With the first of four Aldo Leopold benches we have built before we knew there were plans readily available. I had copied a comfortable bench we found on Seguin in 2008 and drew up my own plans.
Today Wednesday Warriors arrived and worked on the tram, sumac, windows and museum. It was a whirlwind, sprinkled with several boatloads of visitors.
By sunset, we were on our own. And what a sunset it was!
We arrived on Seguin Island with all our possessions dry and intact for a 12 day tour. Weather forecast looks good, sunny but rising seas. May give us a few days to ourselves.
The Island has been well cared for. We have to search for projects. What a treat!
We closed the keeper’s quarters and pulled the plug. Although the temperature dipped into the 30’s and we didn’t have central heat, we were snug as a bug in a rug. We put up grates and plywood on the windows.
I scared this timberdoodle (American woodcock) in the alley by the tower. It took cover on a windowsill and I ran inside to get its picture.
I went up the tower for the last time to look around, take some pics and secure the inside door.
Then sent our stuff down the tram to the cove.
Our intrepid crew arrived in shorts! The first mate, Pepper, kept a sharp lookout on the bow. They arrived to drain the plumbing and finish the task.
I presented her with a leash I wove with my tablets and copper loom for being so cute.
We locked up, boarded the boat and headed home.
We still saw a beautiful sunset, just a little differently.
We’re finishing our projects as we prepare to close up. Tim painted the picnic table he repaired (we seem to repair and paint at least one a season), applied Linseed oil to the wood gutters on three buildings while I did what I am best at.
That’s Tim above. What you don’t see is me standing on the bottom of the ladder serving as ballast in the gusty breeze. Very important work.
The resident seagull is up to its usual shenanigans. It helped me clean the garden yesterday.
The sun keeps rising and setting.
Rainbows form and the lighthouse and quarters remain cozy. I hope so because the temperature is expected to drop tonight.
Monday was a blur. The weather was perfect, monarch butterflies were swarming the island and we had a work party of window warriors and more arrive with a journalist documenting Seguin as unique home.
They traveled by boat and dinghy with windows, lumber and lots of camera gear. Amazingly, only our feet got wet.
They installed two complete windows in the foyer; finished, caulked and painted a window in the museum; blasted and pointed brick mortar; stowed benches; installed window grates; packed up the store and museum; and greased the tram’s cable.
While at the same time, butterflies swarmed and a Coopers hawk and several sharp shinned hawks circled the island.
I mean fog. We had another perfect day of lighthouse weather. Rain and fog. The fog horn blew all day but it’s much quieter than I remember. The windows are closed but I think it’s more than that.
I could tell the fog would settle last night. There was a feeling in the air. More damp and still. The scenery came in and out of focus all day as the fog lifted and fell. We could often hear a boat engine without being able to spot any boat. The birds frolicked all day.
Wool socks kept me happy on the trails. They were saturated but my feet were warm. I donned full foulies for a trip to the cove and was quite content- rain and all.
We cleared some sumac and I made a Hawaiian pizza and apple pie. Another amazing day.
It’s time to leave Seguin for the season.
Moonlight over Seguin
The Monarch butterflies are taking over the island and…
Monarch butterflies
my socks are done!
Seguin socks
Our last days are full of activity. The weather is exceptionally nice and visitors arrived by ferry, lobster boat and kayaks. Lobsterman are back to their traps after several days ashore because of bad weather. And we’re closing up the house. In an effort to preserve our clothing, we were removing some things from the house, naked. We thought all visitors had left. Nope, new ones arrived. They didn’t run off so they could not have seen anything. Could they? They even offered to help.
Working harbor
Visitors heading off
Kayakers heading in
Household items heading below
Tim was in a glory because we had a scheduled burn in the cove below the tide line. He built a great little structure, burnt his New Yorkers as starter and the construction debris went up in flames and smoke. We called the fire department before we started, to prevent them from thinking the island was on fire, and left a message on their voice mail. Left a message on their voice mail?
Bonfire diminishing
Miraculously, the rider mower we worked on last year unsuccessfully, runs like a charm! We’re not sure if it was used this summer but I was able to mow crop circles around the upper 40, near the keeper’s quarters and lighthouse. I love that mower and was so happy to have enjoy it running again. We had our first group of visitors since we arrived and got to show them around the lighthouse (and take pictures of my crop circles). They arrived while we were finishing up a successful repair of another lawnmower and the weather was beautiful. What more could we ask for? Plus, I finished my pair of socks tonight and will have another pair to wear before we head home.
crop circles
helipad
I couldn’t resist a different view of the lighthouse: its shadow over the cobblestone trail.
Lighthouse shadow
Caretaking heaven
Island and North Country Life 