October 1911

Sunday 1st   It was a very fine day.   Revd O. Blundell conducted service in the Hall in the morning, I attended, there was a fine congregation, Mrs Rennie sang a solo.  The Rhodes were to have come for dinner, but Sydney came to tell us that his mother was laid up with influenza & so they would not come.
After dinner I walked to Ti Point calling at Joe Wyatts first then at Ashworths and then to Joes where I had tea, returning home I called in at Mrs Dunning Senr,  Mrs Rennie and her uncle Mr McGowan were staying the night there, reached home at 9 pm.
Willie & Grace rode up to Mr Bank’s in the afternoon staid tea and returned home after me.  There was rather a long shower of rain after they got home.

Monday 2nd   It was a fine day.  I planted 33 Pansies in the long bed.
Willie was digging in the orchard all day.  Agnes & Dorothy came in the afternoon to stay.

Tuesday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I walked over to the Claim, called in at Mr Jas Darrochs to leave some flower plants then went to Jims, in the pm I varnished the cot for Jane, returned home in the evening by moonlight.
Willie was digging in the orchard.

Wednesday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Wind SE.  After breakfast I made up my Quarterly returns, afterwads I planted the Linaria plants Mrs Darrocj gave me, also a Guillardia  & 2 corms of Gladiolus (Mrs Handbys),   in the pm I resowed the Stratagem Peas  near the orchard gate.  Took the horse and sleigh down to the wharf in the pm with a box of Eggs, hauled up 2 empty Egg Boxes and some sand.  Willie finished digging round the Apple trees near orchard gate,  & commenced digging at the bottom of the orchard this side.

Thursday 5th   It was a very fine day.  Grace was not very well  and did not get up until late in the afternoon.
I was working in the flower garden, I planted 4 Pansy plants near the front gate, also planted out 6 Chrysansamums.
Mr Roose called in the afternoon, he not not get an order, but I paid him my Act.   Agnes & Dorothy returned home to Ti Point in the afternoon.
Willie was digging in the orchard.

Friday 6th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post the newspaper, went down to the beach and carried two  bags of sand to the puriri tree to haul up tomorrow.  Planted 6 Pansy plants in the long bed .  Willie was digging in the orchard.  In the evening I went down to the village to get the mail & attend the Library, there was a meeting of the Farmers Association.  There was also a practice of the Service of Song, but Willie & Grace did not go.

Saturday 7th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf to get the meat, also hauled up a lot of sand for the garden and some grit for the fowls.
I planted out 3 Chrysanthemums,  3 Nigellas  & 1 Red Scabious

Sunday 8th   It was a very fine day.  Willie rode to the Claim in the morning to see Jim & Jane. he returned early in the afternoon, he reported that Jim is in bed with influenza and Jane is recovering. Grace was not very well so did not go out anywhere.
Revd Paris conducted service in the Hall in the afternoon, I attended.  In Mrs Carrs absence Mrs Ashworth presided at the organ, there was a very good choir who sang an anthem besides the Hymes.

Monday 9th   It was very dull the first thing in the morning, but it soon brightened up and the sun came out hot.
In the morning I sowed seeds of the following.  Phlox,  Chrysanthemum (Tricolour),  Balsam, Poppy.  In the afternoon I went down to the village to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand.  Willie was digging in the orchard.

Tuesday 10th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I planted out 9 Pansy plants on the border below the Lemon tree, the remainder of the day I was breaking lumps and working the ground fine.
In the evening I went down to Charlie Wyatts, Maggie had gone to Auckland this afternoon.  Willie finished digging this orchard.

Wednesday 11th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie was hoeing the potatoes the lower side of the house and I was loosening between the rows with a spade.  In the afternoon Willie walked to Ti Point to get some eggs for setting.  I took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf with 2 boxes Eggs  and I hauled up a bag of Lime, 2 Kerosine tins that Archie Morley gave me  & a bag of sand.
The valuer was here in our absence but I met him at the gate and I agreed that he should raise the value of this place to £900.

Thursday 12th   It was fine in the morning.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, after I got home Mr Reeve of Whangarei, Returning Officers for Marsden Electoral District called to ask if I would act as D. R. O. for Leigh at the General Election.  Soon after it commenced to rain and rained all afternoon which was most acceptable because the ground was getting very dry.

Friday 13th   The rain we had yesterday has done a great deal of good in softening the ground.  Willie & I were working amongst the Potatoes flat hoeing and earthing them up.   There were some slight showers during the day.
Willie & Grace planted out some Lettuce plants.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.  There was a practice of the Service of Song, Willie & Grace attended.

Saturday 14th   It rained nearly all morning, but was finer in the pm.
Willie went down to the Steamer to get the meat, but rest of the day he was working at his model yacht.  I was doing odd jobs.

Sunday 15th   There were a few showers, but between it was very fine, but a cold wind blowing.  Revd R. A. Macdonald held sevice in the Hall in the afternoon, medium attandance, Collection 11/-
Mr Macdonald came up here for tea, he went to Pakiri afterwards to hold service.

Monday 16th   There were some showers in the morning, it was finer in the pm, but a strong wind was blowing which made it very cold.
I planted out 5 clumps of Miguonette.  In the evening there was a meeting of the Flower Show Committee, there was a good attendance.  Willie went down to the wharf in the evening to meet the Steamer, he carried the water piping to lead the water over the boiler in the kitchen.

Tuesday 17th   It was a fine day.  Willie was fixing the piping to lay the water on over the boiler in the kitchen.
I planted ou 18 Aubrietta plants, also getting tea tree & making kerbing.  Grace went to Mr Ashworths in the afternoon for tea and Willie went in the evening.

Wednesday 18th   It was fine in the morning.  I planted 2 Nigellas near the front steps, afterwards I commenced to plant out Onions, I planted about 210 by evening.  Willie mended the fence between the barley paddock & the front,  After dinner he took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf to see if any egg boxes had been landed for him, but there were none so he could not send away any eggs this week.  He went down again later in the afternoon when the Steamer was in, she brought 3 empty Egg boxes which Dan Kempt hauled up to our gate.  It rained steadily late in the afternoon & evening.

Thursday 19th   It was a very showery day.  Willie was working at his model yacht.  Between the showers in the afternoon I fixed some kerbing near the wire netting fence.
The wind was blowing very strong from NW.

Friday 20th  It was a very fine day.  Willie was digging in the farm orchard for pumpkins.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post the invitations to the Judges for our Flower Show.
After I came back I continued planting Onions which I finished in the afternoon.  There are now planted 335 Brown Spanish from my own grown seed and 46 Early American (Bells),  Total 381.  As there were not quite enough to finish a row I made up of 2 Early York Cabbage also 1 row Intermediate Althringham Carrot.
Mrs R. Knaggs was here for dinner.  In the evening we all went down to the village.  I got the mail and attended the Library & went down to Archie Dunnings to get Mrs Dunnings signature.  Willie & Grace attended the rehearsal of the service of song.

Saturday 21st   It was a very fine day.  Willie went down to the wharf for the meat, afterwards he was digging in the farm orchard,
in the pm he took the requisition to Charlie Wyatt round to get signature. [sic]    I was working in the flower garden all day, I planted 7 Chysanthemums (tricolor),  2 African Marigolds,  4 Azure Fairy Scabious,  and 2 Anchusa  & 1 Hunnimannia.

Sunday 22nd   It was a very fine day.  We all went up to Arthur Greenwoods to spend the day and enjoyed our outing very much,  I called in at Mr Handbys on my way home.

Monday 23rd   It was not a very promising morning.  In the morning I was working in the flower garden.  I planted 8 Calendulas,  1 Red Scabious  & 3 Azure Fairy Scabious.
It came on very heavy rain about noon & I had to knock off.  In the afternoon it was much finer, I dug out the periwinckle below the netting wire fence next the Sweet Peas and stuck the peas.  Willie was digging in the farm orchard both morning and afternoon.

Tuesday 24th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I walked over to the Claim, called at Wilson & Hadwicks and then went to Jims, he was away at Leigh taking a cow over to Archie Dunnings, had lunch with Jane and then I went to see Mr Whittaker & Mrs D. Birdsall, returned to Jims who was now at home and had tea,  afterwards we all went across the harbour to see Walter Darroch, spent a very pleasant evening there.

Wednesday 25th   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing strong from the N.  After breakfast I started to walk home, called in at Mr Jas Darrochs & got 2 plants of miniture Sunflower,  when I got home I went down to Charlie Wyatts had lunch there, afterwards planted the Sunflowers, and went down to the Steamer and got the mail. There was a meeting in the Library in the evening called by Mr H. Brown (County Councillor) to give an account of his stewardship, there was a good attendance of ratepayers, I was appointed Chairman.

Thursday 26th   It was very dull in the morning and threatening for rain.  Willie took the catamaran and the new horse down to the wharf with 2 Boxes Eggs and he hauled up a Sack Maize & 1 Sack of manure, in coming up it came on a steady rain and he got very wet.
I planted out 4 Summer Chrysthanemums and 2 African Marigolds, the rain made me leave off.  In the afternoon it rained very steadily and we were not able to do any thing out of doors.

Friday 27th   It rained nearly all night and early this morning, after breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters.  It cleared up about 10 am and the sun came out and the afternoon, we were not able to do anything out of doors.  In the evening I went down to the village to get the mail & attend the Library,   there was a meeting of the Library Trustees to choose new books.

Saturday 28th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to Charlie Wyatts to get his signature to his nomination,  afterwards went down to the Steamer to get the meat.  In the pm I went down to C. Wyatts paddock to witness a Cricket match between the girls & boys.

Sunday 29th   It was a very fine day.  Revd O. Blundell held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended, there was a large congregation.
Mr & Mrs Salt & Mrs Handby were here to spend the day.

Monday 30th   It was a very fine day.  I was helping Willie plant Cabbages, we planted 3 rows next the row I planted some time ago,
I also loosened round the peas.  Willie sprayed the Potatoes with Bordeaux Mixture.
In the evening I went down to the village to get the mail, the Steamer came in about 8.15.  It was a beautiful evening,  Eddie Wyatt gave me a ride home in their sulkey.

Tuesday 31st   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to see Charlie Dunning, got a bag of sand and Mr Handby hauled it up to our gate.  I planted out 5 Tomato plants.  Willie sprayed the Potatoes top side of house.