Wednesday, June 17

Nice warm day and time for cutting and weed whacking.

Both Brenda and I worked on the main trail from the cove to the lighthouse. We were expecting a large group of senior citizens to tour the lighthouse and see the sunset so we wanted things to look good and be safe. While I finished the trail Brenda got the push mower out of the engine house and cut the camping and engine house grass.

Brenda returned to the lighthouse while I went down to the beach and cleaned things up. Brenda sent lunch down to me via the tram and I enjoyed the chair on the dock for a while. The waves were rolling in at about two feet. I saw them crashing on Ellingwood Rock and the spay shooting up about six feet. Looking up in the sky were no less than six contrails and in the water were a couple of families of scoter ducks. These are diving ducks that feed on small shellfish, marine plants and insects. I watched the adults and their young dive down for about thirty seconds and then pop up again.

At 1800 the group of senior students arrived in the cove. The tide was coming in but the crew from Captain Tom Ring’s “American Seal” got them all ashore in good fashion. Some wet shoes and pants but not too bad. After a short talk in front of the engine house we made our way up the trail to the lighthouse. There were twenty-seven students in this group. The second half of the class is due to come tomorrow. We talked some more about the light, the island and life.

Then it was up the tower. The learning was mutual. I learned a lot from these folks about Maine, lighthouses, the Senior College and all things nautical and interesting. I shared some things with them that they did not know about the lighthouse and Seguin. A great exchange of information. Most of them visited the museum and gift shop and a generous donation was collected.

Getting them back out to the boat was a challenge. The tide was rising and the swell in the cove substantial. Initially we tried using the ways, but that didn’t work out. So, it was back to a beach landing. Again, there were some wet feet and legs, but all got aboard safely and I watched the boat leave to continue its journey up the Kennebec.