Friday
August 12, 2016
The day started off sunny with a haze in the distance, a nice breeze blowing, and comfortably cool. I worked on the blog with coffee first thing in morning while Patty went down to the Whistle House to work on a project related to the F.O.S.I.L.S. Summerfest event tomorrow night. I went down the hill after finishing up on the computer to get four gallons of drinking water from the Engine House.
Last night’s overnight guests (Tim, Laura, Dave, and Robin) were out on the porch with their coffee and we chatted with them and found out that Dave did see some meteor showers last night around 3am – while Patty and I were both sound asleep. They packed up their things and took some stuff downhill for their departure later today and then went off to hike the South Trail. They were super nice to do that because we
had another set of overnight guests coming in on the 11:30 ferry while they are leaving until 1:30 when Ethan’s ferry departs. That gave us some time to get the Guest Quarters ready for the next guests which my aunt Mary-Lewis helped Patty do. I was working on the blog again (I had fallen a day behind and wanted to catch up – more than a day behind makes it feel more like work than fun).
By the time Ethan’s ferry arrived, the wind had picked up to a steady 12-15mph south wind. Our next overnighters (Connie, April, Brian, and Patrick) came up with the ferry group and Patty showed them their rooms so they could get settled while I opened up the tower for tours. Connie didn’t
really need to be shown though because she used to have the job Cyndy has now and is probably as familiar with the ins and outs of Seguin as we are.
In addition to our Connie and her crew, a couple from York, Pennsylvania was also in Ethan’s group and brought us a gift of gourmet popcorn. I’m not usually crazy about popcorn but this stuff was delicious! They told Patty they have been to Maine twice this summer, the first time with their kids and this time just the two of them for their anniversary. Happy anniversary Kyle and Genevieve! Reading our blog and hearing that other visitors others brought us gifts from time to time gave them the idea to bring something also which was so nice of them (hint, hint J). Wednesday Warrior Floyd’s wife Ann was also part of the ferry group, visiting for probably the third or fourth time this summer, this time with three friends who had never been here before. We always enjoy seeing and chatting with Ann and seeing their dog Cooper.
We also had two Dads, each with a daughter visit us from Pemaquid where there is another lighthouse and museum that is open to the public, similar to Seguin, although it’s not on an island. They told us the seas had been really rough in their motor boat on the way over and were considering going up the Kennebec and then around to the Sheepscot instead of going directly back. We heard some lobstermen
on the radio in the general direction of Pemaquid talking about how bad the weather had gotten there with high winds and heavy rain. They were justifiably a little nervous about their return trip.
After the Ethan’s folks and the others made their way down the hill, Patty and Mary-Lewis heated up left over shrimp & rice mixed
together with leftover tortellini which was a tasty combination. Alongside, we had a platter of crackers, ham, cheese, and olives. While we were eating our late lunch, Connie and the other overnight guests were out hiking when some big, black clouds started moving our way from the west. They hurried back from the South Trail either because of the clouds or because April saw a snake, but either way it was a good thing they did when they did.
The storm came in strong and fast, with heavy rain and gusts of wind up to 50mph which sprinkled in through the kitchen and gift shop roofs but gushed through cracks at the top and bottom of the gift-shop door like someone was pointing a hose at the door. The wind shifted and was now coming out of the north wind which insured the rain was hitting that side of the house head on. Several of the windows were leaking pretty seriously in the museum and gift shop as well which resulted in piles of rags and towels strategically placed throughout the space.
Mary-Lewis and Andrew hunkered down in our living room happily reading (Mary-Lewis caught up on the blog posts of ours that she’s missed since leaving Williamsburg) and occasionally walking over the museum and gift-shop to see how our dykes were holding. They also helped to keep an eye on our pantry shelves to make sure the rags we had there were catching the leaking water there. Our guests were happily having a little storm party in the museum where they set up some plastic chairs and had plenty of wine and beer to keep things lively. The storm didn’t seem to dampen their enthusiasm for being on Seguin one bit.
After the storm finally passed, a heavy fog descended over the island and stayed until nightfall. Patty and I went down the hill for more water and also to take some things down to Paco’s that we’ll be taking with us off-island tomorrow for Summerfest. Back up the hill, we
talked with Ethan on the radio while he was out on a charter about the storm that had just blown past. We were really surprised he was out but he said he waited for the storm to pass before leaving the dock – smart guy!
For dinner, Patty cooked sliced tuna steaks in a pan with sesame oil on the stovetop – rare for the two of us and a little more cooked for Andrew and Mary-Lewis. We ate them with soy sauce and wasabi along with a side of shredded zucchini sautéed in olive oil with garlic. Patty discovered that I like zucchini prepared that way while I don’t really like it any other way. She’s so good to me! We also had baked potatoes and a caramel brownie kind of thing that we bought at Mae’s for dessert.
We texted back and forth with Ethan about our schedule for going off-island tomorrow which had been tentatively scheduled for 11ish. It was raining steadily at this point though not storming and the forecast for tomorrow didn’t look good. Based on the forecast, tides, and Ethan intuition, he said he could come at either between 7-7:30 or 12-12:30. The unanimous consensus, especially by our good-time friends in the Guest Quarters, was to opt for 12:30. So, that’s the plan. I hope the weather and seas are not really bad when we go…
After dinner, the four of us sat in our living room talking until around 10:30ish when Patty and I headed up to bed. I think Andrew turned in as well while Mary-Lewis stayed up a little longer reading. She purchased The Lighthouse Keepers Wife, written by Connie Small who was on Seguin for four years and could not seem to put it down! We all have a long day ahead of us on Saturday – besides going back to the mainland, Patty and I will be in Bath for the F.O.S.I.L.S. Summerfest event at the Maine Maritime Museum where we’re making a presentation and meeting & greeting as the summer
Keepers. Our presentation is a bit of a comedy act, and April told Patty ‘If you think you are funny, you are’…we sure hope she is right! Andrew and Mary-Lewis are heading to Tanglewood in western Massachusetts which Andrew told me is around 300 miles away. We are counting on the journey beginning with a smooth and dry ride from Seguin to Popham – or at least we’re hoping.
Visitors – 33
Favorite Moment(s) – experiencing the power of a big storm pass over us on Seguin.
Sunrise – 5:30am
Sunset – 7:39pm
#Seguinisland #seguinislandlight #seguinislandlighthouse #maine #LifeOnTheRock
