Month: August 2023

Rick and I so enjoyed celebrating Seguin with a full house at Bath Golf Club this past Saturday. As requested, I am posting a recording of the song I wrote while out on the Cove Trail one morning. Lyrics follow. For everyone at the celebration – thank you for singing along with the refrain! Your voices joined us together in sweet island wave-lengths. Rick and I have now concluded our role as keepers but will long carry the influence of the island and the many special people drawn to and inspired there. Cheers to Friends of Seguin Island Light Station’s many past and present volunteers, board members, keepers, supporters, and sojourners who continue to shine and share the light.

Ever so gratefully,

Lee

Seguin Chanty / Ode to Seguin

We came to the island a summer to share;
we’d make memories there, and live by the sea.
There’d be people to meet and landscape to keep
and a light shining through history.

Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…
Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…

Hats off to the Coast Guard, the keepers who worked hard,
the families whose legacies live to this day.
Amid rocks and currents and foggy deterrents
the mariners finding their way.

Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…
Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…

“Place where the sea vomits”, the Wabanaki call it
Sutquin, where the Kennebec pours toward the bay.
Another word, Sigan, means hump / high round island,
looks like a big turtle shell from far away.

Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…
Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…

Birds in the morning delight with their singing, 
the goldfinches bringing a bright yellow mood.
Eiders and cormorants, ospreys and eagles
the swallows and seagulls enjoying their food.

Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…
Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…

(Bridge)
“I love this place,” is often heard. 
The cove, the trails, the tower…
The stories told, and new ones birthed,
the tides refreshing power…

Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…
Oh Seguin. Oh Seguin! An island, a beacon, a friend…

We came to the island a summer to share;
we’d make memories there, and live by the sea.
There’d be people to meet and landscape to keep
and a light shining through history.

(Alter or add verses according to one’s own connections to this special place.)

During the foggy weeks of June and July, Lee and I spent a lot of time in the Seguin museum, trying to absorb as much of the island’s “story” as possible. One of the displays that particularly grabbed my attention was a whimsical poem called Brasswork, or the Lighthouse Keeper’s Lament written in the late 1920’s by Fred Morong, Jr., a Machinist with the U.S. Lighthouse Service who frequented Seguin. A gem of lighthearted verse, Brasswork pokes fun at what was then the “bane of a Lightkeeper’s life”—the futile task of constantly polishing and re-polishing metal objects to a bright, shiny finish. Apparently this included dustpans, water pumps, doorknobs and even the buttons on one’s coat!

Fortunately for us, “brasswork” has dropped off the to-do list of present-day Seguin keepers, along with other antiquated tasks like hauling whale oil up the spiral staircase, wiping soot from the Fresnel lens, and tending to the oxen. There is, however, one job that continues to weigh heavily on the soul of today’s Seguin keeper, and that’s the subject of a poem I worked on over the summer and shared at the “Celebrate Seguin” fundraiser last weekend. With a tip of the hat to Fred Morong Jr’s original, Brasswork, I humbly present…

GRASSWORK
or the Seguin Lighthouse Keeper’s Lament

Oh what is the bane of a Seguin Lightkeeper’s life?
That causes him worry, struggle and strife?
That makes him use cuss words and sob to his wife?
It’s Grasswork.

What drains you of energy and makes your back ache?
Takes all of your time without ever a break?
Creeps into your mind whether you’re asleep or awake?
It’s Grasswork.

From the North end near where the sailboats do moor
To the trail that leads down to the rocky South shore
Let’s face it—this place is just one giant chore
Of Grasswork.

Mow ’round the Lightkeeper’s residence
Mow down to the Boathouse, mow under the Bents
And where would the campers pitch their nice tents
Without Grasswork?

From the Coast Guard “H” where they land their heli
To the solar array where you crawl on your belly
Weeding and whacking till your arms feel like jelly—
That’s Grasswork.

Out in the yard hour after hour
Mowing so hard, frankly, you’ll need a shower
Just then someone asks for a tour of the Tower—
That’s Grasswork.

And even when the fog is thicker than soup
Up from the Cove tromps a sightseeing group
Along with a dog that is happy to poop
On my Grasswork!

And the one day a week they allow you to go
Off-island for groceries and a good cuppa Joe
You pass Cyndy’s house and the yard needs a mow—
More Grasswork!

You get back to Seguin late that same day
And the grass has grown tenfold since you’ve been away!
You wanna jump in that dinghy and row to Boothbay…
Oh the Grasswork!

What freak of Nature or cruel magic trick
Could make vegetation grow back so quick?
I wish that my own head of hair was as thick
As this Grasswork.

As I lower the flag it’s increasingly clear
I won’t finish mowing, not anytime this year
And I seriously question my choice of a career
In Grasswork.

Now it’s too late to mow, the sun has bowed out
The Tower light’s on and the stars start to sprout
I lay my head down and begin dreaming about…
The Grasswork.

I’m bug-bitten, thorn-scratched, sunburnt and sore
I’ve got Poison Ivy and I’m spent to the core
I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a job more
Than this Grasswork.

-Rick H

In early August we started hearing about whale sightings again. Virginia – a frequent visitor to Seguin – offers this glimpse of a pair of humpbacks from just east of the island.  Photo credit @virginiasambuco.

Having a little extra time with guests who stay overnight has been special for us keepers. The “suite” above the Seguin Island museum sleeps up to five people. It’s two cozy bedrooms complete with bath, plus microwave, coffee maker, and small fridge. Most recently the Dominguez / Mono family completely filled the place with laughter. Their delicious-smelling barbecue dinner was followed by a stormy night and then a beautiful calm sunrise. Family chuckles and joyous energy persisted throughout. “We spent the once-in-a-lifetime night on this beautiful island with the loveliest hospitality…Beautiful memories where made here,” they wrote. Thank you Maria, Raul, Leo, Suzanne and Frank!

The campground located on the Cove Trail offers a great option for tenters as well. If interested in spending the night on land, you can get all the information you need and begin the reservation process here: https://seguinisland.org/the-island/spend-the-night/

Friends of Seguin’s “Wednesday Warrior” volunteers have been improving the condition of buildings near the cove all summer. The welcome kiosk and the restroom both have new roofs. The Donkey Engine House is being newly sided with cedar shakes. By the end of the day this group always seems happy, tired, and satisfied. We so appreciate their labors, camaraderie, and good stewardship. Thanks for shaking things up!

Having seen it previously from a distance by tour boat, Melissa and her daughter got an up close and personal experience on Seguin July 29. Melissa has a Christmas ornament from most of the lighthouses she’s visited, and her lighthouse passport reflects her passion. In case others may be interested, here is a link to the list of lighthouses participating in the United States Lighthouse Society Passport Program: https://uslhs.org/sites/default/files/passport_club/full_page_mini_list.pdf

-Lee

Here on Seguin we hear wonderful things about Damariscove and the caretakers there. It’s not in the cards for us to actually visit there, but we enjoy seeing it every day from a distance. One day, sailors Julia and John came up the Seguin Lighthouse Trail with a care package from their last stop, Damariscove. Together we opened a warm note from the Damariscove keepers Aiko and Scott, along with a foiled bundle of wild blueberries. What a prize!

A few days later some boaters on Seguin told us they were heading for Damariscove. They cheerfully offered to deliver our note and fresh lettuce from Seguin’s garden to Aiko and Scott.

It’s downright delightful to connect through this volunteer courier service. In addition to the blueberries and lettuce, at this point grapes, licorice, and zucchini have all changed hands this way. Thank you Aiko and Scott for initiating, and to all the mariners who further energize the joy of connection.

– Lee