September 1917

Saturday 1st   It rained heavily last night and showery this morning,
I did nothing this morning but get a load of wood from the other side of the hill.
In the evening there was a meeting of ratepayers which was largely attended, Mr D. M. Darroch occupied the chair.

Sunday 2nd    A fine day.  I went to the Methodist service.

Monday 2rd   [sic: 3rd]  A Showery day.  I was in bed nearly the whole day with a cold on my lungs.

Tuesday 3th   [sic: 4th]  Fine in the morning, but showery in the afternoon.
I was in bed the most part of the day.  Grace walked to Ti Point in the pm to Harold’s place to go with them to the Claim Hall this evening to a farewell to Miss Shanahan the Teacher who is leaving the Ti Point School for a position in the Hamilton West school.

Wednesday 4th  [sic:  5th]   It was a fine day.  Grace returned home in the morning bringing Hector with her to stay for a few days.  I went down to the steamer in the afternoon, Dave hauled Willie’s box of eggs down to the wharf.

Thursday 6th   Several showers. I was pruning a pear tree in the afternoon.  In the evening I went down for the mail & changed my book.

Friday 7th   It was a fine day. In the morning Willie was pruning trees, I was pruning a pear tree.  In the afternoon Willie & Hector went fishing to Goat Island and brought home a few small fish.

Saturday 8th   A fine day.  I chopped wood.  Took some flowers down to the Church in the pm.

Sunday 9th   It was very fine in the morning but it soon clouded over, and in the afternoon there was a fine rain and in the evening it rained steadily, none of us went down to Revd Macdonald’s service in the evening.

Monday 10th   It was thundering, lightening & raining last night.  It was very fine this morning.  After breakfast I went down to the village to see Revd Macdonald.  I gave him a letter for Mr Goertz containing a £5 note as our contribution to the Church fund for the half year ending 30th September 1917.  Willie was pruning trees, Dave was here for dinner and afterward he and Willie cleared a track on the farm flat where they are going to burn charcoal.  Late in the afternoon it came on to rain, it poured with thunder and lightening.

Tuesday 11th   It was a fine day.  Willie & Dave were clearing tea tree on the flat.  I was washing clothes in the afternoon.  Grace went to call on the Teacher.

Wednesday 12th    It was a fine morning but there were a few showers late in the pm.  Willie & Dave covered in and set fire to the Kiln in the barley paddock.
In the morning I wrote letters to Jack & Lily and posted them in the pm also a Rodney Times.  Afterward I was pruning a Jargonell pear tree.
In the pm I went down to the steamer, Willie took the sulky down with the eggs & hauled Sk maize.

Thursday 13th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was cutting firewood.  In the evening I went down for the mail, attended to the Library for Arthur Greenwood who had a head ache.

Friday 14th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I went over the hill to cut firewood.  In the afternoon I went down to the village to meet the steamer, it was the “Kotiti” but on account of the easterly wind she did not proceed to Mangawai but went back to Kawau.  Alex Matheson finished the new cupboards for the Library.

Saturday 15th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I got wood and in the pm I took flowers down to the Church.

Sunday 16th   It was a very fine day.  The Anniversary of the Bible Class was held in the Hall in the morning, I was not well enough to go, but Grace went.
I conducted service in the Church in the afternoon, over 40 attended. Collection 18/-

Monday 17th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was bagging up his charcoal.  I was feeling very unwell and staid in the house.  The “Kotiti”  called in on her way to Auckland, Mr & Mrs Glass,
Jno  Greenwood & others went up by her.  Jessie & Jim Wyatt and Willena were here in the evening.

Tuesday 18th   It was a very fine day.  I was feeling better to day. Willie sewed up all his sacks of charcoal and hauled them down to the road.  Grace & Raymond went to J. C.  Wyatts in the afternoon.

Wednesday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Willie hauled all the charcoal down to the wharf afterwards he took the eggs down in the sulky.  In the afternoon I went down to the Church and put an inscription in the Bible.  Willie had a letter from Johny Greenwood who is in France.

Thursday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Willie started planting Potatoes in the new garden, I helped him.  I went down to the P.O
& Library in evening.

Friday 21st   It was a very fine day.   We continued to plant Potatoes. I went down to meet the Steamer, Dave did not return by her.  In the evening there was a meeting of the Fruitgrowers Association, Mr Shelton & Mr Allan Wilson organizers of the Fruitgrowers’ Federation explained the objects of the Federation  &
7 Fruitgrowers joined.

Saturday 22nd   It was a very fine day.  The ground is drying up very fast.  In the morning I got firewood afterwards helped Willie plant Potatoes, in the pm I was digging in the farm orchard, dug round 2 Lemon trees.  In the evening Enie  [sic: unknown] Dunning and Ernie Greenwood came to hear the gramaphone.

Sunday 23rd   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I walked over to the Claim.  I had dinner at Jim’s, he & I & the children went to church in the Claim Hall, Revd Boyle officiated, Jane did not go as she has a very bad cough, returned to Jim’s for tea and staid the night.  In the evening I went down to have a yarn with Mr C. Holden who lately married Mrs C Bond.

Monday 24th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I walked over to Big Omaha to see my old friends Mr & Mrs Robert Williams.  Bob was ploughing in his peach orchard, Seymour Smith was digging round the trees.  Johny Williams has sold out his place to Seymour Smith and is living with Bob.  I had a look round Mrs W’s flowers, had dinner there and then walked back to Jims, had tea there and then walked home, called in at H Ashtons for some Onion plants.

Tuesday 25th   It was a fine day, wind strong from NW and threatening for rain.
Willie and I planted 110 Onions in the farm orchard, also 1 row of Tree Onions.

Wednesday 26th   It was blowing very strong from NW, and driving showers. My back was rather bad with digging yesterday so I remained inside all day.  Willie picked Lemons from the farm orchard, he took the sulky down to the wharf to meet the steamer. Dave came up.

Thursday 27th   It rained last night & early this morning.  I went over to the farm orchard and dug another strip for tree onions, but the ground was too wet to plant so I came back and Willie & I planted a long row of Dun Beans in the new garden.
Went to get the mail & changed my books at the Library.

Friday 28th   Several showers during the day.
I was digging round Peach trees below the house.
There was a dance in the Hall in the evening, proceeds for the Y.M.C.A,  all of us went.  Willie took his Gramophone & gave selections.  Miss Campbell came by the steamer this pm and was at the dance, she is Teacher at Ti Point.

Saturday 29th   It was a showery day, I did not do anything outside. Willie took the sulky down to the wharf and carted up 3 sks of manure.  There was to be a meeting of the Ratepayer’s Association in the evening, but I did not attend.

Sunday 30th   It was a very fine day.  I attended the Methodist service in the pm.  Afterwards went up to Mr Jas Greenwood’s for tea.  Willie & Grace went to A.  Greenwoods in the afternoon & staid tea, Dave Glass came here in the evening and staid the night.