Hooray! The sun is shining. There is a light fog in the dunes but there is promise of sun all day.
I finally am able to get out and take my early morning walk. I really did not see much to take photos of so I had to kick into creative gear and find something. How many pictures of Big Sable do I need?
It is Joan and Bruce’s day off. They have lots of plans to visit other people in Ludington that they have been keepers with, shopping, and prowling around in some antique shops. Elaine has returned from her usual morning walk and is watering the plants. I decided I had carried in enough sand to the lighthouse that maybe I should sweep. Jack is blowing the sand off the boardwalk; we need to look spiffy for when the visitors arrive.
Jamie had left some pottery for us to put price tags on, so we were doing that when a steady stream of visitors arrived. Then the phone lines went out. We did not have Internet connection to run the credit cards, so we had to do them by hand and then enter the items purchased when the phone lines came back. This was about 3:30 today.
We did get one new member today; I think they will be keepers for next year. They came to visit us yesterday and return this morning to make some purchases. They rode their bikes out so we told them we would drop off their items to their campsite. They said they would like to be keepers in the fall. Wish I were not so busy at that time of year or I would love to be keepers with them, who knows what will happen.
Our Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Assoc. now had its own radio station. So when you arrive in the city of Ludington if you tune to 1610 AM you will hear about our lights and what is going on. You will also here some city events also. Our radio has a 9-mile range. The radio people were at the lighthouse doing some interviews, so who knows maybe you will hear me on the radio.
When I delivered the packages to our guest, I ran into town to do some quick grocery shopping. Jim and Sharon cooked tonight and needed some sour cream. I cook tomorrow night and needed some stuff for dinner. Jamie our gift shop coordinator stayed for dinner. She is very quiet but is getting to know the keepers and is opening up more.
After dinner I was going to take a walk. Jim and Sharon walked to the north. I knew I should have gone with them. Jim got another shot with his camera of the sun hitting the glass in the tower just right to make it look like the top of the tower was on fire. He got one on the Sun. night they arrived. Jack and I went out 3 nights following to try and get the same photo and missed the shot each night. So we were really bummed when he arrived back at the lighthouse with yet another. I was busy talking to Robert our Restoration/Maintenance Coordinator. Robert has been with the organization since it was formed in 1986. He has a wealth of knowledge regarding lighthouses. We are truly blessed to have his expertise on our organization.
When visitors come to the lighthouse and they are hot and tired from the walk and they ask “whose cars are those?” we tell them they are ours when we are keepers at the lighthouse. Jack likes to tell them we live in a gated community. We have to lock and unlock the green gate to the access road every time we come and go at the lighthouse. By the end of 2 weeks it gets to be really tiring. We are discouraged from driving on the access road during the times the lighthouse is open to guest. Some times there are so many people walking on the road that it takes you 30 minutes to just to get to the green gate, which is a mile from the lighthouse.
My time at the lighthouse is coming to an end soon. It will be back to reality. I have read 3 books, finishing my “Murder at the Lighthouse” this morning. I am going to skip my history lesson tonight. I think over the years I have shared the entire Thomas Tag history of Big Sable with you.
As Always, Ceil