May 1910

Sunday 1st   It was a beautiful day.  Mr W. M. Runciman who is staying at Charlie Wyatts conducted service in the Hall in the morning, there was a fair congregation, I attended.  Mr R  gave us a very good sermon.  I walked along the road home with my old friend.
Henry rode to the Claim in the afternoon.

Monday 2nd   It was a fine day.  After breakfast Mr G. Knaggs came to see if I would go and witness the signatures of the Old Age Pensioners, so I accompanied him , I first went to Mr T. Knaggs to witness Mrs K’s signature and then I went to Mr G. K.  to witness Mrs G. K’s  &  A. McKenzies signatures,  had some lunch there, came home afterwards,  got a  spade & bags and went down to the beach and sieved a lot of black soil and sand and carried it over to the wharf and Willie hauled it up for me.   Jane rode to Warkworth.  Willie hauled some fruit down to the wharf.  Henry went to Auckland in the “Kawau“.  After I came up from the wharf I dug up a piece of ground near the closet and planted some cutting & plants that I got from Jos  Greenwood.

Tuesday 3rd   It was a fine day.  I was working in the flower garden all day.  I planted 6 Cinerarias that Mrs Simpson gave me, 1 Marigold, 1 Heuchera Sanguinea, 2 Danonicums, 1 Stokesia  Cyanea  (Blue) Cornflower Aster.
Willie was picking Apples in the latter part of the pm, he went down for the mail.

Wednesday 4th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the beach and carried up a bag of sand.  The remainder of the day I was working in the flower garden.
I planted 2 Bouvardias, 1 Humbolti (White, scented), 1 Flavescens (Yellow single)  also did a lot of weeding.
In the morning Willie went down to the E.R. and fixed up a panel at the outer gateway.  In the pm he carried a box of butter & eggs down to the Steamer.  Jane returned from Warkworth in the evening.

Thursday 5th   It was a fine day.  I was weeding in the flower garden all day, about mid day I went down to the beach to get a load of sand, the “Kawau” arrived from Auckland while I was down there and Henry came up in her, he rode over to Ti Point in the afternoon.

Friday 6th   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing strong from SE.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter & paper, afterwards went to the beach to get sand.  The remainder of the day I was working in the flower garden, I planted 1 mauve Penstemon, several Phlox and 1 Stock.  Willie was grubbing out the lower Apricot tree.
Henry rode to Pakiri in the afternoon .  In the evening I went down for the mail, attended the Library and Choir practice, Jane being absent Mrs Gravatt played the organ.

Saturday 7th   It did not rain, but was a very dull day, the wind still blowing strong from SE.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter & I carried up a bag of black soil.  The remainder of the morning I was working in the flower garden.  I planted 2 Gladioli bulbs that Joe Greenwood gave me, also 1 Antirrhinum.  In the pm I mulched 2 clumps of Stocks with horse manure and did odd jobs.  Henry returned from Pakiri in the evening and then rode to Matakana to a dance.

Sunday 8th   Soon after breakfast it commenced to rain and rained steadily all day and in the evening it poured with rain, the wind is still blowing strong from the E.  Henry returned from Matakana in the evening.

Monday 9th   It rained nearly all day and sometimes it poured with rain.  Henry & Willie went down to meet the “Kawau” from Mangawai, she experienced very rough weather.

Tuesday 10th   Wind still blowing from E.  It was misty and showery nearly all day.  In the afternoon Henry & Willie went down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau” from Auckland, she was late in arriving.

Wednesday 11th   It was showery nearly all day.  In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up 100 lb Flour and a Bag of Sugar that came by the “Kawau” last night.  Henry rode over to the Claim to spend the day at Mr Jas  Darrochs returning here late at night.  Mr J. B. Roose called, he is travelling for John Court and other firms.

Thursday 12th   The wind has changed to the SW, but it was very showery in the morning, but fine in the pm.  In the afternoon Henry rode to Pakiri.  Willie was fixing up the road near the bottom gate.  I was cutting tea tree.

Friday 13th   It was a very fine day.  Although the ground is very wet it dried up a good bit today.
In the morning I got some firewood and weeded in the flower garden.  Henry returned from Pakiri and then went to Ti Point to say good bye to Minnie,  Henry left us in the afternoon, he went to Auckland in the “Kawau“.  Willie & I went to see him off.  After returning home I cut tea tree in the front.  Willie was paving the cow shed.  In the afternoon Jane went down to Uncle Johns and was going to call for the mail and attend the Library.

Saturday 14th   It was a showery day.  Willie was paving the cow shed and part of the yard.  I was not at all well today and only got some firewood.  Mrs Joseph Greenwood who is staying in the district called here in the pm and staid tea.

Sunday 15th   It rained last night, but it was fairly fine today, only a few slight showers in the morning.  Revd Parrs the new Methodist Minister stationed at Warkworth held service in the Hall in the pm.
Jane & I went, he is a splendid preacher, and he made a very good impression.

Monday 16th   It was fine in the morning, but there was a heavy shower in the pm.  In the morning Willie hauled the last of his Apples down to the wharf, in the pm he hauled three loads of Pumpkins from the farm orchard and we stored them under the house.
Mabel came in the pm and staid tea.
Wrote a letter to Jack and it was posted this morning.

Tuesday 17th   It rained last night, but it was pretty fine today.
Willie carried over 7 loads of Pumpkins from the farm orchard and we stored them under the house.  I sorted over the Potatoes and rubbed the shoots off them.
Miss McKenzie was here after dinner and we all went down to meet the Steamer.  Jane went round in her to Ti Point to stay at Mrs D. Knaggs.
I carried up some black soil.

Wednesday 18th   It was a beautiful day.  Ab Wyatt came in the morning to help Willie kill the pig, we finished before dinner.  In the pm I was weeding the three cornered bed with Snowflakes in .  Willie was taking out an Apricot tree in the orchard.  Jane came back from Ti Point in the “Kawau” and then went to Mr Ashworths to spend the evening.

Thursday 19th   We cut up the Pig in the morning and salted it away and I was nearly the whole day looking after the meat.  After cutting up the pig Willie went down to the pm and got the mail. [sic:  Willie went down to the village in the pm and got the mail]

Friday 20th   It was a fine day.  The wind at SW, very cold in the morning and evening.  Willie was burning the Apricot roots in the orchard.  I was working in the flower garden.
Old Mrs Dunning & Mrs Matheson came to spend the day, the latter lady celebrated her 84th birthday yesterday.
In the evening I went down to the village to get the mail & attended the Library.  There was also a meeting of the Hall Committee.

Saturday 21st   It was a fine day.  I was working in the flower garden in the morning & in the pm I went down to the beach and sieved a lot of black soil which I carried across and put into the wharf shed.
Jane walked to Ti Point in the morning to try to get Mr Torkingtons buggy to go to Warkworth, but he would not lend it, so she came home and Minnie & Joe came with her and dined here.  Willie was getting clothes props the other side of the hill.

Sunday 22nd   Willie rode to Ti Point to spend the day.  It had every appearance of a very fine day, but in the pm there was a slight shower here, but much heavier at Ti Point.  I intended going up to Mr Handbys, but the threatening weather prevented me.

Monday 23rd   It was a beautiful day.  Jane got up early and rode to Ti Point to call for Minnie to ride with her to Warkworth.  After breakfast Willie went down to the village to post some letters, the remainder of the day he was cutting clothes props the other side of the hill.  In the morning I was working in the flower garden.  In the pm I took the horse and hauled up a load of black soil and sand from the beach.  Jane returned from Warkworth late at night.

Tuesday 24th   Empire Day.  It was a very fine day.  Willie was cutting clothes props.  I was working in the flower garden all day.  In the pm I went down to the village to get the mail, also carried up a bag of sand.
In the evening we plainly saw Halleys Comet, also a partial Eclipse of the Moon.

Wednesday 25th   It was a fine day.  I was working in the flower garden all day.  I planted 6 Gladiolus in the long bed (mixed colours).
Willie hauled the clothes props down to the house.
Mrs Ab Wyatt and children spent the day here.  Alf Wyatt and Miss Roberts (his intended) spent the evening here,  Miss Roberts sings very nicely.

Thursday 26th   It was a very fine day.  Wind from SW.  Mabel came for Jane in the morning and they both went to McKenzies and to Mrs Handbys in the afternoon.
Willie hauled his Clothes Props down to the wharf (9 Doz) and he got the mail after the arrival of the Steamer in the afternoon.
Agnes went down to play with the children at the Cottage.
I was working in the flower garden.  I dug up the Diamond bed.

Friday 27th   It was a fine day, wind still at SW.  Willie was working down at the Cottage all day patching up the roof with new shingles.
In the morning I stuck the row of Sweet Peas, afterwards went down to the wharf to send away Willies Clothes props by the “Kawau“, carried up a bag of sand also ¼ bushel of Oats that I got at the Store.
In the afternoon I sowed Oats at the bottom side of the flower garden and pointed them in before dark.  Jane attended to the Library for me in the evening.

Saturday 28th   It was a fine day.  Willie & Jane were clearing out the big bed room and Willie started taking the old lining off the walls.  I was working in the flower garden all day.  I planted a clump of old Scarlet Gladiolus, took up and replanted the Amatylis, started digging out the onion plants.  In the evening I went down to meet the Steamer, carried up a bag of sand, called for the mail, there was a letter from Henry written from Gisbourne.
It came in a misty rain.

Sunday 29th.    It was a fine day.  Wind blowing strong from SW.  After breakfast I walked up to Mr John Greenwoods to spend the day.  As I was going up the hill I found that a good deal more rain fell up there last night than we had down here which made it very heavy walking.
I found Mrs Banks & children and Miss Wilks there and Mr Banks & Mrs Rhodes came later on, so that there was a large party of us , and I spent a very pleasant day, I arrived home a little before dark.

Monday 30th   The wind has gone round to the NW, a dull day and threatening for rain,  there was a slight shower in the pm and also in the evening.  In the morning Willie helped Ab kill his pig.  Afterwards he was putting up the lining in the bed room .  After breakfast I got some firewood and the remainder of the day I was working in the flower garden, I finished digging out the onion plants.

Tuesday 31st   It was showery in the morning.  Willie helped Ab cut up his pig, afterwards was taking off the old lining boards, later in the afternoon he took the horse down to the wharf & hauled up a Sk of Bran & Box of Groceries.  I went down to get the mail and carried up a bag of black soil.
Miss C. A. Matheson & May Dunning came to spend the evening.