March 1916

Wednesday 1st   It was a very hot day. Willie and Dave were cleaning Danthonia.  In the morning I was working in the flower garden.   In the afternoon I went up the hill to get firewood, but I came over so giddy I had to come home and lie down.  John Wyatt came for me to witness his pension paper.

Thursday 2nd   It was a very hot day.  Willie and Dave were cleaning Danthonia.  I took it easy all day as my head was bad.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Friday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  Willie & Dave were cleaning Danthonia.  In the morning I was working in the flower garden. In the afternoon I got firewood, went down to C. Wyatts to see them thrashing the Wheat with Tom Ashton’s machine.  Afterwards went to the steamer and got the mail.

Saturday 4th   It was a fine day, wind blowing pretty strong from the E.
Willie Dunning borrowed my sulky to take Joe Torkington and himself to Warkworth to play Cricket, a match between Omaha and Kaipara Flats Clubs, he returned it in the evening, with the news that Omaha had won the match.
Willie and Dave were cleaning Danthonia.  In the afternoon I went to the Church to fix up the lamps for service tomorrow.

Sunday 5th   There was a misty rain nearly all day, it held up at times, but no great quantity of rain fell.  Grace & Willie drove over to Ti Point to spend the day with Harold & Flo’ – returning in the evening bringing Mrs Simpson with them.   I staid at home all day as my head was rather bad.  All of us went down to Church in the evening.  There were only 7 present and no music – Collection 2/6.

Monday 6th   A very showery day. I got firewood and went down for the mail in the afternoon.  Willie & Dave were cleaning Danthonia.

Tuesday 7th   The wind still blowing from E hot sultry weather.
Misty rain several times during the day.  Willie & Dave finished cleaning the Danthonia and they were sewing the sacks up.  They have 15 Sacks of good seed and with the 6 Sacks they already sent away makes 21 sks.   I did odd jobs.

Wednesday 8th   Misty rain in morning but fine in the afternoon.
Willie & Dave carted the 15 Sk  Danthonia down to the wharf in the afternoon.  I did not go down to the village.  Sowed Cabbage & Cauliflower seeds in boxes.

Thursday 9th   It was a fine day,  but the wind is still blowing strong from the E.   Willie took a box of butter & eggs and 4 cases fruit down to the wharf in the sulky.
I went down to get some sand but the high spring tide prevented me getting any.
Grace & Mrs Simpson spent the day with Glass’.   In the pm I worked in the flower garden.  I planted 3 clumps of Pink Gladiolus, 1 do  of Bride Gladiolas, 1 Do Paper White Narcissus,  replanted 3 clumps of Daffodils, & took up and replanted a clump of Rubia Gladiolus.   In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Friday 10th   Wind still blowing strong from SE. Fairly fine day, only a few slight showers.
In the morning I went down to the P.O to send a wire to the boys, afterward I went down to Dunnings beach for some shell sand which I carried home.
The remainder of the day I was working in the flower garden,  I planted 2 clumps of Pink Gladiolus, 3 Do Bride Gladiolus, 2 Balsams, 3 Antirrhinum , 3 mignonette, took up and replanted 3 Aquilegias.  In the evening I went down to the village thinking to get the mail, but on account of the weather the Steamer did not come.

Saturday 11th   The wind is still blowing strong from the SE.  The “Kawau” came in this morning, she did not go to Mangawai but left here for Auckland at 2.30 pm.  Willie went down in the morning to get the mail.
There were a few showers in the morning.   The Warkworth Show was held to day.  May Dunning brought Revd & Mrs Boyle the newly appointed Presbyterian minister to call on us in the afternoon, they seem very nice people.  I was working in the flower garden.  I took up and replanted a clump of Fritalaries, also planted 4 clumps of Daffodils near the front gate.  John Addison came in the evening, we played 500.

Sunday 12th   It was a very fine day. The wind has gone down at last.
Revd Boyle conducted service in the Hall morning and evening and preached excellent sermons on both occasions, I attended both services and the others went in the evening.

Monday 13th   It was a very fine day. Grace & Mrs Simpson went down to the wharf fishing in the morning returning home late in the afternoon with a few small fishes.  Willie was picked Pears all day. In the morning I planted 8 clump Daffodils opposite the summer house. In the pm I got firewood and went down to Dunning’s beach and carried home some shell sand.  Flo’ came over late in the pm and Mrs Simpson returned with her after tea.

Tuesday 14th   It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down for the mail, afterwards sieved a lot of sand and carried it across to the wharf.
Willie hauled several cases of Pears down to the wharf and then he got a boat and he and Grace went out fishing and they caught several nice schnappers, he carted home empty cases and my sand.
In the afternoon I planted 4 clumps of Daffodils in the border near the front gate.

Wednesday 15th   It was a fine day, but the wind has changed to the SE and there is every indication of rain.
Willie was picking Pears, he carted them and a box of butter & eggs down to the wharf in the afternoon and brought up a load of cases and a bag of sand for me.
In the morning I planted clumps of 1 each of Daffodils (Cynosure & Emperor) and 1 of Fresia, also got firewood.  In the afternoon I went down to the steamer.  She made a round trip to day.  John Addison went to Auckland by her in search of work, he may go down to the boys to work for the boys.
While down at the steamer I heard that Mrs Holder was dead, she died of cancer of the throat, she was brought down by the steamer to day and is to be buried at the Claim tomorrow afternoon.

Thursday 16th   Very dull, but it did not rain, wind still easterly.
I was working in the flower garden. I planted clumps of Paper White Narcissus, Daffodils & Ixias, also planted 7 Antirrhinum & 2 Dark Blue Forgetmenot.   Willie was thinning Turnips in the orchard.  In the evening I went down to the village to get the mail and attend the Library.  The remains of the late Mrs Holder was buried at the Claim @ 2.30.  None of us went.

Friday 17th   St Patrick’s Day.
It rained all day.   We did not go out anywhere.

Saturday 18th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to get the mail, the “Kawau” which did not come last night, came this morning, she returned to Auckland without going to Mangawai. Willie was transplanting Mangels in the farm orchard.  In the afternoon I picked some Canadian Wonder beans to take over to Jane, also picked Dun beans seed and did a lot of weeding.

Sunday 19th   There was a very heavy dew last night, the wind is northerly.
It was a very fine day.
Willie, Grace & I drove over to the claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane.   When we got over there we found that Jim had gone out for the day in Mr Ashworth’s motor car with others to Warkworth.
We had dinner with Jane & the children.  Mr & Mrs R. Williams & children were there for tea, Jim had returned by that time, so we were quite a large party.  On our way home in the evening Grace got out at the Ti Point road and was going to Harold’s to stay the night.

Monday 20th   It was a fine day.
Grace being away I had to cook the dinner also did some washing.
Willie was thining Turnips in the orchard.  In the afternoon I went down to the steamer and got the mail.
Grace returned from Ti Point in the evening. Mrs Simpson came with her.
It thundered & lightened and rained heavily in the evening.

Tuesday 21st   It thundered & lightened and rained nearly all day, were not able to do much out of doors.

Wednesday 22nd   It was a fine day but we had so much rain yesterday that the ground was very wet, the wind & rain broke some of my Dahlias down and I was tying them up, doing some weeding, & took up & re planted a clump of Gladiolus.  Annie Matheson was here for lunch.  I went down to the steamer in the afternoon, carried a bag of sand across to the wharf.  Willie was picking Pears.

Thursday 23rd   It was a beautiful day. The wind has gone round into a cool quarter.  Willie hauled a load of Pears down to the wharf, he brought my sand up for me.  I was working in the flower garden, I took up and replanted a clump of Gladiolus, planted some Daffodils and a plant of Verbena & 11 Stoeks.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Friday 24th   Willie was weeding Turnips in the orchard.  I was working in the flower garden, weeding and digging between the Dahlias, weeding the gravel path.  In the pm May Dunning & Mrs Whitaker came and staid for tea.  In the evening I went down to meet the steamer & got the mail.

Saturday 25th   There were several heavy showers during the day.
In the afternoon there was a meeting of Church people in the Library, there were 7 persons present.

Sunday 26th   It was a fine day.  Mrs Simpson, Grace & I attended Communion in the Church at 8 am.  We returned home for breakfast and afterwards Willie, Grace and Mrs Simpson drove over to Big Omaha.  They intended to go to Williams’ but found them out, so they went on to the Russians place on the Big Omaha Flat near Matthew’s.  They brought home two large Water Melons and a lot of Cucumbers.
I had dinner alone and afterwards I went to Jim Greenwoods and staid tea.  The Greenwoods & I went to Church in the evening, Revd Macdonald officiated.  The congregation was not very large. Collection Morng  4/3.   Eveng  6/6.   Total 10/9.

Monday 27th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was thining Turnips all day . I got firewood on the hill and then I was digging round the Apple trees, behind the summer house, my back came over bad and I had to knock off.  In the afternoon I did odd jobs and shelled some dun beans.

Tuesday 28th   It was a very fine day.  Willie carried the Onions from the farm orchard and then he was picking Pears in this orchard.
After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail, after I came back I strung up the Onions in 6 bundles & hung them in the pantry.  After that I was doing a little in the flower garden.

Wednesday 29th   It was a very fine day.  I was helping Willie packing & marking cases of Pears, he hauled 38 cases down to the wharf in the afternoon, the “Kawau” made a round trip, I went down and got some sand which Willie hauled for me, he also had also  10 empty cases and some goods that came by the steamer.
Willie and Grace drove Mrs Simpson over to Ti Point in the evening.

Thursday 30th   It was a very fine day.  I was working in the flower garden.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Friday 31st   It was a very fine day. I was working in the flower garden.   I took up and replanted clumps of Yellow Ixius and Purple Tritonias.
Mrs D. Matheson came in the morning and I gave her a lot of little plants & bulbs, she staid for lunch.  In the afternoon I went to the village to meet the steamer from Auckland and got the mail.