March 1918

Friday 1st   It was a fine day.  I was digging the top side of the house.  Willie and Dave were building their kiln.  There was a patriotic social in the hall in the evening, but none of us went.

Saturday 2nd    It was a very fine day.  Dave Glass drove me to the Warkworth Show in my sulky & his horse, I called on Revd Macdonald & had a look through the new vicarage & the church.
It was a very good show both outside & inside and I met a lot of friends, a good many went from Leigh.  We got home after 10 pm.

Sunday 3rd   It was a fine day.  I conducted service in the Church in the afternoon .  There were about 21 present,  Collection 7/6 .
Willie & Grace went up to Mrs Knowles in the evening.

Monday 4th   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing strong from the SE, the “Kawau” should have come this evening, but she did not put in an appearance, I suppose on account of the wind.  Willie & Dave set fire to their kiln.  I was digging the top side of the house.

Tuesday 5th   It rained nearly all morning and the wind was blowing strong from SE, it was finer in the afternoon .
It was too wet to dig,  I did several odd jobs.  Willie & Dave were watching their kiln.

Wednesday 6th   It was fine in the morning.  I was digging the top side of the house.  In the afternoon I went down to the village to meet the steamer, the wind was blowing strong from SE, so the steamer went into Big Omaha, so I had to come home without bread, meat or mail.
Willie & Dave sacked up their charcoal, the kiln turned out 65 sacks. Mrs James Torkington came here in the morning and as it rained in the afternoon she staid the night

Thursday 7th   It was a showery day.  The “Kawau” came round from Big Omaha this morning, Willie went down for the bread and the meat.  It was too wet to dig so I made some kerbing and got some manure for the garden.  Mrs James Torkington left for Ti Point.
In the evening I went down for the mail and the Library.  The Annual Show meeting was held in the Library , there was a good attendance.
The prizes gained at the last show were paid out amounting to
£57 . 6 . 0 .  Mr Jas Greenwood and I were elected honorary members and a committee of 11 persons were elected.  Mr John Greenwood was appointed Chairman & D. W. Knaggs Sec  &  Treasurer.

Friday 8th   It was a beautiful day.  Clement Wraggs’ prediction that there would be  change for the better to day has come true.  I was digging at the top side of the house all day.  Willie hauled the charcoal out on to the road.  Willie Dunning came for the sulky in the evening, as he is playing in a cricket match at Warkworth tomorrow against Kaipara Flats.

Saturday 9th   It was a very fine day.  Dave carted their charcoal down to the wharf.  In the morning I went down to the beach and sieved a lot of sand and carried 3 bags of it across to the wharf for Dave to cart up for me.  The remainder of the day I was digging the top side of the house.

Sunday 10th   It was a very fine day.  Revd Gould (Presbyterian) held service in the Hall in the morning, there was a large congregation.  Afterwards I went up to J. C. Wyatts to spend the day.

Monday 11th   It was a very fine day.  I was digging the top side of the house in the morning.  In the afternoon I washed my clothes.  Grace & Raymond went down to Mrs A. Dunnings in the pm.  Mrs Knowles called in the evening.

Tuesday 12th   It was a very fine day.   I was digging the top side of the house.  Willie and Dave set fire to their kiln.

Wednesday 13th   It was a very fine day.  Willie took the Box of Eggs down to the steamer in the sulky before breakfast.  I finished digging the piece of ground the top side of the house.  In the evening there was a meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society in the Hall.  Mr A. Matheson presided.  The subject for discussion was, “Should Dalmations be allowed to acquire land”

Thursday 14th   It was a fine day.  I went down for the mail in the evening.

Friday 15th   It was a very fine day.  I went with the cream cart as far as Robert Williams, I took Mrs W some Dahlias & Rouvaidias, had dinner there and Mrs W drove in their sulky back to Jim Dunnings, Jim was away at Warkworth to a sale, but returned for tea,  [ I ]  staid the night.

Saturday 16th   A fine day.  I was not well so did not go out anywhere.  Jim went to cricket practice in the domain in the afternoon.

Sunday 17th   It was a beautiful day.  I went to Mr Whitakers in the afternoon, he showed me the curio’s that his son Charlie had sent from Palestine.  Mrs D. Darroch & Mrs Wat Darroch were at Jims for tea.

Monday 18th   I returned home in the pm.  There was a very strong NE wind blowing.

Tuesday 19th   The wind was still blowing strong from the NE.  The steamer did not come last night nor to day.  The wind has done damage in my garden in breaking down Dahlias, Cosmeas and other plants.  I was getting & preparing kerbing and fixing it.

Wednesday 20th   There were showers all morning, but it rained heavily late in the afternoon.  I was not able to do much outside.

Thursday 21st   It was a fine day.  After the rain the wind has changed to the west.  The strong wind we have been experiencing has blown down a quantity of pine cones and the ground is strewn with pine needles.  I commenced to plant Daffodils, I planted 8 clumps on the border next the roses opposite the summer house.  In the evening I went down for the mail and changed my books at the Library.  Mrs Knowles called in the evening.  I sieved sand in the morning & Willie hauled up.

Friday 22nd   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the beach and sieved sand and carried across to the wharf.  Afterwards called on Mrs Gravatt.  In the afternoon Willie took fruit down to the wharf,  Grace and Raymond went with him,  & they fished off the wharf & brought home a schnapper & some small fish.  I planted 8 clumps of Daffodils in the Diamond Bed.

Saturday 23rd   It was a fine day.  I finished planting Daffodils in the Diamond bed,  also planted a clump of Fresias & Dwarf Pink Gladiolus.  After I had finished I took some flowers down to the church, fixed up the window the storm broke and trimmed the lamps ready for tomorrow nights service.

Sunday 24th   It was a fine day.  In the afternoon I walked up to Mr Jas Greenwoods, had a look round his place and had tea there, from there I walked down to the church , Mr Macdonald conducted the service, there were 30 present.  Collection 11/- .  I gave Mr Macdonald a letter to give to Mr Goerty containing  7  £1 notes, being our contribution to the Church for the half year ending the 31st March.

Monday 25th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was digging out paspalum in the orchard.  I was working in the flower garden all day.
I planted 9 clumps of Daffodils & 2 clumps of Paper White Narcissus.

Tuesday 26th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was digging out paspalum in the orchard.  I was working in the flower garden.
I planted 2 clumps Grand Monarque Narcissus and some bulbs of Lachanalia in a box.  I sowed seeds of Enfield Market Cabbage & Cauliflower.
I went down to the beach in the afternoon and carried 3 bags sand over to the wharf for Willie to cart up for me tomorrow.

Wednesday 27th   It was still blowing hard from the NE.  In the morning Willie took the Eggs down to the steamer and he carted up my sand.  I cut the grass on the paths and tidied up the flower garden.  In the afternoon I took the sulky over to Jims and brought Jane over to go to the concert this evening.
All of us went to the concert in the Hall given by the Mutual Improvement Society.

Thursday 28th   It rained last night and continued nearly all day.  I was not able to do anything out of doors,  Jane and her children who staid at Archie Dunnings last night, came up here when there was a lull in the rain.  Willie went down for the mail in the evening, but there was no steamer.

Friday 29th   There were a few slight showers in the morning, but otherwise it was a fine day.  Jane went to see the Jas Greenwoods in the morning returning here in the afternoon,  she then went to see the Arthur Greenwoods.
In the afternoon Willie took Hector with him and went out in a boat fishing with Leslie Machards in this harbour, he brought home a few fish.  The “Kawau” came in from Auckland while Willie was down there so he got some bread.
In the afternoon I dug round some small apple trees.
Jane made some hot X buns.

Saturday 30th   There was misty rain in the morning , but it turned out not a bad day.  Jane & the children returned home in the cream cart, I went down with them to Archie Dunnings.
I was planing up some garden labels.  Took flowers down to the Church in the pm.

Sunday 31st    Easter Sunday.   It was a very showery day.  Willie took the sulky to Matakana to fetch Mr & Mrs Glass home, having come from Auckland by train to Kaipara Flats yesterday, he found the roads very heavy after the late rains, he did not get home until nearly 5 pm.  Mr & Mrs Glass staid at Mr Archie Dunnings for the night.
I conducted service in the Church at 2.30 pm, there were about 30 present the Collection amounted to 12/- and according to custom it is to be given to the Vicar as an Easter Offering.