A day too beautiful for words
Seguin
Back to work
Seas calmed, the sun shone and the lobster boats were back at work and their owners chatted up the radio.
The other day I heard someone called a peckerhead; a term I haven’t heard ( or used) in ages.
I suffered a grievous, ironic injury. I wanted to check out the first aid box down by the cove. It was an old metal box and I caught my knitting finger in the latch. Luckily I didn’t need to access its contents.
The grates are going up on the windows today. Someone nicely and clearly numbered them this Spring. The only problem is there is no key or map so I had to walk them around the house to figure out where to start. I got it. The west kitchen window is number 1. Head east from there.
Today looks like another winner. I have to finish my fourth climbing deer hat, Tim has snagged one for himself, make some bread, hang grates, and enjoy the day.
Another gorgeous day in paradise
Beautiful from sunrise to sunset. Well I imagine sunrise was beautiful because the sky was lavender a short time later.
My food forays continue. I harvested wild rose hips to make tea and jelly when I get home.
The garden
offers more than I thought at first glance. All the chive plants were moved into it and are thriving. There is dill, nasturtiums, a few green beans and a couple of tiny heads of lettuce. I chopped up some nasturtium flowers and leaves and mixed them into a kohlrabi, apple, carrot slaw. We only have a little mayo so I made the dressing with the raspberry honey, sweetened condensed milk and yogurt. It was delicious.
I made a syrup from brown sugar this morning, which was tasty on our pancakes. I found a plumber’s torch in the workshop and we were able to crisp up the topping for creme brulee with it. I definitely have to get one for home, not for plumbing, for dessert.
We dragged a piece of timber into the boat house with an electric winch. I got to use one of my favorite knots, a Prusik knot, which held fast.
For kicks today, we spent about fifteen minutes watching a huge log in the cove at high tide. We waited for the waves to roll it over the rocks which kept it on shore. We may be going off the deep edge. Then tonight, Tim thought he heard a high pitched whine outside. Hmmmm.
This photo shows some of my favorite things: beautiful sunset light on the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters; clothes hanging on the line; the plumber’s torch on the picnic table, waiting to finish off dessert and the sea! I love the mountains miss the ocean.
We enjoyed another gorgeous sunset, lots of red and yellow, to end the day.
Scoured sky
Yesterday’s gale scrubbed the sky.
Today was sunny, windy and a perfect temperature. We hauled the various commemorative benches to the whistle house, finished packing up the gift shop, after numerous purchases by me, and did my final weed whacking.
That left plenty of time for photo ops and knitting. I’m on my third climbing deer hat and am a little dizzy.
Then I shared the same sunset you saw but mine had a cruise ship on the horizon.
S’mores for dessert and now I’m ready for bed. Good night, sweet dreams.
Blowin’ Stink
What’s a lighthouse without a gale and a little fog thrown in. The new fog horn has been on since 3:00 am. The wind has whipped things around outside and surf is crashing. We couldn’t leave if we wanted to. What could be better? We even have the latest Stephen King book, Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining.
I walked around the cove and nearby trails this morning before it started pouring. Then the rest of the day was devoted to indoor projects.
It’s been very peaceful with the sound of the fog horn, wind and surf. We went up the tower when the wind picked Up. Someone polished the First Order Fresnel lens this summer and it looks pristine. Those photos will follow later.
As I was getting dinner ready tonight, I saw the crescent moon and Venus. Did you?
Two more food substitutions I forgot to mention. I received a gift of raspberry honey from a friend before we left and threw it in with the provisions. It has glazed carrots, sweetened and flavored apple pie, added a nice touch to beef stir fry and glazed currant scones.
I HAVE NO VANILLA! Bushmill’s Irish Honey Whiskey is a nice substitute.
Island crafts
It’s another beautiful fall day, 50’s and breezy. A great day to be stuck on an island.
No visitors or crickets yesterday but a couple of float planes passed overhead.
I wandered through the museum and thought about how keepers and their families spent their time. Just like me, there was food preparation, although they had a barn, animals and a garden. And down time to pursue hobbies, fiber and otherwise.
This linen is displayed in the museum. The center panel was taken from a linen cover, which protected the lens and oil during the day. Mrs. DeShon crocheted the lace around it in the 1940’s.
This quilted panel was donated by local ladies. It’s hard to see but there’s a lighthouse in the stitching.
Dorothy Hart made this trolly in the 1950’s from scrap material and used it as a planter.
I frequently scrounge around looking for things to improvise since we never have exactly what you need. Here’s my weed snipper strap.
And a mat from old rope.
And my swift and nostespinne.
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My food requires some improvising too. For the first time ever, the cupboards were bare when we arrived. In years past, there was always lots of spices, oils and vinegars. This year, not even a shaker of salt was left behind. I totally support this but it caught me unaware. I had to bum salt and pepper.
So the first night, cashews provided the salt for braised pork. I’ve put aside some wine to use in salad dressing. Gingersnap cookies provided the spice in an apple pie. And it’s all delicious.<br
How far can I see?
If it’s clear and there’s a high pressure, at least 86 miles. Here’s our view of Mount Washington last night.
It has to do with how high we both (Mt. Washington and Seguin Lighthouse) are above the earth. Wikipedia lays it out here:
And here. If it was at sea level, we could only see about 30 miles because of the earth’s curvature but since we’re both tall, we can see farther.
I’m keeping a cricket and visitor count and they’re pretty close. I remember this from prior years. Every morning we find cricket(s) trapped in the sink. Total count thus far, 5; visitors: 16.
I gave up on a knitting a tomtem jacket, for now, and the games begin. First “climbing deer” hat in progress.
The first one is in exchange for venison from my postmaster. We have the best post office. Once a package with only my name and town made it to my PO Box! Next I owe several to kids who actually asked for them last Christmas. I hear my needles clacking.
Looking up
The day began slowly. Neither one of us wanted to face the prospect of a dead stove. We found the culprit in a faulty electrical box, found a not-so faulty box and rewired it. Then a master electrician came ashore to do weekly volunteer work and gave our repair a thumbs up! It will do the job (bake my bread) and will be up for replacement in the Spring.
For tonight it cooked a couple of beautiful lobsters – I couldn’t do that in the microwave!
Tim’s clothes are almost dry but he looked so good in my yoga pants – tough to explain to island visitors!
But my binoculars were still missing. I went down to the cove this afternoon but didn’t see them on the shore. As our lobsters were cooking tonight there was a knock and a call, “Are you there? We found a pair of binoculars in the cove.”! Two weathered sailors were at the door.
Well!
They were very humble, when they saw us getting dinner ready, and said they would clean my, hopefully, waterproof binoculars in fresh water and bring them up in the morning. They’re spending the night here on a sailboat and will visit the tower tomorrow. I plan to use the stove to bake them fresh scones first thing in the am.
Once again the universe delivers.
Gone swimmin’
Gorgeous weather home and gorgeous weather in Maine. Sunny and warm with an unexpected (by me) swell due to some offshore weather system.
Big waves, small dinghy, I fell in when I landed. Tim took several dinghy trips then got caught on a rock with a big wave and he went over. I saw my apples float by twice, the Ikea rye crackers must be packaged well because they rode the waves in and out a few times before coming ashore.
Luckily only all of Tim’s clothes got drenched. Only the clothes I was wearing and my outerwear, which was in a bag with my binoculars, got soaked.
The binoculars haven’t shown up yet. Amazingly not even an egg broke. All our food arrived, although some was wet and sandy. But…the stove doesn’t seem to be happy. I may get a chance to expand my microwave and toaster skills!
Our electronics and knitting arrived safe and sound. It was so nice today, I may swim again tomorrow.
I’m on the Knitpicks podcast!
One of the first podcasts I listened to was Kelley Petkun from Knitpicks describing what knitting she would do on a deserted island. I still have that podcast on my iPod. She introduced me to the idea of a Pi shawl as great island knitting and I cast my first one during a hiking trip in the Grand Canyon when I couldn’t possibly take another step. . Since then, I’ve listened to episodes about the creative process, knitting, designers, yarn lines, football, spinning and life in general and I am hooked. I began listening during my hour long commute into Manhattan to work.
I remember trying to describe why I listened to knitting podcasts to my stepson. He couldn’t imagine what would possibly capture my (or his) attention for 30 minutes. But it’s so much more than knitting. And now it brings me back to the Knitpicks podcast because on their 200th celebratory episode, Kelley revisits deserted island knitting and refers to MY BLOG as an example. Because I knit on deserted islands! And love it. And hope to continue doing it because, after the first time, it keeps getting better and easier. Food planning and packing gets simplified.
Some of my best projects were envisioned and completed in remote settings. Like Tim’s Christmas penguin! knit while on Deal Island Tasmania with some beautiful organic merino roving gifted to me by a new friend in Tasmania, which I spun and knit during my three months there. Or the four pairs of socks I have knit for myself on Seguin Island. Or the warm vest I modified and knit on Deal Island. This podcast makes me appreciate and remember what a wonderful life I live.
Today, in the mountains, I worked on three projects: a pair of socks for my daughter’s friend
A double weave wall hanging with pockets to hold at least some of my weaving tools
And I continue to work on the overshot sampler
To think, I was working and commuting when I began listening and now I have given most of it up am living the life I never dreamed of!
Island and North Country Life 