January 1897

Friday 1st   It was a fine day.   I was cutting some Tall Fescue in the E.R. in the morning.  In the afternoon we all went over to the Picnic at the Maori Hall, Dacres Claim.  I did not stay there long, but went up to Mr Saddlers where I had tea.  I went principally to ask him to cut the Grass Seed in the E.R. on shares.
It was after 8 pm when I got home and then I had to milk the cows after which I went down to spend the evening at Mrs Fordhams.
John returned from Tomarata in the evening, he went over to the dance at Dacres Claim and brought the girls home.

Saturday 2nd   It was a fine day.   There was a Cricket Match in the Race Course between the Omaha and Mullet Point clubs.  Omaha won by about 50 runs.
Alec Warin was here for dinner.  Mr Sadler came and had a look at the Grass Seed in the E.R. and he has agreed to cut, thrash and  clean on the following terms, he to have two thirds and I have one third of the cleaned seed.

Sunday 3rd   There was some dusty rain in the morning, but nothing to do any good, because it turned out a hot day.  John went up and spent the day at Mauds.  The Revd Worbeys held service in the afternoon, I was present.  Wilson Knaggs was here for tea.  Jane rode over to Ti Point in the afternoon.

Monday 4th   It was a fine day.   John went to Tomarata in the morning to bring all his things away.  I dug all the various sorts of Potatoes at the bottom of the orchard.
The girls, Willie and I went over to  Mr John Smith’s at Ti Point to have our likenesses taken, we had tea there.

Tuesday 5th   It was a fine day.  I went down to the E.R. in the morning and thrashed out the remainder of the Tall Fescue and brought it home.  I afterwards packed away the different sorts of Potatoes in a box under the house covering them with ashes.  In the afternoon Willie & I commenced cutting Cocksfoot Seed at old Mr Wyatts.
Mr Smith came and brought some of the photographs that he took yesterday.
John returned from Tomarata in the afternoon with all his gear. He afterwards rode up to the mail road and brought home Juday who has calved a bull calf.
There was a dance in the Hall in the evening as a send off to the young men who are going away tomorrow.  Mr Saddler commenced to cut the grass seed in the E.R. this afternoon on shares.

Wednesday 6th   It was a fine day.  We were picking some fruit in the morning and sent by the Steamer  1 Case Apricots,  1 Case Doyinnie D’Ete Pears.  John picked a mixed case of Plums, Pears & Apricots for Mrs Harding.
The Steamer was to have come in at 4 pm, but it was 6 before she arrived.  John went away by her on route for Coromandel where he is going to try his luck at mining.
Wilson Knaggs and a lot of Omaha young fellows  went away by the Steamer.  Minnie and Willie went up to Mauds in the evening.

Thursday 7th   It was a very hot day.  Minnie returned from Mauds leaving Willie there on a visit.  I was cutting grass seed.

Friday 8th   It was a hot day.  Charlie Wyatt & I went over to Dacres Claim to lay off some work for the Road Board.  Kenzie  Runciman went with us.  We met Dawson Birdsall at Young’s Creek.
I killed a Sheep in the evening.  The Annual Subscribers to the Library was held in the evening.

Saturday 9th   It was a fine day.   I was cutting Grass Seed and doing odd jobs.  Jane went down to the beach in the evening and staid all night.

Sunday 10th   It was a fine day.   We spent a very quiet day as there was only Minnie & I at home.   Jane came home in the pm and Walter & Honor Wyatt came with her and staid for tea.  I read service in the Hall in the evening, there was a fair congregation.

Monday 11th   It was a fine day.   I was cutting grass seed and doing odd jobs.  There was a meeting of the Road Board in the evening. Johns birthday.  He is 25 .

Tuesday 12th   It was a very hot day.     I picked all the Apricots,  I packed 1 Case to send away, and the girls bottled some and made jam of the remainder.
There was a little dusty rain in the evening.  We were hoping that we were going to get more, but we were disappointed as it soon cleared off and was a fine night.

Wednesday 13th   It was a fine day.   Kenzie Runciman came up to see me in the morning, but he could not stay as he is going away by the Steamer.  Maud brought our Willie home, who has been staying with her for the last week.  Maud had dinner with us and then went down to the Steamer with us.
I sent away a small case of Apricots.  A great quantity of Fruit was sent away,  also 70 Sheep from Mr Ashtons.

Thursday 14th   It rained last night and nearly all  to day.  I was not able to do much out of doors, but we were very glad of the rain.

Friday 15th   It rained last night also, but it cleared up and turned out a fine day.  We got the Sheep up out of the barley paddock in the morning, we had a great trouble with them,  Charlie Wyatt helped us, and he borrowed a Sheep of me, which he is going to return.
We got Symon & Gilbert up and hauled up 24 Fruit Cases from the Wharf.  Also 100 lbs Flour from Harpers store.  We hauled a load of firewood in the afternoon.  Killed a Sheep in the evening.

Saturday 16th   It was fine in the morning, but there was a little dusty rain in the afternoon.
There was a Cricket Match at the “Race Course” between the Omaha & Matakana clubs which resulted in a win for Matakana with a majority of 2 runs and 2 wickets to go down,  It was a very pleasant day, not being too hot.
C. Gravatt  and Annie Matheson were here for tea.

Sunday 17th   It was a fine day.  Jane went up to spend the day at Mauds & staid all night.  I went to call at the Masefields in the afternoon and staid for tea.  Mrs Runciman was here to tea.  I read service in the Hall in the evening, there was a very fair congregation.

Monday 18th   It was a fine day.  I took out the pea sticks the top side of the house and commenced to dig up the ground.  Jane returned from Mauds.  Mr Sadler and his boys were here in the evening.

Tuesday 19th   It was a dull day and the wind was blowing very strong from NE.    I finished digging up the piece of ground the top side of the house.
Allan Sadler came up here for tea and staid all night.  It rained very heavy in the evening.
I wrote a letter to my sister Fanny which I am going to post tomorrow together with some Photographs.

Wednesday 20th   The rain that we had last night has done a great deal of good, it has sunk deeply into the ground.  I planted 2 rows Negro Beans the top side of the house.
We all went down to the Steamer, she did not come in until nearly 6 pm.  I had some fruit cases down by her.

Thursday 21st   It was a fine day.   I planted 2 rows more of Negro Beans  the top side of the house.  I also drove in stakes and tied the Tomatoes up to them.
I cleaned out the calves place, burned off the heap of rubbish below the house.  Cut the Fowls wings in the evening.
Maud called in the afternoon.

Friday 22nd   It was a fine day.  We got the old bullocks up in the morning  and hauled up a load of Fruit Cases from the Wharf.  In the afternoon we hauled a load of firewood.  Killed a Sheep in the evening.  Jane went up the hill to Mauds in the evening to go with them to the sports at Pakiri tomorrow.

Saturday 23rd   There were several showers of rain in the morning, but it turned out a hot day.
McGregors new Steamer the “Kaiora” passed here this morning on her way to Auckland, she was being towed by the “Nautilus“,
W. McGregor called in here and sent a wire up to Auckland.
I was doing odd jobs near the house.  Minnie went to the sports at Pakiri after dinner.

Sunday 24th   It was a fine day.   I went down to John Wyatts in the morning to pay Walter Wyatt for the Wethers I bought of him.  Dined at home only a small family, only Minnie, Willie and myself.
Jane returned from Mauds in the afternoon.  Walter & Honor Wyatt were here for tea.  I read service in the Hall in the evening, there was a fair congregation.

Monday 25th   It was a fine day.   I went down to R. Mathesons in the morning.   W. Brown  took away the bullocks and paid for them.   Miss Fordham gave a Picnic in the afternoon to the School children, Willie went and brought home a prize that Miss Harding gave him.
We picked some Orleans Plums in the farm orchard.  Mrs A. Haskell and her sister were here for tea.

Tuesday 26th   It was a fine day.   Willie and I went up to Mr Neeleys to look for our bull, we went all over his clearing and up to the mail road, but did not find him.  We picked some more Orleans Plums.
There was a meeting in the Hall in the evening to elect a new organ committee.

Wednesday 27th   It was a fine day.   We yoked the young pair of bullocks up and hauled down 5 Cases Orleans Plums.  The Steamer came in about 3.30 pm.  A great quantity of fruit  was sent away by her.   Miss Niccol the new Teacher came up and came up here to stay.

Thursday 28th   It was a fine day though rather dull.  I was thrashing Cocksfoot Seed in the garden from what I had cut in our orchard and in Mr J. Wyatt Snr place.
Miss Niccol and Minnie went to Mr T.  Knaggs in the afternoon and staid for tea.

Friday 29th   It rained nearly all night and it was raining when we got up in the morning.  Not a very nice day for the Auckland regatta, or for the Cricket Match which is to be played at Matakana between the Omaha and Wade clubs.   It rained also all day.

Saturday 30th   It rained all the morning.  It cleared up a little in the afternoon and commenced to blow, it blew a hurracane and did a great deal of damage in blowing the fruit off the fruit trees and smashed branches and blew down fences.  We killed a Sheep in the pm.

Sunday 31st   It was a fine day.   Minnie went to Pakiri in the morning to Mrs Ellis Dyers to stay there a few weeks.  Miss Gubb called in the pm and staid for tea,  Mabel and Ernest Wyatt were also here.
I read service in the Hall in the evening, there was a pretty fair congregation.