Thursday June 4, 2015

Went to bed with a headache and woke with one…no it wasn’t Larry.  He made breakfast of pancakes and sausage links and more of Chef Rays Hickory syrup…so Good!

Sun is shining…a little to bright for this headache, but its wonderful to see.  Larry headed down the cove to mow and I went to work cleaning the kitchen, rearranging the fridge, wiping down fronts of cabinets, etc…  Then out to my brick porch project.  We decided that they weren’t as level as Larry would like, so I took it apart and started from the middle….ok, he was right.  He brings me sand in our “old” milk jugs that he’s made into “scoops”, every time he comes up from the cove.  Looks like only about eight more scoops and I should be able to finish the keepers quarters step.  I will then start on the museum side, it was in better shape, so it won’t take as long.

 

View coming up our side of the steps, looking through the vestibule 

This is my work area where I do my blog/post

Bandit makes sure I do it correctly!

Want to give a big WOW to the Wednesday Warriors which I will just call them WW from now on.  Ken, Rick, Jeff and Tom….I am so impressed at the work these men did in just a few hours.  I forgot to take "after" photo's.

*Shingles replace on top of our two story dwelling…not me…too high!

*Stone steps leveled in front of tower!

*Removed the gigantic doors from in front of the tower…going to sand and refinish. 

*Checked the rest of the island for other projects that need to be done, taking measurements, etc…

Missing shingles

 

Step unlevel and door needing TLC

Historical Facts

1789 to 1939…150 years, the U.S. Lighthouse Service staffed the island with civilian families.

1939 USCG took over operation of the light station at Seguin.  The next 24 years members of the CG and their families lived o Seguin, calling it home!

My History

Seguin Island was my second home, with Pond Island being my first.

Oops….I was wrong on when the electricity was brought to Seguin.  It was after we left the island in Aug 1961.  Sorry…. But momma did tell me that she had to be careful using the electricity generated by the generators.  If they used the something like the electric skillet, which was a favorite, it would “dim” the light in the tower.  They did have lights and TV!

Started cooking a pot of chicken tortilla soup.  Ok…I’m not used to making just a little, hard habit to break!  So we are going to be eating this for several days and that’s with me freezing half of it.

I worked in the gift shop, and on some of the gift shop inventory.  Putting everything where it needs to be and priced accurately.  I went over bare foot and my feet were freezing….no wonder its 50 degrees outside.  I got an updated price list for the memorabilia committee, so I’m entering everything in my computer.  I want to keep an accurate count for them…love excel!

More Chicken Tortilla Soup for dinner…no complaints. 

In the distance is Cuckholds Light. It is just off the Boothbay Harbor coast line

Coast Guard to the south of us

Saw a Coast Guard ship just a little off our shore.  

Wondering if they came and worked on the cove electrical cord.  If they did, I wish we could have known, I would have loved to go down and talk and take photos.

Bandit has spied the USCG

Another  beautiful sunset, love the sea gull flying in the photo.

Another beautiful sunset to a a great day on our island

Wednesday June 3, 2015

We were down in the cove @ 6:45 (before I recorded the temp or wind speed).  The sun was shining and the wind was easy. Going to be a beautiful day!

Waiting on our dear Captain Ethan for our boat ride on the Guppy!  Larry and I have working on our “plan” for “shore time”.  We want to make the most of our time and not be wasteful of even a minute.  So with that said, we did pretty good!  Even met Ethan a little early to get back to my island….remember it’s mine this summer, I’m a little possessive!  Naturally I’ll share!  So come see us and let me show you the beauty that his beautiful island has to show you!  Looking for a bunch of Texans and Oklahomans’ to come up!

 

Our first of many Wednesday Warriors

Seguin at our backs

Passing my first home...Pond Island Light

Beautiful Coastal Living

View to our left as we come into Fort Popham...see the old USCG Station on the far left

USCG Station

Fort Popham...we still have to go around it to the other side to dock

Popham Community Church where we park

After a brief stop at Cyndy’s house to fill up our water jugs and change into some dry clothes.  We are getting pretty good at getting in the dingy, but the waves still get us from the knees down.  

We stopped for breakfast…remember I have a list and it’s on the list to be cked off.   Breakfast at Winnegance…but no “fiddle heads” today.

Did all our laundry on Friday, so that’s a stop we don’t need to make.  We’ve decided to do laundry every other week…that gives us two extra hours to do other things…like a pedicure!!  Rodgers to get a valve-stem remover and new valve stems and some paint for some future projects. To the office for more inventory and mail. We got to see the students from Manhatten College out of New York.  They had been "clam digging" that morning and were doing a little shopping before they headed back to school.  A great group of kids, thankful we got to visit them again.  They asked about Bandit, guess he made an impression.

Captain Ethan and the Guppy

We decided to go visit someplace we hadn’t been..so we headed out of Bath to Boothbay Harbor, about 20 miles.  I remember coming here when my siblings and I brought our mother in 2008.  That’s when I found out about being a “keeper”.  Larry had no chance after that visit!

We walked around and I bought some starfish to decorate our home with.  Looked at some beautiful OLD homes: regal, strong and the architecture is so fascinating. They are still standing tall and proud along the shores. 

This is Fred the Sea Gull, he was waiting to greet us to shore!

Back to Bath to get our groceries and head back to the dock for our trip home.  

Lunch at Percy's....took video of their lobster for my grandkids!

We stopped at Percy’s to eat…me: Fish sandwich and sweet potato fries, Larry: cheeseburger and onion rings.  We got to visit with two couples that weren’t from around here.  Got to share my story and invited them to the island.  They had never heard of Seguin.   Percy had a large beautiful colored drawing by Bev…I’ll get her last name next trip…anyway, I was able to show them Seguin. 

Historical Fact

1986 Locals became interested and wanted to maintain and preserve Seguin Island.  Granted a lifetime lease from the federal government, on the 200^th Anniversary of the Lighthouse Service the “Friends of Seguin Island Light Station”….F.O.S.I.L. …..became active as a non-profit organization.

1989 was spent renovating in order to ready the island for caretakers for the summer of 1990. East side of the dwelling was made into the future Gift Shop, Museum and Guest Quarter upstairs for members. 

1993 Museum was opened

1995 Ownership of the island was granted to them.

This group of volunteers work tirelessly around the year to preserve, restore, provide accurate historical information and maintain this historical light station!

·     To carry out programs of research and education to understand it’s historic past.

·     To encourage persons to visit the lighthouse and the island.

·     To promote Seguin Lighthouse’s relevance to navigational aid.

Consider:

Ø Becoming a Member

Ø Volunteering

Ø Donating

Ø Visiting the Gift Shop

Ø Visiting the Web Site www.seguinisland.org

Mission – to distinguish Seguin Island Light Station as part of Maine’s heritage, fostering connections with our area’s history for generations to come!

My History

When we were here in 1960-61 there were three “Indian” generators.  Diesel would sometime freeze!  They brought the electricity to the island in 1961 towards the end of our time here. 

Yesterday, Ken, one of our Wednesday Warriors…more about them later….found a exposed piece of the electrical line down in the cove. 

Electrical cable from the mainland on our cove

I got to call and talk to a wonderful young USCG lady, Julienne, and tried to explain what the issue was and why they needed to come check it out.  I took pictures, which I’m impressed with myself that I thought to do this.  The kids back at work have showed me this tactic of taking photos of any and everything to get the info for or to show someone an issue…documentation for any and everything!

Albert the Harp Seal...weighing about 700 lbs

Ethan saw a Harp Seal along the shore of a little island. I was able to get a photo.  He said there aren't many out here anymore.  Wondering if this is what my momma said was a walrus?  I've named him Albert!  We got to shore and up the hill.  Exhausted, but better than last week, so maybe by the end of our time here on the island we might be running up full of energy.  OK, maybe not, but it has to get better.  We marveled at all that the WW (Wednesday Warriors) had done.  I’ll talk more about that tonight in my blog for today with photos!!

Remember exhausted…no dinner, shower and bed!

I had only taken 327 photos yesterday, so it was hard to find only a few to share with you.  I’m going to start with our morning, the WW, our trip to shore and what we see as we leave the island and get Fort Popham beach, the church that allows us to use their parking lot to leave our truck and more.  Enjoy!

Both of "my" islands: Pond in the front and Seguin in the back

Almost home!

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WW ready to go home after a long, very eventful day of WORK!