July 1914

Wednesday 1st   There were several misty showers during the day.  Willie went to the flat.  In the morning I was digging in the flower garden.  In the afternoon I walked up to Mr Murrays,  Arthur Greenwood was crutching  his sheep, I had afternoon tea with them in the shed.  Mrs Hopkins was coming down in the sulky so I got a ride to our gate.

Thursday 2nd   It was very misty first thing in the morning, but it turned out a fine day.  Willie staid at home and did odd jobs.  He took the horse down to the Steamer in the afternoon, I also went down, Grace came up in the Steamer, I brought up a bag of sand.

Friday 3rd   It was a fine day.  Willie was rooting out old fruit trees in this orchard.  I was digging in the flower garden.   In the evening I went down for the mail & Library.

Saturday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  I went down to the wharf in the morning, carried up some sand.  I was working in the flower garden, I planted 2 clumps of Gladioli.

Sunday 5th   It was a very fine day.  Revd O. Blundell held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended.  After church I went up to Mrs Dunning Senr for lunch.  Revd  B also lunched there.  In the pm I went to Joe Wyatts for tea and spent the evening there.  Willie & Grace staid at home.

Monday 6th   It was a very fine day.  I walked over to the Claim and had lunch with Jane,  Jim was out fishing with the Whitaker boys,  on my way home I went down to this wharf to meet the “Kawau” from Auckland, Willie was also down to meet his brother in law Fred Davey & his bride who had been spending part of their honeymoon at Kawau Island, they came up to stay with us.  I heard to day of the fearful death of Parata Brown by falling into a boiling spring at Rotorua last Friday or Saturday.

Tuesday 7th   It was a very fine day.  Willie, Grace, Fred & Nell went a picnic to the Pa Beach,  Willie & Fred went out in a boat and they caught a lot of fish which they brought home.
I staid at home & worked in the flower garden.

Wednesday 8th   It was a fine day,  but the wind was blowing very strong from NE.  After breakfast I walked up to Mr Murrays had lunch there and then came down to the village to await the arrival of the “Kawau“.  Mr Murray also came down to consult Dr Morrison who has commenced practice at Warkworth,  I found out that Dr Morrison while in Englandhad been assistant surgeon at Leicester Hospital, my old native place.
The “Kawau” had a very rough trip on account of the strong head wind and it was quite 4.30 when she arrived.  She brought the remains of Parata Brown to be buried in the Maori Cemetery at the Pa.
Willie & Grace , Fred & Nell went to Ti Point to spend the day at Harold Torkingtons.

Thursday 9th   The wind was blowing very strong from NE which caused a sea outside.  Fred & Nell returned to Auckland in the “Kawau” at 9.30 am,  Willie drove them down in the sulky, Grace went down to see them off and I went to the Library to catalogue some new Magazines, it commenced to rain while I was down there and it came down heavily, but cleared in the pm

Friday 10th   It was a fine day, but very misty and it hung about until the middle of the day.  Willie went to the flat.  Parata Brown was buried in the Maori cemetery at 3 pm, a great crowd went over to the funeral, I read the service.  I returned home for tea and then went down to the village again to get the mail and attend the Library. There was a meeting of the Committee to choose books, we made out a list of 49 books which I have to order.  The “Kawau” did not come this evening on account of the fog.

Saturday 11th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post the order for the new books for the Library.  Carried up some sand.
The remainder of the day I got firewood.

Sunday 12th   A showery day.  Mr Glass conducted service in the Hall in the afternoon for Revd Sims, I attended.

Monday 13th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  I commenced pruning my Roses.

Tuesday 14th   A cold wind was blowing with a few showers.  Willie went to the flat.  After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail.  I heard that old Mrs Duncan Matheson had another paralyletic stroke last night which rendered her speechless and unable to swallow.
Archie & Willie Dunning are splitting posts out of a puriri tree I gave Willie the other side of the hill, I went down to see them, there are 4 lengths in the tree and they got 40 nice posts out of the two but logs.

Wednesday 15th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  I got firewood, went down for the mail in the afternoon .

Thursday 16th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  I got firewood.  Prepared some rose cuttings and seeds to send to Mrs Jim Young.  Gracie Knaggs called in the afternoon

Friday 17th   It was a fine day, but dull.  Willie went to the flat.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post the rose cuttings to Mrs Jas Young.
In the evening I went down again to get the mail and attend the Library.

Saturday 18th   It was a fine day, ‘tho dull.  Willie staid at home and rooted out some old trees in this orchard.  After breakfast I went down to the wharf, a large parcel of books came for the Library, Bert Greenwood hauled them up for me and I opened them out.
In the afternoon Willie went down to the wharf to try & get some fish, but he only got a few small ones.

Sunday 19th   It was fine in the morning, but rather showery in the afternoon.  Revd Macdonald held service in the Hall in the afternoon, all of us attended.  Congregation 31,  Collection 9/-

Monday 20th   It was a fine day.  Willie was taking out Orlean plum stumps out of this orchard.  Grace went to Ti Point.  The twin children of Mrs Stewart (nee Katie Meiklejohn) were buried in this cemetery  in the afternoon.  I read the service.

Tuesday 21st   There were a few showers.  Willie was working in this orchard.  In the afternoon I went down to the Library to Catalogue the new books.

Wednesday 22nd   It was a fine day with the exception of a few showers.  Willie was working in the orchard.  In the afternoon I went down to the Library and numbered the new books and got the mail.
Mrs Simpson came up by the Steamer,  Mr John Greenwood brought her hamper up to our gate.

Thursday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Willie planted some Cabbage & Cauliflower plants in the farm orchard.
I walked over to Ti Point, Gid Smith was ploughing up for Joe Torkington , he and Harold were picking up gum that was exposed by ploughing.  I had lunch with Minnie, called [sic:on] Duncan Knaggs and had afternoon tea there.

Friday 24th   It was a fine day. Willie Dunning hauled out the puriri posts he split from a tree on my land that I gave him.  Afterwards he & Willie went down with our catamaran and hauled up a big load of chips & refuse pieces for firewood for us.
In the evening I went down for the mail & attended the Library.
Willie & I killed the pig and hung it up on the back verandah.

Saturday 25th   It rained a lot last night and also this morning , and was showery throughout the day.
Willie was cutting up the pig.
In the morning I went down to the store.  There was a meeting of ratepayers in the Hall in the afternoon, called by the Riding Member – Mr J. C. Wyatt to explain the the Loan Expenditure. Neither Willie or I attended.

Sunday 26th   It was a very fine day, but there was a cold SW wind blowing.  I walked over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim and Jane.  I staid all night.

Monday 27th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  I returned home in the morning.  I was packing up a stretcher  to send round to Jane.

Tuesday 28th   It was a fine day.  Willie went to the flat.  After breakfast I went down to get the mail.  Afterwards I went down to the beach and sieved some sand and carried it round to the wharf.
Grace & Mrs Simpson walked to Ti Point, Mrs S.  staid over at Flos.

Wednesday 29th   It was a fine day.  Willie took the stretcher down to the wharf and then he went over to Ti Point and hauled his 4 sacks of Gum down to the Ti Point wharf to come round by the steamer tomorrow.
I was pruning roses in the morning and in the afternoon I went down to the wharf, carried another bag of sand round and put it with the others in the wharf shed .
Mrs Duncan Matheson Senr died at 7 am this morning, her age was about 87 and was one of the oldest settlers in this district.

Thursday 30th   The wind is still blowing from the NE  and it was fine in the morning.  I was making a wreath for Mrs Matheson’s funeral, we had an early lunch and then I went down to the  wharf,  Jane & Jean came round in the steamer to stay a while with us.  Willie had his gum brought round from Ti Point in the steamer, & he took a box of eggs down to the wharf and hauled his gum home.
Mrs Matheson’s funeral was at 2 oclock and was largely attended, Revd Blundell officiated at the grave.  She was buried alongside of her daughter, the first Mrs Jos Greenwood.  At the conclusion of the service it came on a steady rain and it rained all night.  Jim carried Jean in front of him on the horse up to our place and staid tea.

Friday 31st   It rained nearly all last night, but today it was very fine.  Willie was cutting tea tree in the front.  Jane went to old Mrs Dunnings in the afternoon and May came back with her in the evening and May went with me down for the mail, I attended the Library.