July 1913

Tuesday 1st   It was a dull day, the wind is blowing from N.
Willie was clearing outside the fence on the hill.
Alma & Dorothy returned home in the morning.
I got firewood and then was working in the flower garden, I took up 9 roots of Dahlias and stored them under the house, dug up the ground where they came out.  In the afternoon I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up a bag of sand.

Wednesday 2nd    The wind is blowing very strong from the N, very dull day with misty rain occasionally, the latter part of the afternoon it rained heavier.
Willie was clearing on the top part of the hill.  I was carrying soil for filling up, dug up the border under the spare bedroom window. Planted a pink Geranium, and took up two clumps of Gladioli.

Thursday 3rd   It rained last night and everything was very wet this morning,  it was a dull day, one rather heavy shower in the afternoon.
After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail which came in this morning by the “Gael” who is taking the place of the “Kawau” who broke her rudder trying to get out of Mangawai.  There was a large Motor Car waiting to go away by the Steamer, she had come from Auckland, but finding the roads so bad she chose this way of returning.  I carried some sand,  Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up some Groceries,  The remainder of the day he was clearing on the hill.  I got firewood and carried soil for the garden.   In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was a choir practice.

Friday 4th   It was dull all morning, there was a very heavy shower in the afternoon .  In the afternoon Willie went fishing with Mr Glass, but they did not have much luck.  I got firewood, carried soil and prepared kerbing.

Saturday 5th   It did not rain, but it was a dull day and it did not dry up much.
Willie was clearing on the hill.  I put a handle to a kerosene tin. Prepared some kerbing and fixed it.  Dug out some periwinckle, carried some soil.

Sunday 6th   Only a slight shower in the afternoon , otherwise a fine day.  Willie & Grace walked over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane.  Revd O. Blundell conducted service in the Hall in the morning, I attended.  His discourse was in favour of the Bible in schools.  Mr Ashworth presided at the organ, and after the service he played the “Dead March in Saul“,  I took a walk down to the wharf in the afternoon.

Monday 7th   It rained pretty heavily in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon.  Willie was working in the shed in the morning and in the afternoon, he was clearing on the hill.
I got firewood, preparing kerbing and fixing it, late in the afternoon I went down to the village to get the mail, carried up some sand.
Eddie Wyatt and  Syse [?  maybe this is Cyrus]  Matheson came in the evening.

Tuesday 8th  It rained heavily last night so everything was very wet this morning.  After breakfast Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up 4 sacks of chaff.  I went down to the village later in the morning to the post office and wharf, carried up a bag of sand.
in the afternoon I was preparing and fixing kerbing.

Wednesday 9th   It was a fine day.  Willie was clearing on the hill all day.  I was preparing kerbing and I finished fixing it down to the gate way going into the vegetable garden.  Went down to the village in the pm to get the mail, carried up some sand.  Harold Torkington & Dorothy came in the evening.

Thursday 10th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was clearing on the hill all day.  In the morning I went up the hill to get some manure, and the remainder of the morning I was helping Willie cut tea tree.  In the afternoon I was fixing up the netting wire fence.  Maggie Wyatt called in the afternoon.   In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, there was choir practice and a big attendance.

Friday 11th   It was a disagreeable day, showers & hail.  Willie was clearing on the hill.
I finished fixing the wire netting fence between the flower & vegetable gardens.

Saturday 12th   A showery day.  Went down to the village after breakfast to get the mail, helped Willie cut tea tree on the hill the remainder of the morning.
Mr Murry came to make a declaration before me, and in the afternoon Charlie Wyatt came to talk over loan matters.

Sunday 13th   A very showery day.  Revd Syms (Methodist) held service in the Hall in the afternoon, Grace & Willie attended, Mr & Mrs Glass came up here for tea and staid the evening.  Mrs G brought her mandoline & Mr G played our harmonium so we had quite a musical evening.

Monday 14th   Practically a fine day.  Willie was clearing on the hill,
I got wood and worked in the flower garden.

Tuesday 15th   A fine day.   Willie was cutting tea tree on the hill.
I was working in the flower garden.  I dug up the strip of ground next the wire netting fence and carried soil to fill up the border.
There was a meeting of Ratepayers in the Hall in the evening called by the Riding Member,  (J. C. Wyatt) to consider the desirability of raising a loan of £2,000 to metal the main road, I occupied the chair, the meeting passed a resolution that a Poll be held to decide whether a loan be raised or not.  Afterwards a Committee was appointed to manage the Leigh Cemetery consisting of Messrs
C. Dunning,   A. Matheson,   A. haskell,   J.C. Wyatt and myself.

Wednesday 16th   It was a very fine day.  Willie went fishing and brought home a lot of rock cod.  I weeded the round bed and renewed the kerbing round the edge.
In the afternoon I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up a bag of sand.

Thursday 17th   It was practically a fine day, only a misty rain in the morning, but I was working out in it.   After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters & to get the mail.
I dug up the outer circle of the round bed and started to replant he blue Lobelia round the edges, but darkness prevented me finishing it.  Willie was cutting tea tree on the hill.  Mrs Ashworth and Miss Haslam came for dinner.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.   Willie & Grace attended the choir practice, Grace went home with the Ashworths and staid the night.

Friday 18th   A fine day but threatening for rain.  Willie was clearing on the hill.  Mrs Willie Dunning came in the morning for me to witness her signature.
I finished planting the round bed with blue  Lobelia and Pansies.
Grace went from Ashworths to Harold T in the morning to clear up and returned here in the morning.

Saturday 19th   A very showery day.  Willie went down to the village in the morning to get the mail.
I got firewood and the rest of the day was reading.

Sunday 20th   Wind blowing very strong from NE and it rained nearly all day.  Revd Macdonald was to have held service in the afternoon, but none of us went.

Monday 21st   A very showery day and strong westerly wind.  Willie was clearing on the hill all day.  I got a lot of firewood and the remainder of the day I was writing letters.
I wrote to my son Jack, Mrs Creighton and several business letters, these will be posted tomorrow.

Tuesday 22nd   It was a showery day.  Willie was clearing on the hill.  In the morning I went down to the village to get the mail.  I prepared some kerbing between the showers.

Wednesday 23rd   It was a very fine day.  Willie was cutting tea tree behind the cottage in the morning, and in the afternoon he took a box of eggs down to the wharf, got the horse shod and hauled up two sacks of fowl feed.
In the morning I got firewood, prepared a lot of kerbing.  In the afternoon I went down to the village for the mail, carried up a bag of sand.

Thursday 24th   It was a fine day.   I commenced to fix the kerbing from the house up to the front gate.  Willie was clearing out the water table on the drive.  Harry Greenwood came in the afternoon to make a declaration.  I went for the mail in the evening and looked after the Library.
Harold Torkington called here in the morning, he was going to Auckland in the “Kawau” which left here at noon.  Willie & Grace attended choir practice in the evening.

Friday 25th   It was a fine day.  Willie finished clearing out the water tables on the drive, he then fixed up the path at the back veranda with stones.
I finished fixing the kerbing near the front gate and then commenced to dig up to the kerbing on the strawberry bed.

Saturday 26th   A showery day.  After breakfast I went down for the mail, carried up a bag of sand.  After I came back I got firewood.
Willie was picking up cow manure up the land and wheeling it into the pigs paddock where he is going to plant Oats,  he sowed the Oats and dug them in in the afternoon.
I carried a lot of manure and soil to fill up the border next wire net fence.

Sunday 27th   A few showers, otherwise a fine day.  I walked over to the Claim in the morning to spend the day with Jim & Jane, returning home just before dark.
Willie & Grace went to see Mr & Mrs Glass at their new home, lat [sic] Tom Knaggs.

Monday 28th   It was a fine day,  but the wind was blowing very strong from the S which made it very cold and disagreeable.
Willie was cutting tea tree behind the cottage.
I was carrying soil & manure to fill up the border the upper side of the wire netting fence, also carrying clay to fill up the path.  Eddie Wyatt and George James came to spend the evening.

Tuesday 29th   It was a fine day and very calm.  After breakfast I went down to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand , Willie sharpened the pruning knives and I pruned the Roses.  Willie was cutting.  Willie was cutting tea tree behind the cottage.
Grace went over to Ti Point in the afternoon to straighten up Mrs Harold Torkington’s house as she is coming home tomorrow.

Wednesday 30th   It was a fine day ‘tho dull, wind from the E.
I continued pruning Roses.  Manured the diamond bed with slag and fowl manure and then dug it in.  Willie was cutting tea tree behind the cottage in the morning and in the afternoon he took the horse down to the wharf with a box of eggs, and he hauled up empty egg box, bag of grit, bag of sand for me and a Marble Slab that he got as a prize at our Show.  I also went down.

Thursday 30th [sic: 31st]    It was a very wet day.  Willie was cutting tea tree in the morning, but he got very wet and had to change all his clothes.  The weather was so bad that I did not go down for the mail or attend the Library in the evening.