We had a chance this fall to return to two lighthouses we tended in the past. First we headed off to Bakers a Island in Salem, MA. We knew it when. Now the grounds are cleared, the lighthouse is freshly painted, both keepers’ houses have been renovated and the public can once again visit the island thanks to Essex National Heritage Trust, the National Park Service and volunteer caretakers.
Next we headed north to Seguin Island, Maine. We arrived as the summer caretakers departed and the foghorn was mistakenly blowing. We settled in and hiked the trails with good friends. After dinner, as we got ready to play a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit, we lost all power to the island. The light went out! And the backup lights didn’t come on.
After checking out the boathouse at the bottom of the hill, the whistle house at the top of the hill and all their circuit breakers, we made calls to find out which power company supplied the island and contacted them. In minutes, coincidentally (?), the power returned. You can imagine the phone call. We don’t know our zip code, account number or name. They were impressed we were calling from a lighthouse though.
But the light never came back on. So we contacted the Coast Guard, who maintains the light, left a message and went to bed. This morning, while volunteers arrived in pea soup fog to tackle several projects, the Coast Guard walked us through some troubleshooting to no avail. They stopped by for a visit today and got things working again. Now we can rest easy and enjoy the sunset.
Island and North Country Life 
