Article for FOSI Newsletter Fall 2009

Here is the text of an article I wrote for the FOSI Newsletter Fall 2009

What’s In a Name?

“Seguin”, what does it mean to you?

If you would have asked that to Brenda or I this time last year we would have said it means a somewhat desolate island off the coast of Maine where an important lighthouse sits. We also knew that we would be the keepers on that island during the summer of 2009 and that we were in for an adventure.

We were not disappointed!

During the summer of 2009 we learned much about the people of Maine, the livelihood of mid-coast, history of a nation, appreciation for the land and the surrounding sea and, most of all, we learned to appreciate each other. You might think that after forty years of being together there is no more to learn about each other.

Not so!

Brenda and I got right into the rhythm of the island. We had a lot of help from members of FOSI. Dave and Linda Power, Connie, Cyndy, Dee, Ethan, Duane, Ken, the Denker’s, and so many more. Much work was accomplished. We helped each other. We looked out for each other. We realized that there was nothing we couldn’t do.

We met many interesting people. Ninety three year old Mr. Sterling who spent time on Seguin in 1936 as a young coastguardsman. Seniors from the Maine Senior College there to learn more about lighthouses. Students aboard the schooner “Virginia”. Outward Bound folks. Select geology student from across the country that study the formations each year. The young girl that kept asking where Mount Washington was. Beverly Ramsey from North Carolina that spent the first year of her life on Seguin. The young mother from Orr’s Island who brought her kids out in a small skiff… and many more.

We learned what “Seguin” means to them and by doing so awakened us to a whole new understanding and appreciation for the place. Soon after we arrived, Boy Scout Troop #21from Bath spent a night or two on the island. One of their tasks was to hold a banner saying “This Place Matters” for promotion of The National Trust for Historic Places.

It really does. It matters a lot for a lot of people, in so many different ways. I believe you have to spend some time out there, meeting and greeting these folks to really understand what I am saying.

So, let’s get back to my question. What does it mean to you?

We realize that not many people, FOSI or otherwise, have had the opportunity to spend some real time on Seguin. We wonder how many of you understand the real importance of the island.

It’s not the land. It’s not the light. It’s not the sea. It’s not the flora and fauna. It’s not the spectacular scenery or the sounds of the surf.

It is all of this and more. It is the people that make Seguin special. It is the members of the Friends of Seguin. The people that realize and appreciate what they have. Each of you has their own talent and stories to share. You realize it is your challenge to be the stewards of the island so future generations can appreciate it. You realize the significance and what it means.

Each of you are the real Keepers of the Light.

From Brenda and me a heartfelt THANK YOU for the experience, the friendship, the knowledge and the reaffirmation of the human spirit. It is alive and well on Seguin!

For a complete accounting of our summer and a link to 385 pictures from our summer on Seguin visit the blog at “seguin2009.blogspot.com”

Sunday, September 20

I purposely waited a week or so before making my last blog entry. I wanted enough time to digest what we had accomplished the last few months. I can easily say that our time on Seguin was a life experience. Brenda and I enjoyed every minute, even the fog and rainy days.

As I have mentioned before, the people we met and friends we made were a significant part of our experience. Here are a few names that stand out. Dave and Linda Power, Cyndy, Dee, Connie, Captain Ethan, Duane, Dave and Tracy Percy, Postmaster Bob, Brent, the Denkers, Jim, Mr. Sterling, Lawrence, Ken, the owners of the Bath Sweet Shoppe, Jenny at CVS Pharmacy, all the FOSI folks at the annual meeting, many island guests, boat people, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Outward Bound folks, Roger’s Hardware associates, Schooner Virginia passengers and crew and many more. I almost did not want to name people because I will always leave someone out. Please don’t be offended if I did. Everyone we met was great. We had a lot of support from everyone!

While people make the difference, the location wasn’t bad either! We awoke every day to hear the surf pounding the rocky shore, the gulls laughing, the wind blowing and the spectacular Maine shoreline. We saw all types of boats, big and small, power and sail, old and new.

Today is our fortieth anniversary. I was blessed to share the time on Seguin with Brenda. We look forward to future adventures, a return to Maine and….who knows? Keep the light on for us!

Friday, September 4

This is our last post from the island. We leave for home tomorrow morning. We are both a little sad and a little glad. Brenda and I have enjoyed our time here but it is time to go home, see the family and return to a routine. At least for a while. We will be riding a motorcycle on Skyline Drive within a month and off to Florida for a few months this winter, and then, who knows? This is our idea of semi-retirement. I will continue working as a deputy sheriff and operating my security/consulting business and Brenda will go back to work at Tony’s Pizza on the Ocean City boardwalk.

I will actively review and pursue caretaking jobs that appeal to us in the future. Caretaking agrees with us and is a great way to see the world, meet people, make friends and live life. In fact that is our motto. “Live Life”. A simple philosophy to glean the most from our time here. Enjoy family, have fun, grow friends and simply live life. This was the first time in forty years that Brenda and I have spent every hour of every day together. It was said that we would either grow closer together or further apart during this time and I believe that is true. For us, we have definitely grown closer together. We both know each other better. Some things good, some not so good. But that is marriage and our time on Seguin has nurtured ours.

While here we have enjoyed excellent health. We haven’t even had a cold. Allergies did not bother us. No poison ivy. Nothing, and we thank God for that! As a matter of fact I’m sure we have both lost some weight and built muscle. We are leaving Seguin healthier than we arrived.

One huge positive aspect of being the Seguin caretakers has been the people we met and the friends we made. I am not going to name them all. It would take too long. Every one of them has been open and giving, supportive and caring and have welcomed us into their world. We plan to visit here again and will make it a point to stop and say hello.

The weather today is great, just like it has been for the past week. Dennis and I went to the cove to play around a while, the girls cleaned the house and began packing things up. Some visitors showed up and Brenda entertained them while Dennis and I replaced the broken pane of glass in the cellar window. I cleaned the riding mower, returned all tools to the shop, etc, etc.

Final packing after dinner and off to bed. Our last night on Seguin.

Thursday, September 3

What a beautiful way to wake up. The early morning blows your mind. Even before you open your eyes you smell the air as the soft south breeze wafts in the window. The clanging of the clapper from the bell buoy on Mile Ledge gently assaults your ears as it dances to the rhythm of the ocean swell. Your taste buds tell you there is salt in the air and you can smell the crispness of fall which is right around the corner.

Imagine this with the woman you love laying next to you. Life is good!

Summer is over in Maine. For the last week we have had fantastic weather. Cool comfortable days and chilly nights with the moon waxing. It will be full tomorrow.

We had about twenty visitors today. Ethan brought out a couple of groups and the others were boaters passing by. One couple in a large sailboat will spend the night in the cove. While Brenda was busy with visitors, Margie took care of the museum and prepared food for all. Dennis spent the entire day weed whacking and I cut the grass at the lighthouse and at the cove. This will be our final mowing for the year and the place looks good.

We had a delicious meatloaf dinner and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

Wednesday, September 2

Up and at ‘em early this morning. We had a bunch of bins to take in today. Laundry and other stuff that can be put in the truck in preparation for our departure. We also put the kayak, the George Foreman grill, paddles, etc in Ethan’s boat when he arrived at 0700.

After loading all the stuff and securing the kayak on the roof of the truck cap we headed to the laundromat in Bath. While the clothes were washing we went to McDonalds for breakfast and stopped at Rommel’s Ace Hardware to get weed eater parts. Then into the FOSI office to see Connie.

All summer long I have been planning a trip to the Maine Maritime Museum and the Bath Iron Works (BIW). So, at 1230 we were at the museum and got on the trolley to BIW. This is where the Arleigh Burke class destroyers are built. It is quite an operation. They are working on ways to streamline the building process and be more cost efficient. BIW is impressive and I hope they are successful in securing their next military contract.

Off to lunch at the Starlight in Bath. This is a small place run by women in downtown Bath. It was OK, nothing special. We went back to the Maritime Museum to look around and headed back to Fort Popham. Cyndy Carney met us there and we loaded up the new (used) stove she had procured. Lobsterman Richard was along to give us a hand offloading the stove on the island. Getting the stove off the boat was not too bad. Ethan, Richard and Dennis got it up the steps and on the tram. I got the donkey engine going And up the hill she went.

The old stove was removed and the new one installed. This was not a plug and play installation. The stove plug is not accessible as someone built a cabinet around it. Instead we left the plug alone and changed the other end where it connects to the stove. At first the stove would not work, but after some fiddling around we got it to come on. The girls successfully prepared dinner but it again stopped working soon after. Some more jiggling got it going again. Not sure about this one.

A big thanks to Ethan and Richard for their help both removing and installing the stoves. Last I saw of the old stove was with Ethan taking it away with the boat.

Tuesday, September 1

Quiet, peaceful, serene. That’s what it is like early in the morning. The birds don’t start squawking until sun up. The wind is calm and so is the sea. No clouds and the stars are shining bright. We saw the moon set from our bed at 0230 this morning. A nice cool wisp of sea air filters in through the window. This is an experience to remember. The lack of auditory stimulation is deafening, almost surreal. These are the mornings we are experiencing now.

After breakfast we walked the South trail. Mosquitoes are still in abundance. The rocks at the south end are quite rugged and the view is fantastic. The only thing that detracts is the abundance of seagull droppings that smell.

Dennis and I framed and hung some more pictures and a mirror. Brenda was busy with some visitors. We are getting some stuff ready for our trip ashore tomorrow. The more we can take now, the less we will have to deal with on Saturday.

After dinner we watched a movie and made it an early night. Tomorrow is an early day.

Monday, August 31

A nice cool day. Brenda and Margie finished the puzzle they were working on and then they weeded the garden. Dennis and I installed all the first floor window grates in preparation for the off season. We also replaced and glazed the glass that broke.

Dennis finally had success in logging on to his company website and he spent a few hours at work. I got a call from the Coast Guard in the morning saying they were coming out later in the day. They showed up about 1400 and spent some time replacing a pc board, however that did not fix the problem and they will have to come out again. It was neat watching the helicopter fly in and out.

We are slowly moving things down the hill in preparation for our departure. Ethan will take some of our stuff on Wednesday and arrangements have been made to leave Seguin on Saturday morning.

Sunday, August 30

Tropical Storm Danny has moved on. Today was partly cloudy and we walked the eastern beach trail. Waves were still high (eight to ten feet) from the storm and provided us with a nice backdrop. Dennis found some buoys along the way and even took a dip in a tide pool. We all enjoyed a nice walk at the water’s edge.

We had a few visitors during the day. These were sailors that were passing through. Margie and Brenda continued work on their jigsaw puzzle while Dennis and I tackled the toilets. We cleaned them out and bedded them again with the custom compost mix I made up. Next year’s caretakers should be all set.

We will be leaving Seguin within the week. We have enjoyed our time here. We have met super people, learned a lot, saw a different part of the country and shared our adventure with family and friends. We are, however, ready to return home. Back to our family and our jobs. Brenda and I will be looking at other opportunities in the future.

Saturday, August 29

Tropical Storm Danny has arrived. We spent the day inside watching movies. Danny hit us with 44 knot winds and seven tenths of an inch or rain. Waves were eight to ten feet. Brenda and Margie cooked brownies and we grilled the rest of the sirloin tips that our friends had left behind. Brenda and Margie also started another jigsaw puzzle. Meanwhile Dennis and I traced down a circuit and wired a receptacle for the small refrigerator in the guest quarters.

Throughout the day we were checking on the windows to see how much rain was coming in. One window pane on the northeast side blew out and I put a piece of plywood in to hold us over. The downspout on the same side blew off.

Like I said, we didn’t venture out today. It was just plain nasty, wet and cold. But it was also interesting to watch the waves and the storm as it made its’ way north and east. Tomorrow Danny will be gone and the sun will most likely shine.

Friday, August 28

Happy thirty-eighth anniversary Dennis and Margie! What a great place to celebrate your special day and we are glad they decided to share it with us on Seguin. Brenda and Margie put together a great breakfast of blueberry pancakes with hot blueberry syrup.

After breakfast Sam, Betty, Rick, Dennis and I walked the cove trail and around the east end of the island. There are many interesting rock formations here with some large veins of quartz. A lot of the rocks look like petrified wood. The others stayed around the lighthouse and gave numerous tours.

For lunch we decided to eat light and munch on whatever we had since we had an early dinner. Sam, Betty, Rick and Jennifer had to leave at 1800 to beat the rain that was forecast from Tropical Storm Danny. We cooked sirloin tips on the grill with baked potatoes, peas and pasta salad and ate outside on the picnic table. The day was cool and comfortable. Clouds started moving in later in the day.

We saw our friends off and then returned to the house to listen to the latest on “Danny”. It has been downgraded and the local concern is focused on rain amount rather than wind damage. Danny is scheduled to be here tomorrow.

We were concerned about Dennis’ eyesight after the farewell gift from Jennifer, but not to worry, it is improving.

Thursday, August 27

I was attacked last night! We changed bedrooms and moved into the one with the double bed. At night the cover and I had it out. It wouldn’t stay on! Two in the morning and I’m fighting with the damn cover. While discussing the bed allow me to explain. This is a double bed that is glued together, has duct tape holding things in place and is probably quite old. The bed has three mattresses on it making it about four feet high to climb into. I call it Mount Mattress. You need an oxygen mask to sleep in it! And if there was any hope of mounting something other than the mattress I would need a football helmet to protect my head. Because Mount Mattress is only about eight inches away from the rapidly sloping ceiling. Get the picture?

To make matters worse the bed is short. I am six feet two inches tall and the bed is five feet eight inches long. I have six inches of something that is going to hang over. Usually that is my feet; however Mount Mattress has a large wood frame at the bottom of the bed. Normally feet would go under the frame but because of the height of the mattresses my feet hit the frame.

Now a sane and reasonable person would just take one of the mattresses off. Brenda says “no”, so that’s that. Grin and bear it.

I put Dennis to work weed whacking the north trail and I cut the grass around the lighthouse. Brenda hosted quite a few visitors. Margie and Brenda cleaned the lighthouse and the museum. Connie from FOSI arrived with some friends. They walked some trails, had lunch and enjoyed the afternoon. Friends Sam and Betty West and Rick and Jennifer Johnson from Berlin, Md arrived a little later with enough food for three weeks. They came a day earlier than expected because of Tropical Storm Danny. Everyone was impressed with the island. The girls all worked together and we enjoyed a feast of lobsters and each other’s company. Everyone had a long day and we turned in around 2100.

Wednesday, August 26

A day ashore. Ethan picked us up extra early, 0615, today. There was some concern about the tide and wave conditions. That was OK since it gave us an early start and we were meeting our long time friends Dennis and Margie Phillips.

So, off to the post office and laundromat and then I get a call from Dennis. He was right across the street at the Holiday Inn. I told him to look out the window and look for me, and there I was, waving my hat. Brenda and I made a quick trip to Roger’s Hardware and met Dennis and Margie a short while later.

Then it was on to Bath and the FOSI office. We met with Connie and stopped to see our new friends Joan and Paul Fraser at the Bath Sweet Shoppe. These are the folks that treated us like long lost family and took care of Mister Wesley. They don’t get any better than Joan and Paul.

Normal routine followed. Burger King for lunch, check out Big Lots and then Walmart. We had everything done by 1430 and made our way back to Popham to meet the boat at 1600. The tide was still running strong and we had some seas and spray on our way out.

Once ashore we moved everything up to the house and settled in. It is really nice to have some company and good friends around. Dennis and Margie plan to stay until we leave and we will follow each other home.

Although today was hot the weather is supposed to change. A new tropical storm is working its way toward us. Danny is predicted to affect this area over the weekend. We have more friends from Ocean City coming this weekend and the storm will definitely play a part in their plans.

Tuesday, August 25

Hot and muggy again. A few visitors stopped by in the afternoon. The cove is clearing up but to land on the beach takes skill. It is full of rocks and you will get your feet wet. Brenda thoroughly cleaned both residences and I went to the cove to mow grass in the camping area. Then I cleaned up the dingy and the boathouse.

About 1330 Steve Pelletier, a Certified Wildlife Biologist and Principal Scientist at Stantec Consulting in Topsham, Maine, and a colleague, showed up to install boxes for a pilot avian/bat migration study. The information they hope to obtain is pertinent to wind energy concerns. It is a fully self-funded study by Stantec, with the study results to be completed in late fall/early winter and made available to the public. They installed two detectors on the south side of the lighthouse upper walkway at the base of the ladder leading to the catwalk. These detectors listen for and keep a record of the high frequency noise that bats emit. There is some correlation to bats, wind patterns, etc that should prove helpful in the future.

Later in the evening I noticed a group of young adults walking around. They were from the schooner Virginia. The Virginia is a near replica of the 1915 pilot schooner Virginia. She is 122 feet long and 160 tons and is owned by the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation. She is actively involved in youth sailing and educational programs. Many of the young adults on board were from Virginia and they were on a one week sail that originated in Portland.

I gave them a tour of the lighthouse and they were very appreciative. They were also treated to a great sunset. The schooner spent the night off the northern tip of the island.

Monday, August 24

Hot and sticky today. I went to the cove to check things out. It is a mess. There is still a large area of flotsam and we no longer have a sandy beach. The waves have washed out tons of sand and exposed tons of rocks. It would be senseless to try and clear thing up at this point in time. I guess that some sand will be washed back in over the winter months and things will change many times. Next spring will be the time to do it all over again.

Nature has a way of balancing things out and our efforts are only temporary. We have to learn to live in harmony and acceptance.

Brenda spent most of the day in the bathroom again. Now that’s not as bad as it sounds. The walls needed a final coat of paint and she had to clean things up. Finally at 1700 I had to pry the paintbrush out of her cold, dead hands. Well, not really. The hands weren’t dead thank God. But as soon as I had the opportunity I put all the paint stuff, cans, brushes, rollers, pans, etc in the wheelbarrow and scooted off to the shop. Hopefully never to be seen again.

I cut grass around the lighthouse and the mosquitoes and flies are really bad. It seems like they know they only get ten days of hot and humid weather and they are using every minute. It is supposed to cool off by Thursday and I hope they will go away.

I ran into Lawrence today. He was sitting on the bench while I was cutting grass. I thanked him for playing along with me while Wesley was here and he said it was his pleasure. Lawrence was happy and said he was really enjoying things now. He asked me if we would be leaving soon like the others do. I told him yes, that we will be leaving the island around Labor Day. Lawrence said he would be sad to see us go but maybe he could make friends and talk with the new caretakers that show up next year. He said there are many more stories of things that happened on the island and he would like to share them with someone. I encouraged him to make friends and I challenge future caretakers to continue the story of Larry the Lighthouse Mouse. (Larry is residing in the middle drawer of the green table in the living room)

A rain squaw came through at 1900 and left a half inch of rain. Then the sun came out just in time to provide a glorious sunset and a rainbow that ended on Damariscove. I wonder if there is a pot of gold over there. A mist formed over the mainland that looked like mountains.

Sunday, August 23

“Bill” is passing by today, but well out to sea. The only effects we have are the waves. The day is hot and humid and mostly sunny. Brenda and I took a walk from Cove to Cobblestone along the rocks. Waves were fifteen feet or so and it was impressive. I took a lot of pictures but I can not recreate the experience. Like I mentioned yesterday, this is a sensual experience.

The cove is a mess. A large area of flotsam has been created consisting of tree limbs, logs, Styrofoam, plastic containers, pallets and all kinds of stuff that floats. This has washed in during the high surf and I hope most of it washes out. Otherwise you know what I’ll be doing for the next few days.

Brenda put a coat of paint on the ceiling and also painted the woodwork. Like everything else she has done, it looks great.

After dinner we watched the guy try to win a million dollars on “Millionaire”. I believe we have been winners this summer as well. How many people get the opportunity to do what we have done? Worth a million bucks?

You bet!

Saturday, August 22

Hurricane Bill is staying well offshore. We may get some wind and the waves are definitely on the rise. We’ll check that out later. Most of the day we were shrouded in fog. It was humid and muggy.

Brenda got back to work on the bathroom ceiling. She finished caulking and put the second coat of spackle on. After it dried she sanded and painted a prime coat. Tomorrow she will put the finish coat on and this project should be done.

Wonder what she will find next?

Me, you ask about ME? Well I headed to the cove to cut the grass again. It never stopped growing this year. While down there I cleaned the bathroom and put everything moveable away in preparation for Bill. I walked out to the beach and the waves were building but not spectacular…yet.

Later in the day Brenda and I walked to the south end of the island. Although the fog was thick at times there was no doubt that things were happening far below. All of your senses are awakened by the sea. You could smell and taste the salt air. We could see the fog, the spray and the white foam. At times we could feel the reverberation of the waves hitting the rock, but the massive assault was to your ears. Continual roar, crashing of water on the rocks and what frequently sounded like gun shots as the waves rolled in.

Amazing.

During our walk one of Seguin's finest decided to christen me, right on my head! As usual I was wearing a hat, but this one was just a visor, you know, the kind with no middle. Well, the seagull just used it as a target. Brenda said I should be thankful that it is a sign of good luck. Don't know about that. It just felt like a pile of crap to me!

Damn flying rats.

Tomorrow should be better as Bill moves closer. I estimate the waves today at ten feet. Doesn’t sound like much, but seeing is believing. I saw only a few boats today and that was early in the morning. These were lobster boats working their traps before the waves got really bad. No pleasure boats in sight. As darkness fell we could hear the waves build. It elicits thoughts of days gone by, of storms and wrecks and rescues. Of men in the water screaming for help and swimming for their lives as their vessel is smashed against the rocks. I have often thought of what it must have been like but I never considered the sound. Awesome. Powerful. Deadly.

Friday, August 21

We had a big breakfast this morning of French toast, scrambled eggs and all the fixins. This is Scott’s favorite breakfast, affectionately known as the Christmas breakfast. Then the crew began packing up for the trip home. By ten o’clock we had everything loaded on the tram and they were resting up for the ride home. Mister Wesley and I spent some alone time on the bench overlooking the ocean with Gwenivere lying underneath eating some grass.

It was foggy this morning. Air temp was high and water temp in the upper sixties making for a good fog bank. Ethan called around 1030 and asked if they were ready to go. After running the stuff down the tram it was into the dingy to transport everything out. The tide was high and this was the safest way to get the transfer done. Everything and everyone made the transfer just fine and they headed out the cove in the fog.

Needless to say we were sorry to see them go. But, we will be home soon. I believe everyone had a good time and enjoyed the island. They had hot weather, a clear day and experienced some fog. They plan to drive all the way back to the eastern shore today.

Meanwhile Brenda and I started securing things for the upcoming storm. Prediction for tonight is for thunder storms and rain. This is associated with a front coming through, not hurricane Bill. We should start feeling the effects of Bill tomorrow through Monday and that forecast has it tracking east of our location, but we will have high surf, waves and wind. I’ve got the camera ready.

It is now 2030 and there have been tornado warnings for many areas around us. Reports of lines down, roofs blown off and high winds abound. I am looking out the window now and see lightning and the wind is gusting to over thirty knots.

Cool!

We heard from Scott. They stopped in Portland for lunch and to wait a little while for traffic to clear in New York. They did not want to go through there at rush hour. Tomorrow should be a fun day.

Oh wow...I almost forgot. WESLEY FOUND LAWRENCE!
Lawrence was sitting on a windowsill right in plain sight. He didn't say anything to Wesley but he did keep his word and allowed himself to be found. Wesley was ecstatic!

Thursday, August 20

Everyone had a great day today. The weather was beautiful. Humidity was low and temperature around seventy five degrees. There was not much wind and all of us spent the day outside. Scott took the kayak out for a spin around the island. Brenda and I gave some tours. Brenda, Bernie and Mike played cards and Angela read a book. Angela got too much sun yesterday and was paying for it today. Gwenivere was the favorite of all the guests and got lots of attention.

After lunch Angela, Scott, Wesley, Gwenivere and I went to the beach and played around a while. Gwen found a stick and was very content. Wesley was talking to the other kids on the beach while Scott was climbing rocks and Angela went beachcombing.

Meanwhile Brenda and Bernie were preparing dinner. Spaghetti, garlic bread and salad were on the menu and we all enjoyed it. Wesley wanted to see “Bolt” again so I sat with him in the living room. He will be gone tomorrow and I really enjoy being with this little guy.

I am closely monitoring Hurricane “Bill”. Tonight it is near Bermuda and is forecast to be here Saturday as a category three. All of our company will be leaving tomorrow around noon. Ocean swells will be building and conditions will worsen toward evening. Don’t know how close “Bill” will come to Seguin but it will be an interesting weekend. I’m looking forward to some high wind and waves. Watching a major storm from this vantage point should be awesome.

Wednesday, August 19

It was great to hear some new voices from inside the house this morning. Mike and Angela were up early for their coffee. Gwenivere was waking up and Wesley was getting dressed. After a big pancake breakfast everyone but Brenda and Bernie took off on the north trail. The two “B’s” stayed behind to man the store and host any visitors. Meanwhile we trekked up the trail and all was good for a while. About half way through I had to coerce them to keep going. The trail is closing in again and we had to work through some higher grass. There was also a concern over poison ivy. We eventually made it to the north end and turned around for the hike back. It was hot on the trail and we were glad to get back and hose off.

In the afternoon Scott, Angela, Wesley, Gwenivere and I walked to the cove and played around in the water. This was Gweniveres’ first introduction to salt water and swimming. She did fine. Wesley and his dad rowed around in the boat for a while and Angela looked for treasures on the beach. The water is warming up and felt pretty good.

I broke out the electric George Foreman grill and cooked burgers for dinner. Not bad. Wesley finally ate some broccoli and mac and cheese. After dinner they played around outside. Wesley and Gwenivere ran around again and we are all worn out. This will be another early evening.