More from Stuart

July 6th
End of yet another really long day. We had just over a hundred visitors come by today. I walked the property trying to figure out more of my keys. Thankfully, one of the keys opens both the lighthouse and the fuel shed. I properly tagged it and went about figuring out the other 10 or so unknown keys. Some are to unknown padlocks, others must be to doors somewhere. When I wasn’t talking to visitors and showing them around the house, I was cleaning. I have been finding jobs for myself instead of just sitting here. Boy, would my grandmother be proud.
Today I decided to wipe down all of the front siding with some water and a little bit of cleaner for the tough spots. The grime wasn’t bad, but the bird poop, dust, pollen and salt spray had accumulated enough that I had to replace my water a few times. I also wiped down the interior window sills and swept my living quarters and the second floor. I plan to continue the work tomorrow as it’s something I can do near the house and museum and still talk to the public. This will be especially imperative since I will be the only one on the property.
After the long day I shared the last bit of pie with Mike, one of the docents and biologists. He left around 4:30, but I kept the museum open till 6 pm before I closed up for dinner. Surprisingly only a small handful of people came by after that, unlike the past two days. I ate dinner, Chicken stew with portabella mushrooms, on the porch listening to the weather report for the next few days. I went ahead and added a weather page into the logbook so I can keep a rough idea of what it’s supposed to be like. I am a little surprised they are saying the Strait of Juan de Fuca will have a small craft advisory tonight. After breathing in the crisp air I headed inside to start doing some of my correspondence course work. I am supposed to write another story, and I am grasping at straws for new ideas. I could easily write about life at the lighthouse, but sadly thats not what the assignment calls for. My other class is a little frustrating because the teacher has made nearly half of his questions about webpages or internet based searches. needless to say I am going to do half of three assignments and then do the other half when I get back to Orcas. While I was pondering a particularly difficult section f wording I heard the telltale whoosh of blowholes. I rushed out with my video camera just in time to capture a pod of Orca’s passing the point. I sat there opening my heart and thanked them for welcoming me home. I doubt it will be the last time I see them, but for those brief moments, I was the only one that saw them pass. Not another human or boat was in sight for miles.