, each side had two innings, Kaipara beat by 16 runs.   I called on Mr Roydhouse,  Editor of the Rodney, I took him a sample of wheat grown by J. C. Wyatt and had a long chat with him, also called on Mr Goerty coming back.   I got out at Jims & staid the night.

Sunday 13th   It was a very fine day.  Willie drove Mrs Simpson over to spend the day with Jim & Jane, we all went to church in the Claim Hall in the afternoon.   Mr Baldwin a Presbyterian student officiated, Minnie & Agnes returned with us to Jims where we all had tea, and we drove home in the evening.  I got out at the Leigh Hall and attended service in the evening, where I heard the same sermon as this afternoon.

Monday 14th   It was bright in the morning, dull in the afternoon and fine rain in the evening.   In the morning I went down to the Library to catalogue the book that came last Friday night from the Book Exchange, in the afternoon I straightened up the office and planted a row of Celery that Grace sent from Auckland.  Willie sowed John Bull Turnips in the orchard and harrowed it afterwards and in the afternoon he picked and packed Pears (Beurre Capiumont).

Tuesday 15th   It was a very dull morning.  I was working in the flower garden, I weeded the long bed and found that since the rain a lot of seedling flower plants have come up.   I planted in this bed 4 Double Pink Godetia, 4 Yellow Cornflower & 4 Balsams.   It came on to rain just before noon so I had to leave off.  Willie picked & packed Pears for market which he hauled down to the wharf, and after he got fruit for the show and took it down to the Hall in the evening.

Wednesday 16th   It was a very fine in the morning. I got up early and picked my flowers for the Show before breakfast.  Willie took his cow & Heifers down, and I went down to arrange my collection of flowers.
It was a Patriotic Show, not many prizes were given and all the takings were given to the Sick & Wounded Soldiers fund.  I had lunch at Archie Dunnings and afterwards went down to meet the Steamer coming from Auckland.  Mr Woods came up by her.  The Warkworth town Band was in attendance.   I got 1st Prize for my flowers,  Willie got 2nd Prize for Collectn  Fruit,  3rd Prize for Kate,  1st for Prinmie & 2nd Prize Pansy.  Grace got several Prizes.
It came on to rain steadily in the afternoon and we came home for tea and did not go down again.  There was no concert but an auction stall and a Dance. Mr Woods came and staid at our place.

Thursday 17th   It was a fine day.
Mr Glass came to help Willie sieve danthonia. I went down to the village in the evening to get the mail and attend to the Library.

Friday 18th   It was a fine day.
I was making Kerbing and fixing it in the flower garden. Dave was here sieving danthonia,  Revd Cair came up by the “Kawau” in the afternoon,  Mr Ashworth was down to the wharf to meet him with his motor car,  Revd Southern was also over.  Revd Cair gave a Lecture in the Hall in the evening on Charles Kingsley, he also played on the violin and sang several songs, the Miss Dunnings played, also Mr & Mrs Glass.  All of us went and enjoyed a very pleasant evening.

Saturday 19th   It was a fine day.  I was working in the flower garden. Willie & Mr Woods went fishing in the afternoon.
Revd Cair gave a Lecture at Pakiri in the evening. Mr & Mrs Glass spent the evening here, we had music, they staid the night.

Sunday 20th   It was a fine day.
Willie, Grace and Mrs Simpson drove up to John Greenwoods to spend the day.  Mr Woods & I went to Church in the pm,  Revd Carr preached a very excellent sermon, afterwards Mr W & I went to Mr Glass for tea.

Monday 21st   It was a fine day. Dave and Willie were sieving danthonia.  I was making and fixing Kerbing in the flower garden, went down to the village in the afternoon to get the mail.
Mr Woods went out fishing and brought home a few schnappers, it is his last night with us, we played 500.

Tuesday 22nd   It was a fine day.
Dave carted 6 Sacks of Danthonia down to the wharf to send away to day.
I went down to the beach and carried some sand across to the wharf and Dave carted it up to our place.   Mr Woods returned to Auckland by the steamer.
Dave was helping Willie pick Pears in the afternoon.  Mrs Simpson walked over to Ti Point to stay with Harold & Flo’.

Thursday 24th   It was a very fine day.  Willie hauled the fruit that he and Dave picked down to the wharf after breakfast and he brought up three egg boxes and two bags of sand for me, he then dressed himself and went down to meet the steamer and went with her to Auckland.  I went down to the village and got a P.O.  O for 2/6 to send to Mrs Duggan Cleveden,  St Johns Road,  Altringham,  Cheshire, England for a little book she wrote entitled “The Door in the Wall”.
Saw Willie off by the steamer and then went round to Peter’s place but he was out fishing.   I carried up a bag of sand.
May Dunning came in the afternoon to pick some blackberries, I helped her.
Got the mail & attended Library in the evening.

Friday 25th   It was a very hot day.
I went over to the farm orchard and picked in the seed Stratagem Peas, and some green beans.  Grace & I went down to meet the “Kawau” in the evening, she arrived about 8.30 pm.  Willie returned from Auckland by her.

Saturday 26th   It was a very fine day.  Dave came and he helped Willie spray in this orchard in the morning, and they finished digging the Potatoes in the farm orchard in the afternoon. There was a Tennis match at the Claim in the afternoon between Pakiri & the Claim, but none of us went.  Grace and I went to the village in the afternoon, Grace swept the Church and arranged flowers, & I trimmed the lamps & carried up some sand.

Sunday 27th   It was a very fine day. Willie & Grace drove over to Ti Point in the morning and brought Mrs Simpson home with them.   All of us went to church in the evening.  Revd  R. A. Macdonald officiated, congregation about 25.  Collection 8/-.
Flo & Edith who were at church staid here all night.

Monday 28th   There was a heavy shower in the morning. The wind is blowing SE.
After breakfast I went down to the Hotel to have a talk to Revd Macdonald.  Willie and Dave were cleaning Danthonia.  I was fixing Kerbing in the flower garden and digging out docks & convolvulus below the wire netting fence.

Tuesday 29th   It was a fine day but the wind is from  SE.
After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail, but I found that the “Kawau” did not come last night on account of the E wind, but she came in about 10 am so I got the mail.
Willie & Dave were cleaning Danthonia.  I got firewood, cut the grass on the path, got some peaty soil from the swamp & took up and replanted a clump of Narcissus (Grande Monarque) and replanted them near the lower gate.  In the afternoon took the heifer (Princess) to the Bull down near the Goat Island.