July 1910

Friday 1st   It rained heavily last night, but it was fine when we got up.  After breakfast I went down to the P.O to post some letters and get the mail which came by the “Kawau” last night.  After I got home it started to rain again, and rained all day.
I did not go to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 2nd   A great deal of rain fell last night.  After breakfast I was getting a lot of firewood and tea tree poles to cut up into kerbing.  It came on to rain again and there was a misty rain all afternoon.  I sorted over all the Dun Bean seed .
The “Kawau” only got out of Mangawai this afternoon, calling in here at 4 pm.

Sunday  3rd   It rained heavily all last night and there were some showers today.  The wind is blowing strong from W to SW.  In the pm I went up to Mr Handbys where I saw Joe Harper who had just arrived from Auckland in the “Kawau” which left Auckland at 7 oclock this morning, Willie did not come up in her.

Monday 4th   It was a fine day, with the exception of a few slight showers.  After breakfast I took the horse down to the wharf thinking that a box of Groceries from Newdick had been landed from the Steamer yesterday, but it had not, so I got a bag of sand , called at the P.O for the mail and got a parcel for Jane, also a parcel of Magazines for the Library.  Jane went over to Joe Wyatts in the afternoon.  Alma came here to stay.  In the pm I was sawing off tea tree blocks and sharpening them for kerbing.

Tuesday 5th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was getting firewood & preparing kerbing.  In the pm I took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf.  Willie came up by the “Kawau“, we hauled all his luggage and parcels up.  There were some showers in the evening.

Wednesday 6th   There were several showers in the morning, it was fine in the pm.  Willie was fixing up a wardrobe in his bedroom, I was getting firewood, sawing off and preparing kerbing.  Alma went home in the afternoon.

Thursday 7th   It was a showery day.  Willie was working at the wardrobe in the bedroom.  I was preparing kerbing.

Friday 8th   It was a fairly fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the P.O to post some letters & to get the mail.  Willie was making a little table for his bedroom.  I was getting firewood and preparing kerbing.  Alma came here in the pm & staid the night.  I went down to the village in the evening to get the mail and to attend the Library.  While there I heard that Captain Herbert Jones who lived in Mrs McKinnons cottage had poisoned Mrs Webster who is in the Avondale Mental Hospital and had then committed suicide by taking poison.  Mrs Jones left for Auckland today in the “Kawau” leaving Mrs Webster’s three children with Mrs Archie Dunning.  Mr Herbert Banks was here in the evening.

Saturday 9th   It was fine in the morning, but it came on to rain in the afternoon and rained steadily all evening,  when it ceased it blew strong from NW.  I was getting firewood and  preparing kerbing.  Willie finished his table.  Alma returned home in the afternoon.

Sunday 10th   It was a beautiful day.  The wind has got round to the SW and it is cold in the shade.
Alma came over here and Willie walked over to spend the day.  Revd Parris held service in the Hall in the pm , the congregation was not very large, I attended, he preached a very good sermon.

Monday 11th   It was a fine morning.  After breakfast I went down to the P.O to post some letters, while down there I heard that Herbert Banks & Sid Rhodes had gone to the Barrier yesterday in his motor yacht and had not yet returned  signals of distress were flying from the Barrier yesterday, so Peter Louis is going over there in his yacht to day to see what is the matter.

Tuesday 12th   It was a beautiful day.  In the morning I was getting firewood and preparing kerbing.  In the pm Willie Alma & I went down to meet the Steamer, Willies furniture came and he hauled up two loads with the horse.

Wednesday 13th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie hauled up the remainder of his furniture in one load, after unpacking the furniture he commenced to put down the oil cloth in his bedroom.  Alma went home soon after dinner and soon after she went it commenced to rain and it rained steadily all afternoon and I am afraid she would get wet.

Thursday 14th  It was fine in the morning.  I went down to the P.O to get the mail and heard that someone had gone over to the Little Barrier in a yacht and had returned with Herbert Banks and Sid Rhodes who were quite safe but there [sic: their] yacht broke her moorings last Saturday night and drifted on to the rocks and was smashed up, the only thing they could rescue was the engine which they brought back with them.
It rained heavily all afternoon & evening.  Willie was fixing up his bedroom.

Friday 15th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the P.O  to post some letters and to get an axe handle, the remainder of the morning I was putting the new handle into the axe.  In the evening I went down for the mail and to attend the Library,  there was to have been a Meeting of the Library Committee, but after I got down there it came on to rain and it poured, so that Mr Neeley was the only one who turned up and we had to stay in the Library until nearly nine oclock when the rain moderated.  Mr Neeley told me that Mrs Albert Wyatt who went to Auckland last Monday to consult a Doctor, was not expected to live, and that Albert, Mabel & Mrs Alex Haskell had gone up to Auckland this pm in the “Kawau“.

Saturday 16th   It was a very fine day after the rain last night, the wind is from the S.  In the morning I was getting firewood.
Mrs R. Knaggs was here for dinner.  In the pm I was helping Willie carry stones to form a paved  path up to the stockyard.

Sunday 17th   It was very fine in the morning, the wind is from the S, and although cold it is drying up the ground.  Just after dinner there was a shower, but it came out fine again.
Revd Teale held service in the pm.  On my way to the Hall I called at Joe Wyatts to see if they had heard anything of Mrs Ab Wyatt and was glad to hear that there was some hopes of her recovery.
There was a very fair congregation and Mr Teale gave us a very good sermon.  The collection was 11/9.

Monday 18th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I pruned my Roses.  In the pm Jane went to Jno Wyatts.  I walked up the hill to Mr Banks to get some cuttings of Roses, I got 13 or 14 varieties, I had tea up there.  Mrs Rhodes lent me a book on Rose Growing,  I called in at Mr Handbys on my way home, it was a beautiful moonlight night.

Tuesday 19th   It was a fine day.  I was fixing kerbing near the front gate.  Jane, Willie & I went down to the village in the pm.  I took a bundle of Rose Cuttings which I gave to John Greenwood for his son Johny.  Willie hauled up a case of Kerosene & a Bag of Sugar that came by the Steamer.
Eva Harper & Mrs Jennings came and staid all night.

Wednesday 20th   It rained steadily nearly all day, but cleared late in the afternoon.  Mrs Jennings and Eva Harper returned home after an early tea.

Thursday 21st   It was a fine day, tho dull, it came over misty in the afternoon.
In the morning I was getting firewood  and in the pm I was helping Willie make the approach to the well.
Jane went to see Mrs Geo’ Knaggs in the afternoon and Jim went in the evening to bring her home.

Friday 22nd  It was a fairly fine day.  Mrs Neely and Minnie came over in the morning and staid dinner.  Duncan Knaggs came over to make a declaration.  In the morning I went down to the village to post some letters where I heard that Mrs Albert Wyatt had died in Auckland early this morning.  I was helping Willie make the road to the well.  In the evening I went down for the mail & attended the Library, there was a meeting of the Committee and it was decided to allow the Insurance on the books and Bookcases to lapse for this year.  While we were at the meeting there was a heavy shower of rain.

Saturday 23rd   It was fairly fine in the morning, but it rained steadily all afternoon and evening.  In the morning I was getting a lot of firewood, Willie was quarrying stone on the hill.

Sunday 24th   It was a very showery day, but it cleared up a little in the afternoon.  At 2.30 pm the funeral of Mrs Albert Wyatt left Harpers store for the Leigh Cemetery, there were a good number present considering the weather, the road to the Cemetery was in a terrible state, there were several beautiful wreaths placed on the coffin,  I conducted the funeral service at the grave, this is the 22nd funeral service I have conducted in this Cemetery.

Monday 25th   It was a fine day, with the exceptions of a few slight showers, but it rained in the evening.  Willie was quarrying stone in the hill behind the house all day, he carried some of it to make the track leading to the well.  I got a lot of firewood and also a bag of leaf mould for the diamond bed.  Willie went down to spend the evening with Eddie & Lenny.

Tuesday 26th    It was a showery day.  In the afternoon Willie took the Eggs down to the store,  Mr Torkington had sent the Frame he had made for me by the “Kawau“, Willie carried the glass up which was sent separate.  Willie was carrying stones the remainder of the day

Wednesday 27th   It was a fairly fine day, only a heavy shower in the pm.  In the morning Willie & I went down to the wharf and carried up the two frame lights that came by the Steamer yesterday.  Willie was carrying stone and making a path up to the stockyard ,
I was getting firewood and a bag of leaf mould for the diamond bed.

Thursday 28th   It was a very fine day, no rain at all.  After breakfast I went down to the Store to get some paint,  after I returned I got some firewood and then I painted the two frame sashes, the first coat and got a sack of leaf mould for the diamond bed.  Willie fixed up the bridge leading to the well and then started to make a fence across the back verandah to keep the fowls out.  Mabel came in the afternoon.

Friday 29th   There were several showers.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, also in the evening to get the mail and to attend the Library.  During the day I got a good supply of wood.  Willie was making the fence to the back verandah to keep the fowls out.

Saturday 30th   It was a beautiful day.  Willie was making a gate for the back verandah.  I was getting a lot more firewood , also soil for the garden.  In the pm I went to the beach for bag of sand.

Sunday 31st   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing from the E.
In the afternoon I called at C. Gravatts and staid tea.  There was a heavy shower in the evening after I reached home.