July 1909

Thursday 1st   It was a fine day, but the wind has gone round to the
N  &  E  and threatening for rain.  Willie was looking after his charcoal kiln.  I was working in the flower garden, fixing kerbing & clearing up.  Mrs Dunning Senr,  May and Mrs Archie Dunning  spent the day here, & Hettie Wyatt was here in the pm.

Friday 2nd   It was a miserable day, it was blowing strong from NE and constant slight showers, not enough to wet one, yet sufficient to stop work outside.  Willie was taking out his charcoal the other side of the hill where he did not feel the wind.
Jane went to Joe Wyatts & staid tea.  I went down for the mail and attended the Library, issued the new books.  There was skating in the Hall, also a meeting of the Farmers Association, only a few present.  Mr Banks read a paper on the Auckland Winter Show.

Saturday 3rd   It was blowing very strong from NE and raining all night and pouring with rain all morning which caused the whole place to be flooded with water& caused several land slips.
It cleared up in the afternoon but everything was very wet.  Willie mended up some fences that were blown down.

Sunday 4th   It was a fine day, but the ground is still very wet underfoot.  Revd Jory held service in the Hall in the afternoon, I attended, Mrs Rennie sang a very nice solo, “There is a green hill far away”.  Minnie rode over with Agnes, the latter came up with me to stay here.

Monday 5th   It was a showery day.  Willie was making another charcoal kiln.  We heard today that a Maori Boy named Tom Cullen was accidentally shot by his cousin last Saturday at Pakiri.  An inquest was to be held today.

Tuesday 6th   It was very fine in the morning.  Willie was making his charcoal kiln.  Jane and Agnes went round to Ti Point in the “Kawau“.
I was down to the village & steamer, Willie took the horse down and hauled home 100 lbs Flour & a Box of Groceries ,  Archie Morley gave him 2 Schnappers to bring home.  It came on to rain in the afternoon & Willie & I got wet coming home, it rained steady all evening.

Wednesday 7th   It rained steadily until about 5 oclock this morning, a period of about 11 hours.  Everything was very wet this morning. We shall hear of floods after this.  Willie was making his charcoal pit.
Parata Brown came to ask me to read the funeral service over the little Maori by Tommy Cullen who was accidentally shot so I went across to the Pa where he was buried and read the service.  Jane returned from Ti Point in the “Kawau” this morning.

Thursday 8th   It was a very fine day, plenty of sun, but no wind, so the ground did not dry up much.  Willie was covering in his charcoal kiln.  I was getting blocks of tea tree and fixing kerbing in the flower garden.

Friday 9th   It rained nearly all morning.  Willie was shoeing the sleigh in the shed.  It cleared up in the afternoon,  Joe T came and brought us a piece of pork & a large smoked schnapper.  I went down to Library & mail in the evening.

Saturday 10th   It was rather showery in the morning, but finer in the afternoon.  Willie finished covering up the charcoal pit ready for lighting.  I was chopping firewood, went down to the village in the pm.

Sunday 11th   It was a very fine day.  Willie set fire to his charcoal kiln early in the morning,  had to watch it all day and all night.
Jane & Jim rode over to the Claim in the afternoon.
I called on Mrs Gravatt and Joe Wyatts in the afternoon.

Monday 12th   It was a fine day.  Jane was sewing down at Ab Wyatts all day.  Willie charcoal kiln has burnt out, he finished shoeing the sleigh in the shed.  I wrote a letter to my sister Fanny and went down to the village in the afternoon to post it and I carried up a bag of sand.

Tuesday 13th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was taking the charcoal out of the kiln.  Jane was sewing down at Ab Wyatts all day.  I was fixing the kerbing round the long bed.
In the afternoon I went down to the beach to get a bag of sand and called for the mail.

Wednesday 14th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was taking out his charcoal.  Jane went with Mabel to spend the pm with Johaaina McKenzie.  I was fixing kerbing, getting tea tree for making ditto and weeding garden .  I planted 4 large Spanish Onions for seed near the closet.  In the afternoon I went down to the village to get the mail, from there I went to the beach to get a bag of sand,  Lennie Wyatt who was carting pipes, carted it up to our gate for me.

Thursday 15th   It was a fine day, but the weather is threatening for rain.  Willie was taking out his charcoal.  I was weeding and digging in the flower garden, alto prepare  tea tree blocks for kerbing.

Friday 16th   It rained all day, wind blowing strong from NE.  Willie finished trimming the shoe of the sleigh he has just shod.  I was unable to anything but prepare a few blocks for kerbing.

Saturday 17th   It was a dull day, it had every appearance of rain, but it kept off and brightened up a bit, but the sun did not come out.  In the morning there was a working bee at the Cemetery to cut down the gorse, about 17 turned up and we cut it all down and much improved the appearance of the Cemetery.  Willie finished taking out the charcoal, and we hauled 6 sacks of it down to the stockyard.

Sunday 18th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I rode over to the Claim for morning service,  Revd Kenneth Teale officiated and gave a very good sermon, I read the lesson, the collection was 9/9.
I went to Mr Jas Darrochs for dinner & then Mr Teale & I rode over here for afternoon service,  I again read the lesson and Mr Teale preached a better sermon even than he gave this morning, the collection was 16/5.  Mr John Greenwood was at the service and Mr Teale went up with him for tea and then they were going down to Pakiri for evening service.

Monday 19th   It drizzled with rain nearly all day.  In the morning I went down to the village to post some letters,  Willie hauled the remainder of the charcoal  from the farm orchard and put it in the shed.

Thursday 20th   It drizzled with rain in the morning, in the afternoon it cleared up a bit and the sun came out.  Willie hauled all the charcoal down to the wharf.  I went down to the village in the afternoon to meet the Steamer.  While I was down there it came on to rain again and I got very wet coming home.  The Tug Steamer “Wairoa” was berthed alongside of the wharf.

Wednesday 21st   It was fine in the morning , but the ground is very wet, in the morning Willie went down to the Steamer to ship his charcoal, afterwards he hauled some goods for Abe Wyatt.  I was preparing blocks for kerbing and gathering firewood.

Thursday 22nd   It was a fine day.  Watt Darroch came to get his Marriage Certificate.
Willie had a big fire of tea tree logs in the farm orchard.

Friday 23rd   In the morning I was helping Willie break up ground in the farm orchard.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Saturday 24th   It was a beautiful day.    In the morning I was helping Willie break up ground in the farm orchard.  In the afternoon I was fixing kerbing in the flower garden, Minnie, Alma and Mary Neely called , the latter to get some flowers for the wedding next Tuesday.  Jane was away so I got them some tea, Alma staid here.

Sunday 25th    It was a beautiful day.  Revd Lothian (Presbyterian) in place of Revd Entrican held service in the Hall in the morning.  Jane and I attended.  In the afternoon I went down to the beach to call on Mr & Mrs John Wyatt.

Monday 26th   It was a beautiful day.  In the morning I was helping Willie dig in the farm orchard.  Ted Harper came to register Tommy Cullen’s death.  In the afternoon I was sharpening pickets and fixing kerbing.
I planted cuttings of 7 sorts of Verbenas and Fuschia, double red coiolla I got from John Wyatts yesterday.

Tuesday 27th   It was a very dull day, it did not rain, but the sun only came out once for a few minutes about 1 pm.  Jim brought a horse to take Jane to Watt Darrochs & Jessie Neelys wedding which was held at her parents residence at Ti Point.  Willie & I were working in the farm orchard in the morning finishing breaking up the new ground.
I went down to the village in the pm to get the mail, but the “Orewa” stopped round at Ti Point instead of coming in here on account of the very strong NE wind that was blowing.  It rained very heavily during the evening.

Wednesday 28th   It was a fine day, with the exception of a few slight showers.  Jane & Jim staid at Mr Neelys  last night on account of the rain and reached here about 9 am this morning.
In the morning Willie cutting fern and burning rubbish in the farm orchard , in the afternoon he was pruning in this orchard.  I went down to the village in the afternoon to et the meat, also the mail.
Eva Harper came in the pm & staid the night.

Thursday 29th   It was a very showery day.  Mrs Ab Wyatt & children were up here for dinner, Eva Harper went over to see Mabel in the morning and staid there for dinner, returning here in the afternoon & then went home, I gave her some flower plants & cuttings & seeds.

Friday 30th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was helping Willie dig in the farm orchard .  In the afternoon I was fixing kerbing.  In the evening I went down for the mail & attended the Library.  There was skating in the Hall.

Saturday 31st   It was a very fine day.  Willie and I were digging in the farm orchard.
In the afternoon Willie was getting a good supply of firewood as he is going to Auckland on Monday.  In the pm I was fixing kerbing in the flower garden.