Yesterday we had visitors for lunch. GLLKA offers lunch on the Island four time this summer. The second set of luncheners came to dine with us and spend the day. They leave Mackinaw City in the morning. Yesterday we had threatening weather and they were not able to leave until about 10. This is Cake and Ice Cream our transport ship from the city.
They are ferried to our dock from the moored Cake and Ice Cream in a Zodiac. Here is the first of the group arriving after Mark and Pan moored Cake and Ice Cream.
Our visitors are greeted by period dressed hostesses and offered our world famous welcome mints. The mints are round and have a lighthouse pressed into the top of them. Here is Susie with our specially crafted welcome mint plate with a few mints still on it.
Vistors have several options while they are on the Island. A walk around the Island to the village. St. Helena Island was the center of commerce in the Straits in the late 1800's and early 1900's and at one time there was a village of upwards of 200 residence living in houses around the harbor on the north side of the Island. While what was left burned to the foundations in the 1950's it is a favorite walk of our visitors. We also have the Beach Trail that has been extended this summer down the south side of the Island. This group of visitors included a water color painter that spend most of the day painting different angles of the lighthouse. Then there is always the lunch.
Yesterday's group had a birthday girl. She had been given the luncheon trip as a gift for her birthday. We always serve carrot cake to cap off our made on the Island lunch. Here Lori and Susie were lighting candles or at least trying. They had a little more success then we had last time we tried. We always seem to have a slight wind here on the Island. I guess it is the Island Breeze.
Other folks choose to climb the tower and poke around the house. We have a pump organ that mostly works. Several of the ladies tried their hand and feet on a few musical notes.
This is one of our guests, a bi-lingual school teacher from Chicago using what is fast becoming the Stairmaster replacement. There are not a lot of places on the Island to do power walks. You are always watching your feet as this is a glacier island and we have lots of rocks. Maybe playing the organ for half an hour a day could replace the power walk. That is if you can survive that long.
We make a keeper exchange this morning. We will be saying good bye to Hogan, Mark, Michele and Lori. They have been great keepers and we are more organized, have a new bench and new shelves not to mention the everyday things they have been doing for us. We will see Lori and Michele back in about three days for the teachers' workshop.
Your keepers on St. Helena Light Station.
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