Day 50, 6 July

35 visitors

This morning was much brighter than the past couple and I got up to feed little Arthur and see how he was doing. He was sitting in his bin alert and bright eyed. I wrapped him in a cloth so he wouldn’t squirm and fed him as the day before. He was quite feisty and even pecked at the button on my nightshirt. He seemed quite independent of me and didn’t seem to be bonding like we read about online. It said they will bond to you and become dependent the more contact you have. We didn’t want that to happen. I raised the flag and checked on sleeping Sacatar and tried to get more sleep but couldn’t. Took a shower and decided to feed Arthur once more. We decided to place him back at his nest site in the bin to see if his mother would return and see how he would do. Fred placed him there and was returning as I was approaching. I wanted to say goodbye to him. As I approached the bin he saw me and was trying to get out of the bin. I knew right then that I had to let him go. He was so feisty and wanted his freedom so I decided to give it to him. I patted him and said goodbye and let him in the brush near his nest. It was up to him, a kinder mother nature and hopefully a returning parent to help him survive. Somehow I knew it was the right thing to do, to return him and let him play the major role in his survival. I had called a number of places and finally left a message at an Avian Haven about him. From the gist of the other calls I got the impression that seagulls were considered as pests and most people wished there weren’t so many. So I decided the best was to return him as soon as possible and let him decide his fate rather than questionable humans.

Ethan's large boat the Leeward, CAPTethan@fishntripsmaine.com

I prepared a breakfast of yogurt, strawberries and granola and some milk. Before I could sit down to eat the visitors from the cove started showing up and I started giving tours leaving breakfast on the table. Fred was at the cove getting pictures of Ethan’s big boat as it came into the cove and he finally returned to help out with visitors. I was able to eat my breakfast while in the gift shop with visitors. Eventually they all left and the afternoon quieted a bit. I went down the South trail to check on Arthur and there was no sign of him or an adult seagull. Back to the house I went for blog writing and a bit of weeding. Got a radio call from Fred inviting me down to the cove and boat dock where it was calmer and nicer. After finishing the blog I wandered down there and took a detour to check on Arthur’s spot and there was no sign of him. I went to the cove with a book and found it to be quite pleasant though not much sunlight till it passed over the island to get shade. Two visitors showed up and Fred escorted them to the lighthouse and gave them a tour. So I curled up in the Adirondack chair to read my book. The book was one I found in the house – A Good Horse Has No Color by Nancy Marie Brown. It’s about her travels to Iceland and acquiring some Icelandic horses to bring back to her home in Pennsylvania. I found it to be quite interesting since that is where Fred and I spent part of our honeymoon 32 years ago. It is a stark, severe, isolated and stunningly beautiful landscape – the lonely and harsh kind of place I like.  Makes me want to return there, just reading the book.  Two more late visitors showed up and Fred gave them a tour as well.  He came back and joined me after that.  The sun went away and coolness set in so we returned to the house. I had a message from Avian Haven telling me that they could take in Arthur and a big message on what to do and not to do to do to care for him. Should have called back a lot sooner lady! I still felt we did the right thing. We couldn’t get off the island till at least Wednesday and he wanted out now!

Fred arranged these bricks from the cove into a heart

I got Sac’s dinner ready and helped her walk around to do her business. After feeding her and getting her situated in the living room I decided to give myself ballet class. It had been too long again and I wanted to get it in before my brother and sister-in-law showed up the next day. So around 8 pm I got to do my class – the muscles feeling a bit tired and feet more tired from standing and walking around all day. Fred was doing various chores including applying more joint compound in the guest quarters and I asked him to check on the Arthur spot once more before darkness.  He did and did not see him but noticed a seagull soaring about above. I wondered how Arthur was and if he was all right – did we do the right thing?

I completed my ballet class with a nice workout in my pointe shoes in the dining room after moving all the rugs. I felt really good that I worked out and had a good workout. Maybe I was getting more used to the slippery floor – still not doing anything too fancy, lest I slip and really hurt myself. Made a salad for dinner and relaxed with some knitting and the news. Fred cooked up some hamburgers quite late but they tasted good and we were still hungry after the salads. Off to sleep with worries on the fate of our baby seagull in the windy night.