May 1922

Monday 1st    It was a fine day.  Wind still blowing strong from SE.
I started to dig the piece of ground between the row of Cauliflowers and the onions planted out for seed.
Maggie, Ivy & Freda Tucker came to see my garden in the afternoon,
Charlie & Eddie were burning the scrub on the farm.  Jim was harrowing and discing in front.

Tuesday 2nd   It was a very fine day.  Wind got round to SW.  Weather much better.  Charlie took some cows they have dried off to Pet Kuku.  Jim finished harrowing in front and then commenced to drill grass seed.  I continued digging what I started yesterday.

Wednesday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  I finished digging the strip I started on Monday, afterwards pulled up the Tomatoes & sticks, went down to the steamer, got the mail.  Jim finished drilling & boarding the paddock in front.  Charlie & Eddie were cutting box timber.

Thursday 4th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I called at Gravatts and at Arthur Greenwoods, called at the P.O.
Mr Flower rang me up to tell me about a vestry meeting.  Keith Entwisle came up by the steamer yesterday. He called here today to see if he could rent my old house and some land.  I went up to the garden in the afternoon, cut grass on the path and rooted out some michaelmas daisy.

Thursday Friday 5th   It was a very fine day.  It was the 59th Anniversary of the ship Queen of Beauty leaving Gravesend (England) the ship I came to New Zealand in.  I went up to the garden in the morning and was cleaning up the borders.  In the afternoon I went up to the garden again  & got some flowers, bulbs & plants and took them down to Mr Hewetts, had afternoon tea there and then went down for the mail.

Saturday 6th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I went up to the garden and picked some flowers for Jane.  Eddie, Jim and I drove to the Claim in the afternoon as there were two hockey matches played on the Domain between Omaha  A  & B  team against Matakana A  &  B team .  Omaha A beat Matakana 2 goals to 1.  Matakana B team beat 5 goals to 1,  Eddie & Jim were playing with A team & Jim Dunning was playing with B team, there were a quantity of onlookers .  I staid the night at Jims.

Sunday 7th   It was a very fine day.  Jane & I drove in my sulky & Jims new horse Tommy to Matakana to spend the day at Robert Williams, he has a beautiful house & garden.  Heard that Revd Addenbroke was holding service at Matakana that evening, but we could not stay for it as we wanted to get home before dark.  I enjoyed the outing very much as Robert is an old friend of mine.

Monday 8th   It rained a lot last night and was very showery to day, Jim drove me home in the afternoon.  Went up to the garden to plant some cuttings Mrs Williams gave me.  Charlie & the boys were cutting box timber.

Tuesday 9th   It blew and poured with rain last night & the ground was too wet to  [do]  anything in the garden so I staid at home and mended a pair of pants.  In the afternoon I cleared the road opposite.

Wednesday 10th   It was a very fine day.  Went up to the garden in the morning , cut away some ivy.  In the afternoon took some bulbs down to the Church & planted them,  got the mail, received a letter from Lily.

Thursday 11th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I was clearing the road opposite.  Jane & Mrs Whitaker drove up to  Johny Greenwoods.  I gave Jane some plants to take up to Winnie.  In the afternoon I went up to the garden, cleared away ivy, planted out a red beet for seed, weeded onions.  Jim was topdressing the paddock opposite with Lime.

Friday 12th   It was a very fine day.  I went up to the garden morning and afternoon.  I was preparng a piece of ground for digging by making a trench near the fence and carrying the soil to the foot  [front ?]  of the house.  Resowed the Sweet Peas, went for the mail in the evening .  Jim was top dressing the grass in front with Super & Lime.

Saturday 13th   It was a fine day, but the wind is in from the E and it looks as if there would be a change.  My back was pretty bad and I was not able to do any work .  I went down to the Post Office, took flowers to the Church , also took flowers to Mrs Gravatt.
There was a hockey match at the Claim between Omaha & Warkworth, which was a drawn game, neither side scored a goal. Eddie & Jim played , Mr Addenbrooke the new vicar called in the evening on his way up to John Greenwoods.

Sunday 14th   It was a dull day, but it did not rain, wind still from E, Molly Harper, Ted’s little girl who died last Friday night, was buried this afternoon , the first part of the service was in the church, the new vicar Revd  C. Addenbrooke officiated & at the grave.  There was afternoon service in the church afterwards, there was a large congregation numbering about 50.  The collection was 29/ 2d.
Mr Addenbrooke preached a very good sermon & made a good impression.

Monday 15th   It rained first thing in the morning, cleared up afterwards, but was a dull day.  Did no work in the garden. Went the P O in pm .

Tuesday 16th   A wet day, cleared up a little in the pm .  I did not go out anywhere, but staid in the house and did some mending and commenced a letter to Lily.
Revd Addenbrooke called & had lunch here.  The steamer called in the evening from Auckland and we got the mail.

Wednesday 17th   It was a fine day, but dull, the ground and everything very wet.
After breakfast I took a letter I had written to Lily containing Onion seed for Jack down to the post, took Mrs Dunning some flowers. The remainder of the day I was clearing the road opposite.  The boys were sawing box timber.

Thursday 18th   It was a showery day.  My back was very bad, my old complaint Lumbago I did -go at ay where  [sic:  I did not go anywhere]
I wrote a long letter to Henry  & Jim posted it for me in the evening when he went to Cannon, a game in the Hall.  The boys cut down a pine tree on the road side & cut up into logs and carted it home to be cut up into box timber.

Friday 19th   It was a fine day.  My back was so bad I kept my bed all day.  Everyone were very kind, all my wants were supplied and all of them came in to see me.

Saturday 20th   Minnies birthday.   It was a fine day.  Willie Dunning came in the morning and told me that his little girl Winnie had died that day at noon and asking me to take the funeral on Monday which I promised to do if I was well enough.  The A Hockey team played a match against Dome Valley at that place.  And B team played against Warkworth at that place.  Both our teams were defeated.

Sunday 21st   A dull day, but fine.  I kept my bed nearly all day, getting up late in the afternoon, I should have had service in the Church this afternoon, but on account of my back I was unable. Charlie Wyatt came in the morning and told me that Mrs Arthur Greenwood had died this morning of heart failure, she has been ailing for a little over a week and had the Doctor to her, but her condition was not considered serious as she was much better yesterday, it will be a great blow to Arthur poor fellow & I sympathize with him very much. Mr Grigg & Eddie came to see me in the afternoon.

Monday 22nd   It was a fine day.  Willie Dunning’s little girl Winnie who died on Saturday morning was buried today.  I conducted the funeral at the grave.  There was a large crowd of people present to show their respect and sympathy, a number of beautiful wreaths were placed on the coffin.  After the funeral Mr Grigg and I went up to call & sympathise with Arthur Greenwood.

Tuesday 23rd   It was a fine day, but a cold wind was blowing,  Mrs Arthur Greenwood was buried this afternoon, Revd Addenbrooke conducted the service, part of the service was held in the church and the remainder at the grave, many friends attended to show their respect , many floral emblems were placed on the coffin.

Wednesday 24th   Strong wind from E, staid at home in the morning & wrote letters to Willie, Mr Addenbrooke and a report for the Rodney Times.  Willie Dunning came and had a long talk with me.  I posted these letters in the afternoon & got the mail.  The boys were ploughing the swamp near my lower gate.

Thursday 25th   It rained last night, but was fine to day.  Wind still from E.  Went down to the P.O in the morning.  In the pm went up to the garden, mad an  [sic: made and]   painted some labels, the boys were sawing for boxes.

Friday 26th   It rained and blew nearly all day, wind still E.   Remained in doors all day.  Eddie was making a chest of drawers in the shed.

Saturday 27th   A very showery day.  Wind still blowing strong.  There should have been a hockey match between Matakana & Omaha at Matakana.  Eddie & Jim started to go and when they got to Big Omaha they heard that the match was put off.

Sunday 28th   It was a fine day.  Revd Poole was to have held service here this morning, but on account of indisposition he asked Mr Grigg to take the service, but Eddie officiated and preached a very good sermon.  I attended.  It rained steadily all pm & evening.  I went down to the Church in the afternoon to put flowers in to the vases and to trim the lamps.  Revd Addenbrooke our new vicar came here for tea & left his horse here, and he & I  walked down to the church for the evening service, being such a wet night there were only 17 present, offertory  8/6.  The Vicar returned here with Jim & me and staid the night.

Monday 29th   It was a very fine day and very calm, but the ground is very wet, Revd Addenbrooke left this morning. The boys were cutting up tea tree into blocks for firewood.  Eddie made a shelter near the back door and we stacked the firewood in it under shelter.

Tuesday 30th   It was a fine day, but the wind has got round to the E again and blowing pretty strong.  Charlie & Jim went to Pakiri to sow grass seed .  Eddie was making drains near the house.  I was splitting wood and stacking it in the new shelter near the back door.  Went down to the P.O in the pm.

Wednesday 31st   It was raining nearly all day.  I was shelling beans in the workshop.  Eddie took the cart down to the wharf to get some drain pipes & he finished the drain he made yesterday.  Jim was scraping gum, he went for the mail late in the pm.