February 1927

Tuesday 1st   Weather still threatening, but we are not getting any quantity of rain to do any good to the garden, only a few slight showers.  Mr Schollum came to day, he was making & hanging doors for the cupboards in the kitchen and sitting room.  I was not able to do anything in the garden.  Wrote letters to my nephew and niece, Elliot and Margaret Clarke, children of my late brother Henry who live at Sydenham near London.

Wednesday 2nd   It rained last night pretty heavily and it has gone deeply into the ground.  So I took up the Daffodil bulbs.  Mr Schollum was working here to day.

Thursday 3rd   It was a fine day.  Mr S. was working here to day, he papered the sitting room and it looks very nice.  Hector took the horse to Matakana to be shod.

Friday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here, he finished the sitting room, he then scrimmed the passage.  Jim & I were getting the exhibits for the show tomorrow.

Saturday 5th   It was a very hot day.  The Omaha and Pakiri Show was held at Leigh to day.  Alf Dunning brought his car over to take us.  As I was going to stay a few days at Mr Wallaces at Big Omaha I took a few things in a hamper.  Jim was showing a few head of cattle so Hector rode to drive them.  Jim also exhibited vegetables,  & Jean exhibited fancy work and preserves, and got prized.  I had 2 ex of Homestead beans & got 2nd prize.  Minnie & Mrs Ted Brown catered in a marque, the committee gave me a complimentary ticket & I had dinner in the tent.  There were about 60 cars parked on the road which had brought people to the show.  The steamer from Auckland only brought a few passengers.  The exhibits in the hall were very good, vegetables, fruit jams &c  and cookery.  There were some good cattle, few sheep.  The heat was so intense so that instead of people watching the horse events, they were sitting down under the shelter of the trees.  I met many old friends.
Jane was taking Jean to Auckland  to go to the Teckinal School,  [sic]  [This may be the Seddon Memorial Technical Collage in Wellesly St East]  and would go in the steamer to night.
Laurence Whitaker, Alma & Mr & Mrs Wallace were there in their car and I returned with them in the car to Big Omaha to stay at Wallaces.

Sunday 6th   It was another very hot day.  In the afternoon Laurence took us in the car down to the Sand Spit at Lower Matakana.  Mr Wallace showed me the place he was born.  I enjoyed the trip very much.

Monday 7th   Another very hot day, I had a look round Mr Wallaces place.

Tuesday 8th   Another very hot day.  In the morning I went to Willie Dunnings had a look round his place and dined there.

Wednesday 9th   A very fine day and hot, but there was a nice breeze blowing.  In the morning I called at Laurences and started to walk to Jack Matthew’s,  but Dr Whetter overtook me in his car and gave me a lift.  Jack was not at home, but Mrs Jack showed me round her flower garden and gave me afternoon tea, I then went to Mr Bromleys and had dinner there, he was taking in his hay & Gordon Matthew and a young Robieson were helping him.   On my way home Mr & Mrs Day overtook me in their car and gave me a lift to Mr Wallace’s gate.  They were going to a kitchen tea at Wiff Meiklejohns tennis court for Miss Schollum who is about to be married to Mr Withers, Postmaster at Matakana, there were a good many there from Matakana in cars.   Willie & Annie Dunning spent the eveg here.

Thursday 10th   It was a very fine day.  I went up to Laurences in the morning and to the dimensions and made a plan of his cowshed, also went down to the creek to see the ram,  had morning tea there.

Friday 11th   There was a very heavy shower about six oclock this morning.  I walked up to Lew Meiklejohns, Henry Brown was there being Mrs Lews  father and an old settler at Pakiri, he was an old friend of mine so we had a great chat of old times..
In the evening Laurence took me back to Jim’s in the car,  Alma, Mr & Mrs Wallace accompanied us to have a look at the improvements to the house.

Saturday 12th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum came to work but only staid a few hours as he was going to the Warkworth Show.  Jim was painting the house.  I watered the beans & filled the cask.

Sunday 13th   It was a very fine day.  Revd Rouprecht held service in the hall in the morning, there was a very fair congregation.  Collection 15/7.  The Parson went to Whitakers for lunch.  Jim did not go as he fell of the stage yesterday while painting and hurt his leg.

Monday 14th   It was a very hot day.  Jim was painting the house.  Hector went to Wallaces in the cream cart and brought back a piece of oilcloth that Mrs W  had given Jane.  Harry & Mrs Ellis came in their car in the afternoon and staid the night.

Tuesday 15th   It was a fine day, but in the evening it came over cloudy and there is every indication of rain which will be very acceptable.  Harry & Mrs Ellis left this morning, they were going to his nephew’s Bert Eytons on the gum flat.  Miss Schollum was the be married to Mr Withers to day.

Wednesday 16th   There was very heavy rain last night which has sunk deeply into the ground.  Everything was so wet I was not able to do anything in the garden in the morning, so I did odd jobs.  We were getting vegetables ready to send to Jean.
It was the Wellsford Show to day , we saw lorries passing taking people to it.

Thursday 17th   It was a fine day.  Mr Schollum commenced work again to day after his daughter’s wedding, he worked 9 hours.  Jane sent a box of vegetables up to Alma Smith by the steamer.  I rooted out all the weeds under the Passion Fruit frame and a general clear up.

Friday 18th   It was a very fine day.  Mr S came to work to day, but it was rather showery, so he went home again, but as it cleared up bright in the afternoon he came back to work again.  Tom Chitty came in the pm to look at this house, he is going to get Mr Schollum to build him one like it at Big Omaha.  I pulled up the sticks of the first sown peas and prepared the ground for digging.  Posted a Weekly News to my nephew Elliot Clarke.

Saturday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum did not come to day as he was going to Waiwera Show.  I started to trench the piece of ground I started to clear yesterday.

Sunday 20th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I went down to Pats to change my library book and to have a chat with Pat.  Mr Milligan held service in the hall in the afternoon, all the others went, but I staid at home as I am so deaf I can’t hear him.

Monday 21st   It was fine in the morning, but it came on a driving rain with wind in the afternoon.  Mr Schollum came to day and put the finishing touches on the house, so that the house is now finished. He has put in very conscientious work and everything looks very nice and up to date.  I continued trenching the piece of ground, but had to leav off the afternoon on act  of the weather.  I sowed a short row of Homestead Beans  – extra quality seed.

Tuesday 22nd   There was a heavy shower in the morning and also one in the afternoon  between which the weather was fine.  I continued trenching the piece of ground.
The Duke & Duchess of York were to arrive and land at Auckland this morning.

Wednesday 23rd   It was a very fine day.  Jim was painting the roof of the house.  I finished trenching the piece of ground.  In the afternoon I walked round to Whitakers, but met them coming down their road in a car they had just bought, they were going to Warkworth, so I went on to Birdsalls, Murray brought me to our gate in their car, as he was on his way to Leigh.

Thursday 24th   It was a very fine day.  It was Jim’s birthday, Jane made a cake for our tea.  Jim was painting the roof of the house.
I went down to Pats to have a look at yesterday’s paper containing the landing of the Duke & Duchess of York.

Friday 25th   It was a fine day, but it looks like rain  and there was a little in the evening.  Jane & Hector took some exhibits over to Matakana Show in the cream lorry, they report that the Hall is full of exhibits.

Saturday 26th   It rained all last night and it was raining and blowing strong from the SE.  It was misty and light rain all day.  Hector went round to the shop and heard that the Matakana Show was put off to next Monday.

Sunday 27th   It turned out a fine day.  Mr Evans came to hold service in the hall in the morning, but as Jane, Hector & Mildred were the only ones present, there was no service.
In the afternoon we had a lot of visitors, Mr & Mrs Whitaker & Laddie, and Mrs Williams & her three girls.  After partaking of afternoon tea, they all went to look at the garden.

Monday 28th   It was a very fine day.  On account of rain on Saturday the Matakana Show was put off until to day.  Jim,  Jane,  Hector, & Mildred went in Tom Ashton’s lorry, nearly everyone around here went, I was the only one that staid at home..  The Show was a great success.  Jane, Jim, & Jean got a few prizes.
I picked some Homestead beans that were sown on 30th Dec,
4 weeks last Thursday.

Rall fall for February was 8.4 inches.  Rain fell on 12 days.  Maximum fall for one day was on the 15th when 2.7 inches was recorded.