February 1922

Wednesday 1st   I raine   [sic: It rained]  all last night and the greater part of this morning, but cleared up in the afternoon.
In the morning I staid at home and made some bags for seeds.
In the afternoon Mr Barry, Government Veternarian gave a lecture in the Hall on the deseases of livestock, he was accompanied by Mr Bailey, Organiser of the Farmer’s Union.  There were not many present.  Afterwards I went down to the steamer and got the mail.

Thursday 2nd   It was a fine day with the exception of a shower in the morning.  I was up at the garden morning & afternoon.  As it was showery in the morning I shelled the Stratagem Pea seed on the back verandah.  I made two qualities.  The 1st Quality were pods containing 7 peas and more.  The 2nd Quality pods containing less than 7 peas.
in the afternoon Jim hauled up 2 loads of Danthonia seed and stored it in the old house, he hauled up for me a bag of Lime ditto of shells & manure.  I took out the sticks of 1 row Stratagem peas and tied them in bundles.

Friday 3rd   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter, afterwards went up to the garden, also in the afternoon I picked in some Canadian Wonder bean seed and did some digging.  The adjourned annual meeting of Subscribers was held in the Library in the evening, the following were elected
the Committee for the present year,  Mrs Wm Harper,  Messrs A. L. Greenwood,  D. Kempt,  H. Torkington  & Alf Dunning.

Saturday 4th   There were several showers during the day.  There was a Cricket Match at Warkworth, Eddie & Jim dove over.  Mr Shepherd of Warkworth sent me some plants last night by the mail, so I planted them this morning, they were French Marigolds Larkspur & Salvia.  I was digging below the house.

Sunday 5th   It was a fine day.  Mr Poole held service in the morning.
Jim & Miss Pemberton went & afterwards went down to the beach for dinner.  Eddie Ivy & the children drove to the Claim to spend the day with Charlina.  My head was very very bad so I staid at home & spent a quiet day, I wrote a letter to my brother Henry.

Monday 6th   It was a fine day.  Jim went to Pakiri in the morning & did not come home at night.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter to my brother Henry, afterwards went up to the garden,  in the afternoon I went up to the garden, was was [sic] digging below the house .  Also went up after tea to get some beans , was digging round an apple tree.

Tuesday 7th   It rained heavily early this morning, but it turned out a fine day.  I was up at the garden morning & afternoon digging round apple trees.  In the evening I called at the Griggs to take him the Church Grazettee,  [sic: Gazette]  also called at Willie Dunnings to take them 2 mullet that Ivy sent.  Jim returned from Pakiri in the evening.

Wednesday 8th  It was a fine day.  I was up at the garden all day.  In the afternoon I was picking and packing flowers for Johny Greenwoods & Winnie Whitaker’s wedding.

Thursday 9th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter, afterwards went up to the garden, also in the afternoon & evening I was digging round an Apple tree.
Johny Greenwood & Winnie Whitaker were married this afternoon in the Claim Hall.  Revd Poole officiated,  Ivy went to the wedding and staid for the Social in the evening.  I was invited to the Social but did not go as I had pains in my head.
It was Norris’  1st birthday.

Friday 10th   It was a very fine day.  I was up at the garden morning & afternoon digging round an apple tree & digging out convolvulus.  Went down to the Library in the evening.  Alf Dunning started his duties as Librarian.  Jim was away loading a scow with road metal.  Eddie was working at the fence at the show ground.

Saturday 11th   It was a very fine day. and there was a nice breeze blowing.  I went over to the Claim in the cream cart.  Mr & Mrs Stewart also went in the cart, all of us went up to Jim’s place, we found Mrs Dale there, and all of us had lunch there.  Afterwards we went to the Domain to witness a Cricket match between Omaha & Matakana.  Omaha did not have their best players as Angus Dunning, Jim Wyatt  & Wat Darroch had come to Leigh to fix up the pens for the Show.  In the 1st innings Omaha was only 9 ahead, but in the 2nd innings Omaha was ahead & closed their innings with only 4 wickets down.  I staid at Jims place.

Sunday 12th   It was a very fine day.  Arthur Torkington came with a boat and took me across to Ti Point, I went to Joes, there was a big party of us – Norman Smith and  Owen  [??]ivil  were there,   also Willie.  14 of us sat down to table to dinner. In the afternoon I went up to Harolds and had tea there.  Walked home in the cool of the evening.

Monday 13th   It was a fine day.  Wyatts were getting their exhibits ready for the Show.  In the afternoon I was printing names to stick on their fruit exhibits.  In the evening I burned the grass round the church.

Tuesday 14th  The weather does not look too good , the wind is N.
Wyatts were busy getting exhibits.  I was doing the same.  I took up some Onions, Red Beet, Cabbages, Homestead Beans & Peas.  I took these down to the Hall in the afternoon & took flowers down in the evening.  I am going to put in a collective of flowers, I started to arrange them .  There were a great many people in the Hall arranging their exhibits for the Show tomorrow.

Wednesday 15th   A very dull day, but it did not rain.  All of us were up early, I went up to the garden to get the remainder of my flowers. I then had breakfast and took the flowers down to the had & finished arranging my collection, after which I dressed myself and had lunch and then went down to the show & met the steamer bringing excurtionists to the show, not so many came as on other years.  I got the following prizes,  1st for Red Beet,  1st for the Largest Onions & 1st for Collection of Flowers.   I came home for tea and then went down to the hall in the evening for the Concert, the Lyne Quartette were the singers,  & I enjoyed it very much.  Was glad to get home to bed as I was very tired.

Thursday 16th   It was a finer day than yesterday as the sun came out ,  I went down to the Hall in the morning to bring up the jars and bottles I had for the flowers.  In the afternoon I was writing a report of the Show for the Rodney Times, and I posted it in the evening

Friday 17th    It was a fine day.  Went up to the garden morning & afternoon , pulled up the Onions.  Went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 18th   It was a fine day.  Warkworth Show, but none went from this house.  I went down to the village in the morning and made some calls.  Went up to the garden in the afternoon, watered the Tomatoes & shelled the Canadian Wonder seed beans.

Sunday 19th   It was a fine day, but there came over a slight misty rain in the evening.  Eddie and Ivy drove to Pakiri to spend the day, so there were only Jim, Miss Pemberton & I home for dinner & tea.
In the evening Eddie Grigg conducted an evangalistic service in the Hall, there was a very fair congregation & the singing was good.  Eddie aquitted himself very well and gave a good address.
Jim,  Mr P & I attended   ??

Monday 20th   It was a very hot day.  The boys were all day trying to make the engine go as they wanted to saw some wood.
I was up at the garden morning, afternoon & evening, gathering in seeds and putting it away in packets.

Tuesday 21st   It was a fine day, but it was blowing strong from E.
I commenced to dig a strip between the onions & the strip I dug before, I put stubble garden refuse & manure in the trenches.

Wednesday 22nd   It did not rain, but the wind was blowing strong from  E.   The Steamer went into Big Omaha, but did on account of the wind & sea, she remained there so we did not get the mail.
I finished digging the strips I started yesterday.  The boys were picking fruit & Jim carted it down to the wharf.
Mrs Ashworth & her niece Mrs Walton were here for tea & Mr Ashworth came with his car and took them home in the evening.

Thursday 23rd   It was still blowing from the E, there was very little rain during the day, but there was driving rain in the evening.  The “Kawau” came round from Big Omaha in the morning and there proceeded to Auckland, she would have a very rough trip,  Jim was down at the village and got the mail.
I was up at the garden morning & afternoon, I was making labels in the store most of the day.  I picked some blackberries for Ivy

Friday 24th   Still blowing hard from E.  In the morning I staid at home and mended some socks, and finished reading a book, a book Minnie lent me named “Greathearts”.
In the afternoon I went to Collingwood and opened 2 Kerosene tins & put handles on them.  Went for the mail in the evening.

Saturday 25th   There should have been a cricket match at Dacres, between Omaha and Matakana for the challenge cup.  The boys & Ivy started over but it came on to rain so they came back, no match.
George Eyton & his sister returned with them and had lunch here.
I went up to the garden but could do nothing outside, remained in the office reading, returned home for lunch.
In the afternoon I wrote a long letter to Willie & posted it in the evening.

Sunday 26th   Wind still easterly and a very wet day.  It was my turn to conduct service, but on account of the weather I did not go down.

Monday 27th   Wind still easterly.  It was a wet day.  It cleared a little in the afternoon, but it came on to rain again in the evening.  In the morning I wrote a long letter to Lily, Jacks wife and posted it in the afternoon, also changed my Library books.

Tuesday 28th   It was a very fine day, the wind has at last changed.
The boys after a great deal of trying got the engine to go last night, so there were sawing wood all day.  I went up to the garden after breakfast, but everything were very wet so I could not touch the ground, so I cut grass on the paths.  When I went home for dinner I found A. L. Greenwood there, he went to the garden afterwards to have a look round.  I gave him some Cauliflower & Red Beet seed and some Dahlia blooms to take to Mrs G.  After he was gone I was cutting grass on the paths also in the evening.