The Lightkeeper's Blog

Fall is all about contrasts

It can be super quiet. 

And the wind can pull your hair out.

There have been days of a single sailboat reflecting on a mirror flat harbor.

Or a big moon or big waves might bring out 100 cameras and guests from everywhere.

There have been hard rains that have limned the windows so you can hardly see through them.

October becoming November.

The boardwalk came in for the winter the Saturday before. As always hauling it out was a chance to meet and chat with regulars and dog walkers and new neighbors and out of towners. The wind was on my side and my old wheeler held out. After pumping up the tires I was rolling up the rug. The pieces are numbered and stacked for the duration and return to place in April. There are 10 to 12 pieces in need of repair and I will have the materials on hand when spring comes around.

While picking up the sections I found a prize. This is a drawing from one of the field trips that visit here at the end of each school year. Thanks Charlie.

Cutting back the gardens has been delayed by a battery of responsibilities. This past Sunday I finally got after it. There are just short of 50,000 daisies out here on the Point and it was satisfying to make a start.

Warren Cowing addressed a long standing issue with a breezy back door. New weather stripping has now made it possible to wash the dishes without fear of pneumonia. I also took care of a window in the tower that was bleeding through and allowing a good deal of water to drip to the stairs below. The ladder level and the steps below will be much dryer going forward.

As predicted previously, more and more of Lawson Tower has been revealed as the trees lose their leaves. The Minot camera is currently fixed in place rather than panning from the Light to the beach. The camera that had been panning the harbor is now fixed on the stretch of the North jetty that is falling apart. Some weeks ago we had a man down out there which led to a huge town response. At one point a blow up cast was seen making its way out to where the man was down. In the end he was able to limp back in with help. It is a dangerous spot and I will be watching it as the winter returns to batter Scituate Harbor.

A recent visit from a town official to service one of their cameras caused emails and phone calls here later that night. There are two light switches at the base of the Tower. One controls the lights in the Tower; the other is a kill switch for the lantern room. When our official was leaving both were turned off. At 8:30 that night the emails and calls began telling me that the Light was out. It was a quick fix as I guessed what had happened. It had happened before after some field trips here. The official has been put on notice.

A day at the Glades was a chance to share another light and its stories. Set up by the Scituate Senior Center, nearly 40 people visited Strawberry Point last Saturday. Bob Thorndike held court and wowed his guests for more than two hours. I was very grateful to have been included.

The first image you see below prompted a memory of some research. When getting ready to do my small part with the Senior Center group, I found an article from Boston Globe. In 1954 a journalist named Willard Du Luc walked all around Scituate and wrote about it each village. When he described being able to see Scituate Light from the Glades I was skeptical. Until I was driving out and saw it myself. Through the houses from 4 plus miles away was our old place. I told Haley that the freighter was carrying all of her Christmas gifts.