Day 20, 6 June

Canadian Geese with 3 goslings, note 1 in pool, 2 between parents

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We had our sunny morning back which was nice to see again. Another more relaxing day doing little chores around the house and museum and gift shop. I fixed a pair of pockets on a pair of shorts and opened up some on another pair that were sewn shut. I went down to the cove to use the outhouse and I poked around our tiny beach finding just one shard of green beach glass. Back to the house where on the CG radio we heard a boat that radioed he was off the north end of Seguin and his dinghy had floated off and assisted help from anyone to help him get it. Never heard what happened later. We had a lunch of pepperoni pizza, grapefruit and chocolate-choco chip cookies that I had just made. After lunch we poked around the Whistle house, Fred gathering a few more signs to put up and me locating some paints to redo some signs. The weather started to change with clouds coming in and rain seen off in the distance – ooooh maybe some thunderstorms as predicted? Fred went off ahead on the South trail to put in signs while I cleaned up dishes and picked up. I later joined him at the end of South trail and we saw a goose family with 3 goslings off on the rock cliffs near some rain pools. The parents were guarding their chicks and it was so cute to see some of the chicks swimming around their tiny pools in the cliffs. Seagulls were right there walking about – seemingly not bothering the goslings. We sat and enjoyed the waves crashing on the rocks and finally left to go back. I went down to the cove just to see what was going on down there. There were groups of ducks and water birds some with chicks that were swimming around. I went over to the boathouse dock to sit and relax and watch the birds. Fred came down to join me and we relaxed a bit. It was around 6 pm and we opted to return to the house instead of another hike since it was cooling off a bit. The sun returned with partly cloudy skies and I decided to do what I had longed for since I got here – play my violin in the tower! So I lugged my music stand, violin and music up the

Cynthia playing her violin in the tower, just below the Fresnel lens

38 steps in the tower to the base of the great lens and lantern room. I set up the stand and music in front of the 8 final steps up to the lantern room and sat on the 2^nd step from the bottom to play. I had just enough room to bow with out hitting the wall. I could look straight up and see my pretty lens and into the lantern room. I tuned my little Stradivarius – the D and G strings being the only strings out of tune. Oh my, already the echoing sounds of the tuning notes were awesome in the great tower. The sound reverberated up and down from the lantern room above me all the way down to the bottom step. So I started off with Ashoken Farewell – the haunting Civil War theme to work my cold fingers. I hadn’t really played much in over a month and my delicate fingers really felt it in the cool air. It was quite cold on my tush as I was

Lighthouse with ominous clouds in background, the kitchen small adjoining stucture to the right of the tower

sitting on the wrought iron step and put two micro fiber cloths down to pad it. I’ll have to get a little cushion. I played for about 2 hours a number of my favorite pieces getting my hands back in condition even though they were starting to ache and the tips sometimes having a nerve hit. I need to get my callouses back. Anyway, it was glorious to play in my private concert hall. Fred came up for a listen and a peek and he said it sounded wonderful, he had a big smile on his face. I looked up at the great lens and she seemed to be content and happy with my first concert, I didn’t harm her prisms with my very high notes. I told her that I would get better with more practicing and better hands in the future, she seemed to understand. So I packed away the music and violin and came back to the house to watch the special show on Normandy that Brian Williams was hosting. I fixed myself a cosmo and put my aching fingertips in it for 30 seconds to cool the stinging, which helped a bit. Then some more knitting to relax – yes it is very relaxing for me (usually) and made a salad and cheese stuffed Hawaiian chicken for a late dinner.