March 1921

Tuesday 1st   It was a very hot day.  Jim was carting metal,  Eddie & Charlie were cutting tea tree on the farm.  I continued digging, went to spend the evening at Mr Griggs.
Mrs Sep Meiklejohn was buried at Matakana this afternoon.

Wednesday 2nd   It was a very hot day.  Jim was carting metal.  Eddie & Charlie were cutting tea tree on Collingwood.  I finished digging the piece of ground that I started last week.
I sowed in boxes seeds of Manchester Defiance Cabbage & Beauty Stock.  Went down to meet the steamer, got the mail.

Thursday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  Jim was carting metal on the road at Darrochs bridge.  Eddie & Charlie were picking fruit.
I was working in the garden in the morning staking the Cosmos & weeding.  In the pm I got sand and carried it across to the wharf and Eddie who carted fruit down to the steamer carted the sand up to out gate, I carried it up to the garden and sieved it.
Eddie & Jessie drove to Warkworth in the evening to be ready for the Tournament tomorrow.

Friday 4th   It was a very hot day.  I was working in the garden, cut the grass on the paths, did some weeding.  Picked some Butter Beans first time, went down for the mail in the evening,  I burned shells for lime.

Saturday 5th   It was a very fine day.  There was a sprinkle of rain in the afternoon, but it was more for heat.  I cleaned 3 lots of seed Peas,  put them into bags and hung them up, also shelled seed Beans.  I burned shells for lime.

Sunday 6th   It was a fine day, but misty and stifling.  Revd Butterworth, Moderator of the Auckland Presbyterian Church held service in the Hall in the morning, there was a large congregation, Mr Grigg played the organ and the singing was very good.  Revd & Mrs Orchard were of the congregation.  Mr Butterworth preached a very excellent sermon.  I called at Baker’s in the afternoon, but Len was not at home, he had gone to Gravatts after church this morning, however I had a look round.  Mr & Mrs Arch Dunning were here for tea.

Monday 7th   It was very misty in the morning, and in the afternoon there was a smart shower.  In the morning I staid at home and cleaned Onion seed.  After the shower in the afternoon I went up to the garden & picked some butter beans & some flowers.  Jim was carting metal.  Eddie & Charlie were cutting tea tree over the hill, Mr & Mrs Blakeley & Annie Matheson came in the afternoon & staid tea.

Tuesday 8th   It was a fine day, but much cooler as the wind is SW.  Jim was carting metal.  I went up to the garden morning and afternoon, I burned the shells over again, dug over the piece of ground I last dug up, thinned out the silver beet and loosened the ground each side of the row.  Charlina & Jessie Darroch were here for dinner, and Mr & Mrs Blakeley were here for tea.

Wednesday 9th   It rained last night and all this morning, wind SE, it cleared up in the afternoon.  The boys did no work outside.  I wrote a letter to Willie and posted it in the pm.  Went down to meet the steamer in the afternoon and got the mail.  Went up to the garden in the evening and picked a bouquet of flowers for Mrs Dick Blakeley, she and her husband are going away in the Steamer tomorrow morning.

Thursday 10th   It was a fine day.  Jim was ploughing in the Oat paddock.  After breakfast I went down to the village, took Mrs Dunning some butter beans and some Dahlia flowers.
Withdrew £10 out of the P. O. Bank.  I was working in the garden, put some fine soil round the Daffodils opposite the summer house

Friday 11th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to send a pr  of boots to Warkworth to be repaired.  Was working in my garden all day.  Finished putting soil round the Daffodils in the round bed.  Mr Levy of the Agricultural Department gave a lecture in the Hall at 8 pm on Permanent Pasture

Saturday 12th   It was a fine day.  There was a Cricket Match at the Claim for the challenge cup between Warkworth & Omaha clubs.
Omaha won in one innings and over 100 runs to spare, every one in the house went except myself,  I was feeling too well  [unwell]  and a cold wind was blowing.  I went up to Arthur Greenwoods to change some Library books.  I staid for dinner,  afterwards went up to the garden.

Sunday 13th   There were a few showers in the morning, but fine in the afternoon.   Revd Richards held service in the afternoon.
I attended, very few attended.

Monday 14th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was carting metal.  I was working up in the garden all day.  I took up and replanted a clump of Dwarf Pink Gladiolus,  planted a seedling Penstemon,  3 Larkspurs,
2 Antirrhums,  1 Geum, also took up a clump of Madonna Lilies, and replanted some of them.

Tuesday 15th   It was dull first thing in the morning, but it turned out a very fine day.  After breakfast I went up to the garden, got some Dahlia blooms and took them to Mrs Gravatt, waited there a long time for the mail from Matakana, but it had not come at 12 oclock so I came home.  Mrs Whitaker,  Winnie and Jane & Mildred drove over to spend the day here, they and Ivy came up to see my garden and I gave Mrs W  a lot of plants & flowers, they were very pleased with my garden.  After they went away Mr Hewitt came to call and he had a look at my garden, he seems a very nice man.  Before these visitors came I did a little work, I planted out a Canterbury Bell and a seedling Penstemon.

Wednesday 16th   There were a few showers in the morning, otherwise it was a fine day.  I wrote a letter to Mr Wallace, also got a Postal Note for 10/6 to send to Azzy for mending my boots.  I was up at the garden morning and afternoon.  I planted out a Canterbury Bell and a Penstemon,  Dolly Greenwood and Janie Brown came in the afternoon and staid for tea.  I went down to the village after an early tea and got the mail.

Thursday 17th   It was a very fine day.   Jim was carting metal.  I went up to the garden in the morning and planted out a pyrethrum,  after dinner I went down to the beach and carried 2 bags of sand to the wharf and Eddie carted them up to the gate .
Ivy, the baby & Maggie went away in the steamer.  After tea I carried the sand to the garden and sieved it.

Friday 18th   It was a fine day.  Jim was carting on the road.  I was working in the garden.  I planted a pyrethrum, a Caterbury Bell and a Geum.  Went down for the mail in the evening.  The Annual Meeting of subscribers to the Omaha & Pakiri Show was held in the Hall in the evening,  Mr John Greenwood occupied the chair,  the old committee were re-elected with the exception that Neil Neeley & Ab Wyatt were elected in place of Eddie Birdsall & L. Whitaker who refused to stand.

Saturday 19th   It was fine in the morning, but it came on to rain towards noon and continued a misty rain all afternoon, but cleared up and was a very fine moonlight evening.
I went up to the garden in the morning, but was not able to do much outside so I shelled beans on the back verandah.  In the afternoon I cleaned Onion seed at the house.  There was a Ratepayers meeting in the evening, the boys went.

Sunday  20th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers.  Revd Hawkesworth held service in the Church at 2.30 pm,  there were 32 present.  Collection 17/2.

Monday 21st   It rained heavily during the night with thunder & lightening, it rained also all morning, was unable to do anything outside, it cleared up in the afternoon, I went up above it was too wet to do anything to the ground so I shelled some beans on the back verandah.  After tea I went down for the mail, but as it was not expected in before 8 pm I came, as Eddie was going to the Farmer’s Union meeting in the evening, he got the mail, I got a letter from Eddie Grigg.

Tuesday 22nd   It was a very fine day, Jim was carting for the County Council, I was working up at the garden,  I planted out several plants & bulbs.

Wednesday 23rd   It rained last night, but it was very fine today.  In the morning I went up to the garden and replanted 2 White Penstemons.  In the afternoon I went up to the garden and cut some Dahlia blooms which I took down to the steamer to send to Mrs Magill at Kawau, also took 4 clothes props to give to the mate of the steamer.  The Steamer made a round trip today.  I got the mail, Mr Elliott sent me a cheque for £9 . 10 . 0  for Interest.

Thursday 24th   Very windy,  a few showers, otherwise a fine day.  After breakfast I took Mrs W. Harper a big bunch of flowers.
Lodged £9 . 10 . 0  in the P.O Savings Bank, then went up to the garden , took up and replanted a clump of Gladiolus bulbs.  In the afternoon I went up to Mrs A. Greenwoods to fill in a statement about the Library.  Arthur Greenwood is in the Auckland Hospital to be treated for Tuberculosus of the spine.

Good Friday 25th   It was a very fine day.  I spent a quiet day.  In the morning I went down to the Library and put the books in order.  The pm I spent in reading and in the evening I attended to the Library.

Saturday 26th   It was a very fine day.  The “Kawau” called in here about noon from Mangawai, a good many passengers went from here.  I took the Captain a bunch of Dahlias.  There was a Tournament (Tennis) on these courts, I went down and had lunch in the Hall.  Minnie and Jane were over.

Sunday 27th   Easter Day.  There was rain in the early morning, but it turned out a very fine day.  I conducted service in the Church in the afternoon, Mrs Gravatt being indisposed Mr Grigg played the organ, the singing was much helped by Mrs & Miss Grigg & Mr & Mrs John Greenwood who were down.  The congregation only numbered 18. The Collection was 11/- which is to be given to the Vicar as an Easter offering.  After church I went up to Mr Griggs for tea and spent a very pleasant evening.

Monday 28th   It was a very fine day, but windy.  The Tennis Tournament was continued on these courts.  I was down all day, had lunch in the Hall.

Tuesday 29th   It rained very heavily during the night and this morning.  Jim drove Jessie Matheson & Jessie Gemmel over to Warkworth as the latter wanted to catch the “Hauiti” to go to Auckland.  They found the road very heavy after the rain .
Eddie was carting on the road for the County Council, it cleared up about 10 am and the sun came out.  The ground was too wet to do anything on it, so I made some labels for the Library books, also put onion seeds into packets to send to Warkworth for the children’s gardens.

Wednesday 30th   It was a fine day.  Jim was carting on the road.  Charlie & Eddie were picking Pears in my old orchard.  I went up to the garden both morning and afternoon.  I packed the box of seeds &c for Warkworth school gardens.

Thursday 31st   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the P.O to get money order & postal notes, collected Church Guarantee.  Jim was carting on the road.  Charlie & Eddie set fire to the fallen tea tree the other side of the hill in the afternoon.