I see the light
Author: one2travelfar
On the home front
I’ve been home a few days to visit. Soon I’ll be off again to see my dear son and daughter-in-law to be. In the meantime I’ve made progress on several unfinished projects.
I made several attempts on a “playful” panda hat pattern and think I have it now. This one is in fingering weight I’m gonna try the next in heavier yarn, DK.
I only made one hat but I took one picture in the mirror so they look like they’re facing different directions.
I finished and blocked my lace mohair cropped cardigan that I started sometime in the summer, when we were sailing. I remember how it blew in the wind while I was trying to work on it. I wanted it to be snug and there’s negative ease alright, I can’t eat too much until I wear it.
The wool braided rug is taking forever! I’ve become much less compulsive about how the strips fold and may finally finish it – or just declare it done.
And I’m quilting this darling bargello baby quilt. Speedy project I found online and a great way to use up odd bits of fabric.
I’m glad I had a chance to visit home. The scenery has been amazing, leaves in full color, milkweed shedding seeds.
Southbound
After a brief hiatus at home and work, I hit the road – flew in the air – to visit my darling daughter.
I tied up lighthouse projects before I left. In addition to repairing picnic tables , glazing and painting windows, mowing trails and making scaffolding marginally safe, I knit two hats, tried two panda patterns (one of which I rejected because it wasn’t fun to knit) and wove a potholder.
Now to see what projects Chelsea has for me at her new apartment.
Home for the colors
My garden froze when the temperature fell to 28 degrees f while we were away. But the trees sure are pretty, at home…
And at work.
One of these robins flew into our window this morning and the other sat nearby until the concussed one pulled itself together and shook it off. Unless, the first did it before we woke up and just happened to be there when its mate fell from the sky.
Expected and unexpected visitors
Let’s start at the end. Another glorious sunset on our last night on Seguin.
A work party from the Navy painted the boat house, moved timbers and disassembled the precarious scaffolding. We moved roof shingles from two buildings off island by dinghy. I’m exhausted. I even took a quick swim at the end of the day.
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Somewhere in the middle of the day I was invited aboard a boat and had sushi! Fresh bluefin tuna. It was delicious. Then more people arrived and I showed them around the lighthouse.
As we settled in for the evening, there was a knock at the door. One of the guests managed to beach himself just after high tide. Looks like we have an overnight guest.
A burn, blackberries and boats
Low tide was around. 7:00 am and we started the day with a burn. We notified a fire dept in CT but they had no idea who or where we were. The local fire department wasn’t interested.
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I foraged for blackberries to make a cake , clafouti, flan? It was pretty good. Plus there are great views of the lighthouse from the blackberry patch.
Tomorrow, a group of volunteers is coming out to get old roof shingles off the island and to scrape and paint the boat house. Platforms were put in place and I was nominated as the safety person. I added lifelines and roofing shingles for traction. My daughter, who is a bona fide safety person, was horrified.
Cruise ships passed by while I worked.
Tomorrow will be hectic so I said my goodbyes to the island tonight. Until next year.
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Time to get creative
Our time in paradise is quickly drawing to a close. Food stores are getting thin so meals become more creative. Stale,homemade, no-knead bread became garlic croutons in a delicious tomato basil salad.
This week I signed up for the NY times cooking app for recipes. Butter is short so cookies and scones are out. We had creme brulee the other night. Easy to do when there’s a plumber ‘s torch handy.
Tonight I tried a chocolate pudding recipe from Florence Fabricant. I strongly encourage you to try this. We happened to have all the ingredients on hand. I stirred and stirred with a whisk on the stove and suddenly, as if by magic, it was pudding. No eggs; milk, cocoa, sugar and cornstarch. I threw in a little cayenne to kick it up a notch.
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Then, as if by magic, we were able to see Mount Washington, which is 86(!) miles away.
Magic.
Dinner out
Seas calmed and the group of students and teachers arrived under sail in the harbor this morning. They did some trail work, took a tour of the lighthouse and hosted us for dinner aboard their wooden boat.
They were delighted to be here on land because they have been sleeping on the boat; last night at a mosquito ridden anchorage. 7 bodies arranged on an open deck!
Tim and a former caretaker erected (no snickering, Tim) staging in preparation for this weekend. A group of Navy people from the Zumwalt have volunteered to scrape and paint the precarious side of the boathouse.
After our dinner out, we returned home to this.
Aah!
Me and my shadow
Tim had a phone call today inviting us aboard a boat for dinner. Alas the crew became seasick and they took shelter elsewhere so it’s just the two of us and island critters.
Life repeats itself
I rely way too much on my iphone for photos. My memory was full and I wanted to delete old photos. I found last year’s photos on Seguin, which look a lot like this year’s.
The fog rolled in, surf was up, we glazed windows, painted windows repaired and painted picnic tables and worked on lawnmowers.
The only thing new is I’m trying to develop a panda pattern and worked on the first prototype. More work is needed.
I knit a test hat and am working on a beret.
Island and North Country Life 