Saturday
August 13, 2016
The morning was cloudy, overcast, and damp but happily not raining, the seas seemed reasonably calm, and the wind was not too strong. The four of us (me, Patty, my aunt & uncle) enjoyed our morning coffee and tea on the front porch before getting going for the day.
Some last minute packing was in order for all of us before our 12:30 departure time after which Patty made us all scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. Our Guest Quarters visitors were up and about too, happy for the mid-day pick up at the cove as opposed to the possible 7am time Ethan considered. On our side of the house, we all felt just the same.
Patty went down the hill for water and to hang a “Closed for Summerfest” on the info kiosk to alert visitors before they climbed the hill although they’re still welcome to walk the trails and the grounds.
Late morning, my aunt Mary-Lewis and uncle Andrew and I started down the hill to wait for Ethan to come out and deliver us to the mainland. Patty stayed up top a little longer to lock up everything after our Guest Quarters visitors started down the hill as well. Just as I was heading down, I passed a group that was heading up for a visit and told them that the museum, gift-shop, and tower are closed. They were disappointed and
hoped to buy a t-shirt but we were sure that if we opened the door for one visitor, undoubtedly another would follow, then another, and it would be harder to turn people away then than if we didn’t start at all. Not to mention the wet towels and rags on the floor and windowsills of the gift-shop and museum that we need to leave in case it rains again while we’re away. Fortunately, the visitors understood and we let them know they can order online or at the office in Bath.
Eventually all eight of us made our way down the hill as other visitors continued arriving which was surprising because it wasn’t a very nice day weather-wise. But, a Saturday’s a Saturday and people want to get out in their boats over the weekend if they can. On the Cove beach, we pulled Hinckley down to the edge of the water and loaded the batch of stuff to go to the mainland – two water jugs, our pack, bins of linens that needs to be washed, etc. With eight of us to go out, Patty and I worked out who would go in each run and how many trips out we would need (three). Then we all waited, sitting on the rocks, strolling along the shoreline, and watching the birds on the rocks.
Shortly after 12:30, Ethan zoomed towards the cove in his small boat. Uh oh…. Small boat? Normal max passenger capacity six? The first load we planned to take out was the stuff we’d already loaded with Patty and Patrick (in the Guest Quarter’s last night). When we pulled alongside Ethan’s boat, we asked what the plan was – go for eight passengers or two trips? Two trips was his call… Ok, new plan.
Patrick climbed aboard the boat and we handed all the gear, baggage, etc. over and then Patty and I rowed back to shore and would wait for Ethan’s second trip out while we’d send everyone else on the first trip – including Andrew & Mary-Lewis who were traveling on from Popham to Tanglewood in Massachusetts (300 miles away) today. The second dinghy load was April and Mary-Lewis in the bow, me rowing, and Connie on the stern along with additional luggage. I gave my aunt a hug goodbye once she was aboard Ethan’s boat while I was standing in the dinghy and asked everyone to take care of her (not that she needs it) on the trip back to Popham. The final dinghy trip had Andrew sitting on the bow, Brian on the stern, and me rowing again. Once they were aboard the Ethan’s boat, I gave my uncle a hug too and again asked everyone to take care of them causing Ethan to remark that I cared a lot more about them than our previous visitors. “Absolutely, a lot more!” I said. Then they were off.
I forgot to take any pictures of our trip to Seguin on Wednesday and planned to make up for it on the ride back to the mainland but now they were traveling without us so we wouldn’t get any pictures today either. At least I did think to ask Connie to take some pictures of us on the beach and they came out really well.
Waiting on the beach with Patty for Ethan to return, I realized I had forgotten a computer cable that I might need for tonight’s presentation and then remember that all of our things are on Ethan’s boat – keys to the house, cell phone, water bottles, and everything else. I had a “Plan B” way of getting into the house so I ran up the hill, got in and grabbed the cable, a bottle of seltzer water, and a couple of Cliff bars (by now it was 1:30 and we were hungry) and got back down the hill in only ten minutes. The berries Patty had picked while waiting weren’t holding us over. (Patty here adding this…if you have ever seen me hangry, you know why Mitchell got the cliff bars and water!)
Shortly after getting back to the Cove, Ethan came around Ellingwood Rock and we rowed out to meet him. He tied Hinckley up to a mooring, we removed the oars to take with us, and left for Popham. After arriving at the dock and getting our truck, we headed straight to the Hampton Inn in Bath where we are staying the night. Along the way, we ran through our presentation from a handful of index cards we wrote up to keep us on track. None of our run throughs have been especially smooth but we’re relying on the final one tonight being the best and smoothest. At least that’s what we hope for the folks that have to watch and listen.
At the Hampton Inn, we double checked the presentation videos and then showered and dressed into long pants and socks! Our best effort at formalwear which is not our forte under any circumstances and especially not with the clothes we packed for the summer on Seguin. We arrived at the Maine Maritime Museum around 4:30 and hoped to have time to tour the museum but by the time we got the computer setup with the projector, the museum was closed. We were under the mistaken impression that we’d have a chance to tour the museum before and maybe during the Summerfest event but the space we were in for the dinner and presentation was closed off from the rest of the museum which was closed and locked. Oh well. We’ll try to get in to see it in September after we leave Seguin.
The Summerfest event started with a silent auction and cocktails followed by a buffet dinner, then our presentation, and an auction ending the evening. We sat with Mary (a former Seguin summer Keeper), Wednesday Warrior Floyd and his wife Ann, Wednesday Warrior Tom (also a board member) and his wife Ann. We enjoyed friendly conversation and a nice meal but were understandably anxious about our presentation and looking forward to getting it over with. After everyone finished dinner and the dishes were cleared, we were on. Our presentation consisted of a slideshow of pictures from our summer on Seguin while we shared some anecdotes about how we came to apply for the position, questions and comments we heard before we arrived, and things that have happened since we’ve been here. We followed that by a video in double-time that documented a typical Wednesday off-island, starting on the beach waiting for Ethan, racing through our errands, and ending with our arrival back at the Cove. We ended with a couple of “Seguies” (think Emmy’s or Grammy’s) for a few people in particular that we have relied on this summer. Unfortunately, a few of the people we hoped to recognize and thank were not able to make it to Summerfest. We were able to hand out two to Ken and Cyndy.
After the event, we drove back to the Hampton Inn and then walked to Byrne’s Irish Pub a few blocks away and reacquainted ourselves with sitting at a bar (for the first time in three months) and having a nice cold draft beer, or two. We walked back to the hotel and called it a night before it was too late because we need to be ready to return to Seguin tomorrow morning. Tonight is the first night we’ll spend off the island since May 21. It seems weird.
Visitors – 0 signed the guest book although about 12-15 visitors were on the island when we left for Summerfest
Favorite Moment(s) – meeting the larger F.O.S.I.L.S. community of supports at Summerfest and climbing up onto bar stools at a downtown pub.
Sunrise – 5:31am
Sunset – 7:37pm (for the first time this summer, we were not there to see it)
#Seguinisland #seguinislandlight #seguinislandlighthouse #maine #LifeOnTheRock
