While the east coast baked in oppressive heat, we remained cool on the top of the hill. Sweater weather continues for the most part punctuated with days of rain and relative cold. The trails have been tended to and the lawn mown again. Roses, yarrow, buttercups, and clover are abundant and the last of the blue flags have wilted. Wednesday brought able FOSIL volunteers Steve and Fred to help with windows and the ubiquitous sumac.
Days with heavy rain gave us time to read more about how Augustin-Jean Fresnel’s support for the French Royalists led to the engineer’s government job loss and eventual house arrest. While house bound, Fresnel’s brother, who supervised a stretch of lighthouses, lamented the lights’ inability to cast their light any great distance. Augustin Fresnel found the way to amplify the light with prisms and constructed his theory about light waves. The line from Napoleon to Einstein moves through Fresnel and French politics. I also had the chance to dig into Maine author Ruth Moore’s novel The Weir and historical fiction A Fair Wind Home. Moore vividly captures island life on Maine’s coast, and, at the height of her popularity in the mid-20thC, was described as “the Faulkner of New England.” The New York Times wrote, “It is doubtful if any American writer has ever done a better job of communicating a people, their talk, their thoughts, their geography, and their way of life.”
A visit from the Bowdoin was fun as one of my former students and her crewmates bound up the hill with great enthusiasm and good cheer. They were fresh from being the lead boat in the Boothbay parade of boats and were eager for the perspective gained from the top of the light.
Of special note, a hearty young man swam out to the island with his family boating close behind. He seemed no worse for wear and, though drenched, took in the scenery.
Last, Chris brought out Jim and Kyle from JB Leslie to look over the light’s ironwork. They have restored lights up and down the coast and came with knowledge, stories, and deep experience.
All is ship-shape and ready for visitors to enjoy Seguin’s charm once good weather becomes a little more consistent.
My grandfather, Millard H. Urquhart Sr was on Seguin from about 1928 to 1938. He was both assistant and head keeper. My mom and one of her brothers were born on Seguin, most likely the last two children born there.
Are dogs allowed in the island? We’re coming up the coast and would love to visit for a night.
Yes, dogs are allowed with constant supervision. On leash and/or voice command. Leave no trace.
Thank you for asking!