We apologize for the radio silence this weekend – it’s been a busy one! Since Friday, we had over 70 visitors to the island, bringing our total to nearly 500 for the summer!
The steady stream of visitors of all ages, both returning and first-timers, is a testament to how intriguing Seguin Island is to so many people who love Midcoast Maine. Kids tend to love searching for sea glass and crabs in the Cove and at Cobblestone Beach, while adults love hearing the history of the lighthouse and the outbuildings on the tours. We had some visitors this weekend that really left an impression on us.
On Friday, family came to visit the island for the first time. The kids ranged in age from almost 8 to almost 13 years old and mom and dad came, too. We brought the dogs on hikes, swam in the cove, went tide pooling, found about a pound of sea glass, and told stories over dinner that had us all in stiches. We talked about how you can really feel the history in the keepers’ quarters – somehow you can just tell that so many people have lived and shared meals in this space. We felt incredibly fortunate to have created more shared stories between our two families here at Seguin. I’d like to think that our conversations and laughter will be felt by other keepers in the future.
Saturday was the Friends of Seguin Island Light Station (FOSILS) annual gala. It was held at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath in a gorgeous event space that overlooks the river. We were picked up from the island at 3pm and spent the night on shore – Matt’s first night on the mainland since June 1st! It was a fun night of music, auctions, raffles, speeches, and great conversation with over 100 supporters of the lighthouse. Matt and I loved seeing everyone dressed in their best and we got to chat with quite a few visitors to the island who made it out for the event. We hope we’ll see other attendees out on the island this summer as well!
We returned back to Seguin this morning around 10:30am with the President of the Board and two attendees of last night’s gala. Immediately upon landing in the Cove, we were greeted by a steady stream of 25 visitors. We were particularly affected by getting a chance to speak with a couple who were 86 years old and had been visiting the island for the last 42 years when they vacation on Squirrel Island off Booth Bay Harbor. The gentleman told us that it was his last trip to the lighthouse, and he was so grateful it had remained in good hands and preserved for all of these years. We were moved to tears to hear him speak about his fond memories of the island and how he was so happy to have such a beautiful day to say farewell to Seguin.
We had the island back to ourselves around dinner time and we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset to end an eventful, joyful weekend. We’ll be back to our regular posting again this week!
