Thursday May 28, 2015

Day 14

53 degrees w/16 mph winds

Woke early this morning, Larry already had the coffee going so I didn’t get to slip the decaf in place of the reg that we ran out of.  No problem, we can adapt!

The fog is still present, but not too thick.  The fog signal was on all night and it is so faint that it doesn’t bother us.  Guessing the sound carries over the water for the boats. 

I learned that each lighthouse has its own particular kind of light.  Some blink, some rotate, some have a different color light.  This way the sailors know where they are by the lighthouse they can see.  I love learning new things about my lighthouse.

If and when I can get my photos off my camera I have a great shot at night of Seguin’s light in the fog.  The beams of dark and light that come out are breathtaking.

Didn’t put the flag out because of the high winds, they tried to tear it up yesterday.  I have to pick up some thread and do a little repairs to.

Pancakes with walnuts and coffee to start the morning!

We had a group of wonderful young men and woman, 12 total.  They had come out with their professor John from a  College in New York.  John is originally from Georgetown so this was not his first time to visit our island.  Bandit had a blast with the visitors and they seemed to be enjoying him. 

 

More of our young friends

Our young NY College visitors today

Bandit checking on one of the students!

Bandit making our visitors welcome

Historical Facts:

Seguin Lighthouse has a First Order Fresnel Lens.  This is the only one in Maine. It has 282 glass prisms, 9’ tall and 6’ wide using a 1000 watt light bulb.  There are only a few currently in operation with an estimated value of up to 8 Million dollars.

Top of the Fresnel lens

My History:

My parents and I originally lived on Pond Island, which you have to pass on your way to Seguin.  We were the last family to live there.  The house has been torn down and all that remain is the lighthouse which is now automated.  I got to see it for the first time tonight as we climb to the top of the tower to watch the storm.

 

A little dragonfly trying to avoid the storm

Storm warning were coming across the radio, for small crafts to take safety.  We could see it coming in from all directions, like it was going to meet in the middle…right where we were.  The waves almost looked calmer.  We went up into the lighthouse to see the storm from that height.   Winds, dark clouds, thunder and lightning, and a down pour of rain.  As quickly as it came, it was gone.

Look at those clouds….WOW!

Larry watching the clouds roll in

Watching the storm from up in the tower

Larry got the first shelf made for the kitchen. This used to be where the chimney for the kitchen stove used to be.  The weather has been too bad for us to go into town, but Ethan thinks tomorrow will be a good day...yeah: Laundry, Groceries, Mail, Hardware Store, Pharmacy, etc....

Kitchen shelf

Wednesday May 27, 2015

Day 13

56 degrees w/4 mph winds

What a beautiful morning, just enough wind in your face, 

I can hear the wave hit the shore below, 

the sun is shining bright and warm through the windows of this beautiful old

158 year old dwelling, which is our home this summer.

Last nights sunset

clouds were wild today

Historical Facts:

1794 - (1^st) Wooden tower…George Washington approved the building of the original wooden tower, 50’ high with 16 Oil lamps.

1819 - (2^nd) New stone tower

1842 - 15 Argand lamps were added

1857 - (3^rd) Granite tower, 53’ high, extremely rare First Order Fresnel lens, and new keeper’s quarters which still stand today.

  

My History:

The flying Santa Plane.  At during the Christmas season he would fly over the islands and drop gifts down for the children.  I was one of those children.  My gift that fell from the sky was a rag doll and mittens.  To honor and remember this act of kindness, I have a Christmas tree that I hang all my lighthouse ornaments.  I also have a small plane with a Santa.  Thank you Mr. Santa. 

I’m still working on the keeper’s brick landing.  I’m raising it an inch and trying to level it.  It will take many trips down to the cove to get the sand needed. Larry cut, sanded, stained, and varnished one of about three shelves to put in the empty space where the stove chimney used to be.  He’s going to put new rope around the “main” museum sign that goes in front of the house.  I’ll repaint the letters when he’s finished.  Winds gotten higher sometimes reaching gust of winds at 38 mph.  We didn’t stay out to much.

Lunch of SOS: grilled onions, hamburger browned, and cream gravy over toast.

I spent the afternoon cleaning inside the house and museum while Larry worked away in the Whistle house (workshop).

This afternoon it got foggy and the fog horn began!

 

Foggy, this is the normal view to our sunset

Ethan called and said it would be Friday early when we would get off the island.

Here's a few photo's of the interior of the keepers quarters.

Stairs going up to the 2 bedrooms
(flag drying in hall)

up towards landing

bathroom -far left and 2 bedrooms

Our bedroom

Tuesday May 26, 2015

Day 12

54 degrees w/10 mph winds @ 8:30 am

We could hear rain outside, so we slept in a little later.

Blueberry pancakes!  Thanks Michael for leaving some blueberries and Ray’s hickory syrup.  My cousin sent some of their homemade syrups and sauces. Great way to start off the morning.

Two geese came up this morning and were right outside of window.  They’ve been flying around the cove, but this is the first time I’ve seen them up here.

 

Geese

Too wet to finish weed eating, so I’ve got Larry to help me hang 4 more photos and we will be finish the in the museum.  

 We’ve started our “on shore” list for tomorrow. Don’t want to waste a minute of that time.

Our “population” sign is started, found an old piece of wood, started with a blue paint, then going to try red for the lettering…photo to come later!

The wind is so strong, even though it says 10mph, it feels stronger. 

Still “looking” for all the fire hydrants on the island, we are to locate & log them…almost finished.  Still need to ck the donkey house (tram engine – that isn’t being used this summer) and the boat house (it’s what we used for boats back in 1960), no boats are kept there anymore because the boat ramp is not even there anymore.

“Ponpon Ponpon” this is the USCG Emergency Call on the radio…stating that kayakers might be in distress off the coast at the Kennebec river…I went out with the binoculars, no sign of anyone.

Went down to cove with our laundry and empty water jugs, getting ready for Ethan tomorrow morning.  While down there we gathered some sand for my “porch project”.

My porch project, removing weeds and adding sand

Bandit tried salt water…ok, we did laugh at him!

Bandit trying the salt water...yuck!

Ethan just called and weather isn’t going to let him come and get us tomorrow and possibly the next day, so it could be Friday.  I’m going to have to sneak some decaf coffee in Larry’s coffee can to get us through the next couple of days….Note: buy more coffee…just in case!

As I walk through the house I try to imagine a young couple from Texas, with a one year old.  Momma cleaning and taking care of me, dad coming in for lunch or coming up the front porch just to tell mom of a project that he was headed out to do. 

My Daddy, Ronald David Howard

Later I will tell you more about two other little girls who called Seguin their home.  My facebook friends….Beverly and Millie.  Hopefully we will meet for the first time, dang I’m starting to cry….anyway, meet at the Summerfest that the Friends of Seguin put on towards the end of the summer. 

 

Lobster Buoys put along the tram

A little History:

There were two other families that lived on this island back in 1960….Russell & Ethel Wilson and daughter Robin, he was the officer in charge and Kenneth & Pat Duke and daughter Karen. 

        Christmas 1960 a group of about 8 Navy guys lived down in the boat house.  Not sure of the job they were doing, it took a few months and they kept to themselves.  They didn’t have much, a few cots, a heater, and I guess they ate MRE’s. 

As of 7:30pm the wind has not even slowed down, it’s at 22 mph with gust up to 30 some times.

Watching the sea gules drift in the wind is calming.  You can tell the young from the old, the young tend to do a lot of flapping their wings, however the old hold their heads up…their wings spread wide…and they just glide back and forth with what seems like little effort.

Larry working on the "Welcome" sign down by the cove