October 1925

Thursday 1st   It was a fine day with the exception of a shower in the afternoon.  I worked up the strip of ground I dug yesterday, manured a trench and planted 14 plants of Vanguard Cabbage .  Jane went to spend the day at Whitakers and she & Mrs Whitaker went round to Jack’s store in the afternoon.

Friday 2nd   In the morning I went in W. Dunnings car to Jack’s store to buy several articles I required.  I had to walk home again and was caught in a shower.  In the afternoon as  it looked fine I went into the garden and planted a row of Canadian Wonder Beans next to the cabbages I planted yesterday,  Jane got the manure for me and helped, and directly we had finished it came on to rain.

Saturday 3rd   I went up into the garden and dug a strip to plant another row of beans, but it came on to rain and I had to knock off. Jean went to spend the day at Laurences.

Sunday 4th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers.  Revd Thornley  (Methodist) held service in the hall in the morning.  Mr A. Roke brought him in his car from Warkworth.  All of us attended except Hector who went to scout drill.   There was a congregation of 18.  Collection 10/7.   In the afternoon I went down to Pats and had a long talk with him on politics.

Monday 5th   It was fine in the morning, so I prepared the ground, and in the afternoon I sowed a 2nd row of Canadian Wonder Beans and directly I had finished it came on a misty rain and it continued all afternoon.
Mr Dow, the County Engineer, called in the morning to see Jim about taking stone out of Jim’s land  to metal Cemetery hill.

Tuesday 6th   It was a very fine day.  Mr & Mrs Bond and Miss O’Driscol are leaving the district, they went over to Leigh yesterday & staid at Mr A. Dunnings and are leaving by steamer for Auckland this morning, so Jim & Jane rode over to Leigh to say goodbye to them and they spent the day there, so I was left on my own as the children were all at school.  So I went up to the garden and was working there all day.  I drove in 10 stakes to plant Tomatoes alongside of and then commenced to dig round them, paring the weeds off the ground & path and burying them in the trenches.

Wednesday 7th   It was a very fine day.  I finished digging round the Tomato stakes, then I planted a clump of Gladioli that Charlina gave me, also dug between the peas.  Bowden Birdsall too Jim’s bull away as it is to be sold at the Loan sale tomorrow.

Thursday 8th  I went up to the garden and did a little work, but it came on a fine rain, and it rained steadily all afternoon .  Jim rode to Warkworth to the Loan sale.

Friday 9th   It was a very fine day.  Alma W came to spend the day.
I went up to the garden before breakfast and took up 200 onion plants for Ivy.  I took them down to Pats for him to take them to Leigh to day,  Dolly gave me a plant of Caliopsis Grandiflora, and several plants Godetia.  I planted them after I came home.  I wrote a letter to George Clarke (Jacks son) and included 2 knives for him and Peter.  This was posted to day.

Saturday 10th   It was a very fine day.  I hoed over and then dug the piece of ground I had previously dug rough next the shallots.  In the afternoon I went down on to the road and cut some more pea sticks and carried a bundle to Pats , went in and had a yarn with him. Hector & Jean went to spend the day at Lawences.

Sunday 11th   It was a dull day, but it did not rain until late in the evening.
After an early dinner, Jim,  Jane & Mildred drove over to Big Omaha to see Laurence & Alma.  Hector went to scout meeting at Ti Point school.  Jean went to Dollys and I went round to see the Whitakers, Charlie and his wife were there.  Mr Whitaker and I had a great talk on politics

Monday 12th   A very showery day.  I was not able to do any thing out of doors.  It was a bit fine in the evening, so I got some pegs to peg the wire netting down.

Tuesday 13th   The weather a bit fine.  I pegged the wire netting down around the garden.  Hoed and dug up strips next the shallots.

Wednesday 14th   It rained last night & a little this morning, but it turned out a fine day.  In the morning I went down to Pats to borrow some newspapers, I also weeded the Peas I have growing there.  In the afternoon I prepared two boxes and sowed in one Lettuce and in the other Phlox, Zinnias and Sweet Sulton

Thursday 15th   Blowing very strong, but we did not get any rain .  I was working in the garden all day.  Jim Wyatt on his way to the Farmers sale at Warkworth came up into the garden to see me, I was very glad to see dear old Jim, and I did not know at the time that it was Jim’s 27th birthday, I found out afterwards by referring to my diary.  I sowed a row of Suttons Peerless Pease.  Jim rode to the Farmers sale at Warkworth and bought a bull.

Friday 16th   It was fine first thing in the morning, but dull.   I went up into the garden.  Dug round the sticks I put in for the Tomatoes, scattered B & B round the peas and earthed them up, I intended to stick them, but it came on the rain and it rained steadily until the children came home from school when it cleared up.  Albert Harper bought the bull that Jim brought yesterday,  I received a letter from Mr Wallace.

Saturday 17th   It was a very fine day.  I stuck the Stratagem Peas in this garden in the morning, and in the afternoon I stuck the 2 rows of Stratagem Peas down at Pats, and I dug between the rows.
Jim, Mr Neeley & Mr Wilson were playing bowls and Jane,  the children were playing tennis.

I was reading in Hansard the Mr Lee (Auckland East) in the House of Representatives stated that Blackberry next to the Reform Party was the greatest curse in N.Z.

Sunday 18th   It was a fine day.  Revd Addenbrook held service in the hall in the afternoon,  there were 18 present,  Collection 10/-  ,  the parson had tea at Pats.  Jean went to spend the day at Ti Point and Minnie returned with her, but she did not stay.

Monday 19th   It was a very fine day, quite hot in the afternoon.  In the morning I stuck the Sweet Peas and cleaned and dug between the strawberries.  In the afternoon I sowed a 2nd row of Suttons Peerless Peas and dug between the rows.

Tuesday 20th   It was fine but dull in the morning.  I planted out 16 Vanguard Cabbage next the others near the shallots.  It came on a misty rain in the afternoon.   Mr Murdock who is putting up for Marsden held a meeting in the hall last night,  Jane & Jim went, there were 20 present.

Wednesday 21st   It was rather a dull day.  I broke down the ground surrounding the sticks put in for tomatoes,  Jane went to see Mrs Evans in the afternoon, and Jim went fishing and brought home several schnappers & one kawhai.

Thursday 22nd   A miserable day, misty rain, no sunshine.  I was unable to do anything in the garden except hunt for slugs.
Jim & Jane drove to Jack’s store in the morning to take the eggs.  Minnie & Alma came up in the steamer to the top wharf and Alma came back with them to stay.  A family of new settlers came by the steamer , a man and his wife and several children named Manning, they have bought a small place at Big Omaha lately  occupied by Mr Crawford, but originally owned by the late Mr Addison.

Friday 23rd   Not a very nice day, ground still very wet.  I could not do much in the garden, but hunt slugs and clear weeds off the ground that grew the onion plants,  I resowed Lettuce seed in a box. Ted Gravatts cream lorry got stuck on the cemetery hill,  Will Dunning was coming from Leigh with the mail and could not get past with his car.  Jack Walden was going to Pakiri in his car and he could not  [get] past,  however Jack was able to pull the lorry out of the hole and all three were able to proceed on their journey.
I went down to Pats in the morning to get him to change my Library books and to some newspapers.  In the evening I received a very nice letter from Mr Elliott enclosing a Cheque for £9 . 15 . 0  in payment of 1 quarters interest due on 6th September due by his brother.

Saturday 24th    It was a fine day, but cold.  I cut up a lot of weeds where the onions grew.  The young people went to the Domain in the pm to play bowls and tennis.

Sunday 25th   It was a fine day, but very windy in the afternoon.  Revd Rouprecht held service in the hall in the morning, there were about 18 present,  Collection     the parson went to Whitaker’s for lunch,  Ted Dunning came he to stay ,  Hector went to a scout meeting at Leigh.  Jim Wyatt, Elva and baby called here in the afternoon , they have been spending the day at Mr Redwoods at Big Omaha.

Monday 26th   It was a fine day, ‘tho a cold wind was blowing, Labour Day and a general holiday.  There was a Tennis Tournament at Warkworth.  Dat  [sic: Pat]  and Dolly went in Jack’s car to compete.
The boy scouts had a pic nic at Matheson’s beach .  Ted Dunning went with Hector.  Jean went to Ti Point to spend the day .  Mabel and Charlie came to spend the day.  In the afternoon Jim went to the Domain to play bowls.  Mr Neeley and Mr Wilson were there.  I was working in the garden.  I resowed Canadian Wonder Beans that were eaten off by the slugs.  Dug round the Tomato stick and prepared 6 holes for planting.  I planted 2 Peach Tomatoes,

Tuesday 27th   It was a fine day.  I went down to Dolly to borrow a paper.   I dug round the tomato stakes.  In the evening I planted 4 Tomato plants that Mabel sent me – 2 of Carters Sunrise & 2 Guy Ashton’s variety.

Wednesday 28th   A very fine day,  the ground is drying up nicely. The steamer made a round trip today.  Mrs Holder came up to stay a her twin sisters  Mrs J. B. Birdsall.  I was preparing a trench for Cauliflowers.

Thursday 29th   It was a very fine day.  I dug round the gooseberries, commenced to dig the piece of ground intended for climbing beans ,  Mr Grigg called in the afternoon, but would not stop for tea.

Friday 30th       It was a very fine day.  I finished digging the piece of ground intended for  c  beans.  Mrs Stewart returned  with the children from school.  Mr Stewart and Mrs Milligan drove over later on and came up here for tea, and afterwards all of us went down to the hall for Community singing.  Mr Stewart was conductor and Alma was accompanist.  There was a great crowd there between 130 and 140.  There were 7 motor cars and 2 motor lorries parked on the road outside the hall.  There was dancing afterwards and the ladies supplied a bountiful supper.  £4 . 6 . 0 was collected.

Saturday 31st   It was a very fine day.  I was digging round the Tomato stakes.  Also dug between the peas.

                     Albert Park Auckland Observatory
Records of rainfall for the month of October at the observatory was 2.03 inch.   Rain fell on 19 days.  The heaviest rain on 22nd October when 0-31 points fell.