November 1918

Friday 1st   It was fine first thing in the morning, but the wind has got round to NE.  After breakfast Mrs Simpson went down to get the mail, it came on to rain and she had to take shelter at Mr A. Dunnings and came home in a lull.
It thundered very loud and rained heavily in the afternoon.  There should have been a meeting of the Ratepayers Association in the evening but on account of the weather only a few turned up so there was no meeting.

Saturday 2nd   It was a very fine day.  Willie was digging round the lemons in the farm orchard.  I got wood on the hill in the morning and in the afternoon I took flowers down to the church.

Sunday 3rd   There were a few slight showers otherwise it was a fine day.  Harold Knaggs came in the morning to spend the day.  Harold Torkington drove over to take Mrs Simpson back to their place, he staid for dinner and then Mrs S went back with him,  Jim Wyatt came for tea.  Revd Macdonald held service in the evening, I was the only one from this house that went, there were 23 present.
There was Holy Communion in the morning.  3 present.
Collections    Communion                1 . 6
                              Evening Service      11 . 7    
                                               Total               13 . 1
Albert Wyatt’s baby boy was baptized at 10 am in the Church by Revd Macdonald.

Monday 4th   It was a very fine day, wind SW.   Willie was digging  between his lemons in the farm orchard.  I was digging between the vegetables the upper side of the house and preparing the ground for the plants which I afterwards planted.  I planted out 8 Tomato plants about 4 ft apart and also planted 29 lettuces between the rows  of peas.

Tuesday 5th   Guy Fawkes Day.   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to get the mail, called in at Mr Dunnings to have a look at the papers, heard that Austria had [surrended]  unconditionally.   Willie was digging round the Lemons in the farm orchard.  I was digging among the vegetables the upper side of the house.

Wednesday 6th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was spraying his Up to Date  Potatoes in the new garden as they have a truch of blight, he was also digging round the Lemons in the farm orchard.  I was digging between the vegetables the top side of the house, also cutting the grass in the drain near the house and paring it all off.
Write a letter to Mr Grindrod.  Went down to the village in the afternoon, carried two bags of sand across to the wharf.

Thursday 7th   It was a fine day.  I went down to the village after breakfast to get Ernie Greenwood to take a pair of boots to Warkworth to be repaired.  Afterwards took a bunch of roses to the Captain of the “Kawau“.  Willie took his butter & eggs down to the wharf  and brought up my sand that I got yesterday.  Willie dug round his lemons in the farm orchard.  I went down for the mail in the evening.

Friday 8th   It was a fine day.  Willie was digging round the Lemons in farm orchard.  In the morning I went down to the barley paddock to get some pea sticks for my sweet peas which I used in the afternoon.
I planted 18 Garden Drumhead Cabbages over a manured trench.

Saturday 9th    Henry’s 45th birthday.   It was a fine day,
wind nearly S.
After breakfast I took flowers down to the Church and arranged them in the vases, then went down to the beach and carried it  [sand?]  to the wharf, called on Mrs Gravatt, and went to Arthur Greenwoods to get the key to the Library to change my books.
Willie took his 6 small cases of Lemons down to the wharf and brought up my sand.
The “Kawau” was expected to leave Auckland for here and Mangawai at noon today, but a wire arrived saying that the crew were laid up with influenza which is very prevalent in Auckland and she would not be coming until next Wednesday.
Willie and Grace drove over to Ti Point in the afternoon.  I staid at home and dug up the remainder of the ground the upper side of the house. from the last planted Cabbages to the row of Sweet Peas.
There was a roumer  [sic: rumor]   that the Germans had surrendered, but it proved to be untrue.

Sunday 10th   It was a fine day, ‘tho dull, wind S.   I conducted service in the Church at 2.30, there were 20 present.  Collection 8/- .
Mrs Simpson walked over from Ti Point and staid the night.

Monday 11th   It was a very fine day.  Mrs Simpson returned to Ti Point in the morning.  I broke down the ground near the sweet peas, to prepare it for planting something.
In the afternoon I planted the remainder of the stocks, also pricked out into a box some young seedling AntirrhinumsCalliopsis & Stocks.  Went down to Charley Wyatts in the evening to see the Valuation of the Omaha Riding.

Tuesday 12th   It was a very fine day.
Soon after breakfast we heard the Church bell ring so we hurried down to the village and found Wm Harper ringing the bell on account of receiving news this morning that Peace had been declared between Germany and the Allies.  So we gave a cheer for King George and the British Empire, as to day had been declared a public holiday, we returned home and then all of us drove down to the Goat Island beach for a little picnic,  Alic Matheson was shearing his sheep and I had tea with the shearers.
I went down to A. Dunnings in the evening, Willie D was there and we played Five Hundred.

Wednesday 13th   It was a fine day, but the wind is NE and it looks a little like rain.  A little rain would do good as the ground is getting very dry & hard on the surface.
In the morning I sowed a row of Peerless Peas.  In the afternoon I planted out several young Larkspur plants and Stock Plants.
Willie was digging round the Lemons in farm orchard.
The “Kawau” did not come today but we heard she was leaving Auckland for here tomorrow morning at 7 am.

Thursday 14th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I pricked out in boxes, 35 seedling plants of Phlox,  15 Socks  & 23 Dahlias.
I went down to the beach in the afternoon and carried 3 bags of sand across to the wharf,  Willie carted his butter & eggs down to the wharf and he brought my bags of sand home.
On account of the influenza epidemic, the meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society this evening and the Bible Class Picnic tomorrow have been postponed.

Friday 15th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was digging round the Lemons in the farm orchard.
In the morning I sowed seeds on boxes of the following,  Asters,  Zinnias,  Red Sunflowers,  Magenta, Pink & White Cosmos.  Also planted out 6 Zinnia plants.
In the afternoon I beat down a row preparing it to plant a row of Cabbages.
Willie finished digging in the farm orchard.
Grace and Raymond walked over to Ti Point and staid the night.

Saturday 16th   It was a very hot day.  Willie went fishing after breakfast.  Grace & Raymond returned from Ti Point just as I was going to sit down for dinner.
I was preparing a row to plant some cabbages in, and I planted 17 Drumhead Cabbages late in the afternoon.  After tea I walked over to the Claim, I took a bunch of Roses and some small plants to Miss Bond and a bunch of Roses to Jane.

Sunday 17th   It was a very fine day.  There was no service today on account of the influenza.  After breakfast I called at Mr Whitakers to look at his roses, especially a new white one called Hillesden/Kingsdon,  afterwards went to Bowden Birdsalls where I had dinner..  Returned to Jims where I had tea,  Jim gave me some Red Beet plants & Miss Bond gave me 3 Miniture Sunflowers.  I walked home in the cool of the evening.

Monday 18th   It was a very hot day, but the heat was tempered by the strong wind from N.  After breakfast Willie took the trap down to the wharf  and carted up a Sk of Bran & 2 bags manure.  In the afternoon he boarded & harrowed in the new garden.  I planted 3 Miniture Sunflowers and a row of Beet Root.

Tuesday 19th   There was a very heavy thunderstorm in the morning and heavy rain that soon filled the tank and hundred of gallons rain over, it cleared up and was very fine in the afternoon,  Jane & Miss Bond were coming today to see my garden, but on account of the weather they did not come.  Willie was boarding & harrowing in the new garden but had to knock off.  I cut the grass on the paths in the flower garden.

Wednesday 20th   It was a fine day with a few slight showers.  Willie was harrowing & cultivating in the new garden.  I was weeding round the Hometed Beans.  In the afternoon I went down to the Steamer, carried 2 bags sand over to the wharf shed.

Thursday 21st   I took a bunch of flowers down to Captain Olsen.  Willie carted his butter & eggs down to the wharf and he brought up for me 2 bags of sand and 1 bag gravel.
When we got home it came on misty rain.  I went down for the mail in the evening.

Friday 22nd   It was a fine day, but there was a strong wind blowing from SW.  I weeded the path leading to the summer house and put gravel on it, planted 4 varieties of Cannas near the summer house.
In the evening I went to call at Ernie Greenwoods and took a large bouquet of flowers & a cauliflower.

Saturday 23rd   It was a very fine day, wind blowing strong from SW.
Willie took the cart down to the wharf in the morning and brought up a bag of flour,  1 Do Sugar and box of groceries.  Willie was planting out Onions in the new garden.  I dug between the crops top side of the house.
Jane & Miss Bond rode over to see my garden.

Sunday 24th   It was a fine day, ‘tho windy.  There was no service on account of the influenza epidemic.  Willie, Grace & Raymond drove over to the Claim & spent the day with Jim & Jane.  They left Raymond there and brought Hector home with them to stay.  I was not feeling very well so I spent a quiet day at home.  Arthur Greenwood came in the evening to have a look at the garden.

Monday 25th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie finished planting out Onions in the new garden also a row of parsnips.
I commenced to dig the round flower bed, but it came on a misty rain in the afternoon and Willie & I had to knock off work, but it cleared up afterwards and Willie & I were able to complete the work we were at.

Tuesday 26th   It was a fine day.  I pointed over the round bed and put in sticks where I intend to plant.  I planted round the edge of the bed 29 Escieveias  (House Leek) and 25 Blue Lobelia, also 3 Miniture Sunflowers.  Willie was preparing hills for pumpkins and marrows in the new garden.  Mr & Mrs R. Williams & 2 children drove over in the afternoon to have a look at my garden and staid for tea.

Wednesday 27th   It was a fine day.  Jane and Raymond came over in the butchers cart,  Jane called at Mrs Dunnings, but did not come up here, but went back with the butcher, also Hector who had been staying here since Sunday, Jean came up to stay here.  In the afternoon I went down to the beach and carried 3 bags sand over to the wharf, was on the wharf when the steamer came in and got the mail.  Received from A. Yates a box of seedling flower plants.  It rained as I was coming home.

Thursday 28th   It rained last night but was very fine today.  I was busy all morning planting the little plants I received yesterday  viz
Scarlet Saloias.  Asters,  Peunias  &  Salpiglosis.  I took a bunch of flowers down to the Captain and a bunch of Sweet Peas to the Steward.  Willie carted his butter & eggs & a box of chickens down to the wharf & he brought up my sand.  I went down to the P.O for the mail in the evening.

Friday 29th   It was fine in the morning.  I planted 6 Godetias,  4 Asters,  a Scarlet Verbena that Mrs Morley gave me, and transplanted a White Pelargonium.
It rained heavily in the afternoon.  Willie was planting Canadian Wonder Beans in the am and in the pm he went down to get the mail.

Saturday 30th   Wind SE.  A disagreable day constant showers.  I got up early and did my usual work and then picked a big bunch of flowers and took down to the steamer and gave to Charlie Dunning.  Was not able to do much out of doors.  In the afternoon Willie & Grace drove over to Ti Point and brought Mrs Simpson over here.