I am really looking forward to tomorrow. The lawnmower is running rough and we have to take it ashore. This means carrying it down a rocky beach, loading it onto a rubber dinghy (blades and rubber??) and then either loading it onto the boston whaler or towing it behind us for about 4 miles. We have done everything in our power, without voiding the warranty, to avoid this trip. But alas. It probably will be too hectic to produce any photos and if I don’t post again soon, call the Coast Guard!
Salem
Off the grid pick up line
“Nice array you have there.” This is what an islander drove up and told DH today. He was repositioning the panels to move them out of partial shade. We’ve been living on the edge with depleted batteries and hope this helps. After admiring the solar panels, DH’s admirer went on to discuss battery banks.
Tall Ship Departing
While working on the solar panels, DH was surprised to find this creature. He spent some time debating with me whether or not there was an hourglass on the spider’s back. I opted for yes and did away with it.
Hourglass or not
More knitting, today I grafted 2 panels together. Now to add a border.
Grafted panels
Nice Array
Kristi visits
Kristi visited and one of the first things she did was spend a few hours mowing and she is one of the few people who mowed in a pattern acceptable to Tim. There was a gale during her visit and we stayed indoors and painted and painted and repaired windows and doors. I took time out to take pibtures of this still life:
Flowers with Barbie surfboard
The surf board is one of the first treasures I found on the beach. I also found someone’ s vertebrae and some green sea glass.
Shirley has begun walking down to the beach when we leave by boat. Our last trip, we left at 7 am and returned at 5 pm and she looked pretty tired. I’m not sure if she waited for us the whole time but this is what she was doing when we got home.
Super cat
We rely on solar power and the weather has put a drain on us and our batteries. We conserve the power for the fridge and the pump that allows us to have running water. The well was tested and it looks like we can drink the water. No more lugging 5 gallon bottles of water from the dinghy up the beach. I’ve begun working on the outside since the storm we had uncovered several leaks. I have caulked and reglazed several windows and have to get up on the roof in the next couple of days.
Today after a hard day’s work, Tim, Shirley and I went for a swim.
Why do seagulls cry?
Every morning since July 2, I have been awakened at dusk (4:30 am) by the harsh sound of seagulls. This can hardly be called a birdsong. Nor is it only one bird. The whole mob screeches together. The other morning, there was a gale with whistling winds and yet the gulls still sang out. There’s a colony along the rocks and they seem to cooperate and guard the baby gulls. As soon as the sky begins to lighten, they are noisy until sunrise, then things mellow out again for a while. The real question is not why do they cry but how can I make them stop. Apparently it drove some others a little mad recently too, some troopers clubbed seagulls that were bothering them in Seattle. I was thinking of a more peaceful resistance.
The flag flies again
So after lots of head scratching and trips to nautical supply stores, we figured out a solution to the flag dilemma. Thanks Andre, but we couldn’t get Loki to walk the boom. We bought a few pulleys and when we were at the store saw a whisker pole on the counter and voila! We own a whisker pole. We could use that as an extension arm, maybe. So first we had to get it out on the catwalk without breaking anything. The first oath in medicine and lighthouse care taking is do no harm.
The problem, old hooks and no rope and high in the sky
The approach with the new brass hook and whisker pole
Rethinking
So close but…
The team at work, photos courtesy of Kristi
A New Approach
Houston, we have contact!
Look at that!
Victory
Flying high
Back to shipshape
And then when our work was done I was able to return to my knitting. I finished the shawl I had begun at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in April. It’s a lot smaller than I thought but now I am going to stretch the heck out of it and see what happens. After that, we have a lot of painting and housework to do
Finished shawl
Lost Line
My earlier post includes a nice photo of the flag billowing behind the lighthouse. Since then, the line snapped and we almost lost the flag to the wind. It was saved but our attempt to run a new line through the pulley, which is about 9 feet away from the top of the tower, which is about 60 feet high, met with disaster. The new line broke away from the old and now we have to figure out a way to put a new pulley and run the new line through it. Any suggestions are welcome. I’ve considered fishing line with sinkers perhaps shot through the old pulley. DH plans to install a new pulley with the line already threaded through it by attaching it to a long pull and snapping it on. I’ll keep you posted.
Watch cats
We’re safe at night. No ghosts ramblings and the cats look out for us when they’re not sleeping. We’ve been settling into our summer home and finally have it in a presentable state.
The computer room
What you can’t tell is that the table is only 18 inches off the ground and DH is sitting on a beach chair.
Kitchen
Refrigerator high
Pantry
Looking through the front porch
Porch
Note the toilet repair kit close at hand
View from the prison cell
Very comfy bed, I sleep 9 hours straight
Looking out from bed, which I do when I’m not sleeping 9 hours
Tower from the beach
Our link to land
Shirley
My World Shook
My son and I went to my PODS storage container to pick up a few things. The door was jammed and we couldn’t open it. The PODS man came and he couldn’t open it either. Then he got a forklift and lifted one end of the container and shook it like a salt shaker. All our carefully packed possessions! It worked. Something shifted, I didn’t hear any major crashes and we were able to open the door. So much for boxes marked fragile.
I ran errands on Long Island for a few days and am now back at the lighthouse. More cleaning today and DH mowed for 5 hours! That’s why he’s in bed while I write this. I ran the Boston Whaler back to the island yesterday and had lots of fun. After so much time spent sailing, I’m not used to speed. Plus other boats headed towards me at the same speed and lobster pots in channels.
Tomorrow will be my day of rest. I baked up an amazing deep dish apple pie tonight and am pleasantly stuffed.
Our New Home for the Summer
Despite a soggy spring, we slogged our way to New England. After 2 wet days on the boat with the cats, we headed out to the lighthouse in a 16 foot Boston Whaler. DH and I had foul weather gear but the cats didn’t fare as well. We made it ashore with several dinghy trips and arrived safely on the island.
I was rewarded for hard work with a double rainbow, neat cloud formations and beautiful boats.
DH had to leave for a few days and I was left to fend for myself. Not too scary!! I kept occupied by cleaning, sweeping, cleaning, cleaning and mowing.
American Eagle
I am always ready to take time to stop and smell the roses. Or whatever flowers present themselves. I’m not sure what this is. We found blackberries, wild irises and are still looking for Juneberries.
Some views make it seem like we are living in another era.
Loki aboard Water Lily
Island and North Country Life 