Day 63, 19 July

17 visitors

Flower down near the Cove

A beautiful morning beamed to start the day for our honored guest. I put the flag up and made a cup of Chai tea with milk and a shot of Bailey’s – yum! We sat on the porch with Bertha and had a nice chat with her. I worked on the blogs that were 3 days late and I enjoyed wearing my new bamboo dress, which was so comfortable. We had a few visitors trickle in from their boats and we gave them tours, which they enjoyed immensely. I was able to eat my yummy chocolate biscotti’s that Anne left with my tea and had a few Pepperidge farm cookies and a banana for breakfast. I grabbed a quick shower as more visitors arrived. Fred gave them a tour. I started to tackle the big job of inventorying and resupplying the gift store. Throughout the day I got all the items labeled with prices if they didn’t have them especially the magnets and T-shirts. We have a good supply of most things now, though many visitors show up and tell us they didn’t know there was a gift store here and have no money or credit cards. There is a small sign at the cove on the boathouse dock railing but they don’t seem to see it. We need to put up something bigger that is seen from the boats as they are moored in the cove. So in between the gift shop and giving an occasional tour the day whiled away. I had a number of fun chats with Bertha and she kept me going with all the work in the gift shop. We had a family show up with a golden-doodle and she was as cute as all the other ones that I have been seeing. Her name was Allie. Later we had 4 gentlemen show up with a gorgeous German shepherd named Aspen. She was stunning with her jet black back going into the rusty fur. Her face was stunning as well, black with the rust accents and friendly, mischievous cinnamon eyes that silently asked for hugs and kisses which we were happy to give her. She was fine with Sac who was sleeping outside. Her owners kept Aspen on a leash so she didn’t bother Sac.  Fred found time to mow the upper areas in between guests and tours.

Pretty Evening Shot of the Lighthouse

Later after I was done with the gift shop Fred and I went down to the cove to take our little dingy row around the cove for relaxation and sightseeing. We walked down the tram and near the end a yellow jacket bee bit me again – this time on my right wrist. I felt the sting and saw it as I brushed it away and hurried down the tram. Yesterday as I went down the tram to retrieve my sunglasses that I left at the cove, I got bit painfully on my right heel. It felt like someone stabbed my foot with a hot knife. The bee was under the strap of my sandal and it hurt like hell. OK – I will NOT be hiking on the tram for a while with those nasty little stingers around. This time Fred was in front of me but it went after me.

Prior to the bee incident as we were coming down the tram we saw a big bald eagle flying below us and several irate seagulls were chasing it. This is the 2^nd eagle I have seen here and he was a big one! So it was worth it to see him. We pulled the dinghy out to the water, which was fairly high tide and jumped in for a row. We went along the shoreline looking at the birds and their young. A gorgeous new powerboat was moored in the cove, which the 4 gentlemen and Aspen had arrived on. We rowed near them and they were enjoying the evening on the back of the sleek machine and invited us in for a drink! How nice is that?! So we climbed aboard, getting kisses from Aspen and we had a very nice relaxing happy hour with our new found friends. It was nice to just sit and relax and chat away. It was fun to be on the boat and see the perspective from the boat of the cove and island.

I did notice that you really couldn’t see our little sign about the gift shop till you were closer in and then it would be too late for people to go back to get their money. Yes we will have to do something about that. While visiting with our friends and Aspen, a pretty little sailboat pulled in and moored. It looked real familiar and they had a pretty shepherd also on board. Turns out it was a couple that we recognized from a visit before and they recognized us and we waved and yelled back and forth – how funny! So after about an hour visit we decided we should get back to the house to check on Sac and make dinner. We said our goodbyes and clambered back into the dinghy for our short ride back to the beach. We passed the other boat to say hi and bye and Aspen and her owner were visiting in their dinghy. We said our adieu’s and got back safe and sound. We secured the dinghy and went back to the house via the trail to greet Bertha who was enjoying the cloudy sunset and evening.

I got Sac her dinner quickly and started ours – orange pork chops with grilled onions, lemon, orange juice and spices. I cooked some potatoes in the delicious sauce and let them simmer on the stovetop. I found the recipe in one of the cookbooks in the kitchen.

So while the chops were simmering we entertained Bertha with pictures of other lighthouses that we have been to around the country and South Africa. I did a show and tell of the mermaid dress I knitted here as well as some of my knitted sweaters that I brought from home. She was interested in my paintings so we showed her my website of animal portraits on www.cmpanimalart.com   I’d love to paint Aspen’s gorgeous face. We also threw in a video and website of our Katie singing her famous Queen of the Night aria in one of her latest performances in France – this time she was portrayed as a sad old lady in a wheel chair. Try belting that very difficult aria sitting in a wheel chair as you manipulate it on a slanted stage! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IrekvRE7Vs

We had a great time with Bertha – as not only did we entertain her but she entertained us with her wonderful stories and chitchat.

After she retired to her side, we got to eat my yummy orange pork chops with potatoes and a salad, again made from my garden lettuces. With our full tummies we didn’t last long and were tired and went to bed. Sac again had a bit of trouble getting to sleep so I laid on the floor with her stroking her gently to relax her till she drifted off to sleep on her doggie bed.

I finally washed up and crawled into bed about 2:30 am with dreams of orange pork chops still lingering on my taste buds.