Just another day in the life

What a morning it is not quite seven and the sky is now showing purple in the East. Sitting here I can see the Christmas lights we put in our front window yesterday. The sky is so clear and blue you could count the stars, and there is 3/4 moon out there.

I am hearing a ship, and wonder if he will have to be working on Christmas day. I know that there are lots of us who work on that day and it is necessary. Yet it would be so nice to think some of them could have that wee bit of time off.

As this will be our last Christmas season here I will try and get the house all done inside as well. I have been thinking back to baking with Mother doing dozens of gingerbread men all decorated. Rolling out that dough and cutting with what was left over that would not make a man, went to just cookies for my Father. This a tradition that has gone on for yrs seems that my Nana used to do this as well so when we move to town I will do it with our grandchildren. This will be the first yr my Mother will not make the gingerbread men, and pass the out to the neighbour hood children. Well she is very busy this yr and most of the children are grown up. She and I would get fancy napkins and ribbon and put a cookie in each one for the children we gave to and I understand that she did that even long after I left the house even up to last yr.

There is a pass ferry from the States going by and I can see people in the windows. Looking at the lights on the station. I wonder how all those yrs ago they decorated the station or if they did at all. I am sure they would have had a tree but as for gifts, and wrapping it would have been all homemade. And maybe candles for the lights on the tree and the popcorn strings, cutout decorations that the children had made with the smell of Christmas baking in the house. The children must have looked forward to this time of yr. Not like today where all they want is more and more. They would have been so happy with the handmade doll or train set.

Oh well I am digressing to my own childhood and remembering all the lovely Christmas we had. So I shall sign off and get a coffee and decide what needs to be done for the day. Late from the Bluff

Snow day

What a surprise to wake up to snow. It is the wet sticky sort of snow so the sat internet is very slow and you are having to clean off the dish ever few mintues along with the one for the tv. So now we are waiting for the outside to heat up. One can only hope it will so are it falling. Oh well such is the life out here. If we where hoping for a chopper today we can count that out.

Makes one ponder if this means we will have an early winter lets hope not but could be with all the changes going on in the world could be.

AAAAArh boy all we would like is to have our bathroom back. They sent us a new surround thing for the tub for us to install but it was not right. After several calls and photos they still do not believe it does not fit. They would like to see in photos again if we turn it upside down and other odd things if it will not fit. As it seems that they cannot find one to fit and would like us to make this one fit. NOt possible but then they would never believe a keeper.. pull ones hair out.. WEll off to do my Monday laundry.. so later from the Bluff

Radio

This afternoon as I sit in my wee office listening to my old school friend on the radio. That is a radio station in Kingston I was looking out my window and noticed that the water is like glass and the mountains are reflecting on them. So lovely and the birds are floating by on a bus. That is a very long tree going by. As well the tide is ebbing interesting shapes in the glassy water.

It is nice that I can listen to music on a radio station so far away and still have the solice of where I live all around me. Like last night we had the elephant seal and the whales making all sort of sounds again. They must have gone on for a long time. Wonder if they will make it back this evening again.

To think that not so long ago you could not have had radio here or tv for that matter. Now with the satelliets we have both. And not just local stuff either.
If it is clear this evening I think I will put on the lights around the house might be a bit early but what the heck. The passing ships might enjoy and if not then maybe the whales or even the elephant seal. (smile) Well time to get on with making dinner after this one last song. So for now bye from the Bluff

The day after

What an evening last night we heard and elephant seal and whales. The sounds from both where so amazing wish that we could have seen them. Elephant seals make such a strange sound would have been interesting to see it. It is so unusual to hear so much sea sounds in the dark. It sets the dogs off for sure.

Again this morning we are having a lovely red sky well really it is the sun in the east shinning through the clouds. The peace one feels this early in the morning makes it hard to believe we have so much war going on in the world. That somewhere there are families and soliders dying half way around the world. To lose all this solice will be sad. Like I have said there are bad things about living out here but the shelter not really shelter but the calmness we feel living out here and safe feeling is one that is hard to describe.

And then there are things like we needed a new bathtub walls they measured and then sent the wrong size so now we have plastic up on the walls so we can shower until they send a new one that will fit. Heavens knows when that will happen. OH well life is a problem where ever one lives just out here it is so in your face. Like when one moves you have to pack stuff in crates then live with nothing for weeks, and hope that they can move all your stuff in one go and if they do not then you have decide what is a must to go first and then live without for how long again who knows.

Yesterday was the American Thanksgiving, my family was all at my Sister's place and that is another sad thing about out here not like you can just take off and go for big things like that. I know that I am so thankful to have my family and miss them.

Well enought mush as my son would say... so all now from the Bluff

Thoughts

This is another lovely morning. I was just chatting to my older Brother he is at our Parents place. Today is American Thanksgiving. They will all be of soon to my Sister's place for the big dinner. Which I know will be turkey and all the trimmings along with alot of veggie food to eat as well. I will be the only one not there this yr. Oh well such is life but I will be there in my minds eye. As I know the lay out of her house so well and can see them all around the table enjoying the meal. So I will be there in spirit.

While I was chatting with him the sun started to come up and shine on the mountain tops covered in snow. As I sit here the suns rays are coming through the tree right in front of my "workdeck", cause the frost to sparkle like small diamonds on the wood. Lovely but deadly to walk on. To have the snow on the mountains, frost on the walks, and roof tops you know it is cold but sunny again today.

The solice of a mornings like this will be hard to find once we leave here. I know , I know there seems to be so much of my dislike of the alot of things on the lights. Yet the solice, wildlife and beauty will be hard to find anywhere else in town or even in the country. This is one of those romantic times we have on the lights.

This year for Christmas we have decided to put up alot of lights and a one of those large blow up yard ornaments. It is a gingerbread house with canes and all the passing boats will get some joy from it we are sure. Well off to do a a bit of house work so for the Americans who read the blog Happy Thanksgiving and to others best from the Bluff.

Another one of those Mornings in Nov

As I sit here looking down Finlyson Channel there is red sky of in the distance, blue and the clouds are looking very dark grey. I hope that the weather will be good as there are a few moves to be done south of us.

We went to Ivory Island for a day as the couple there have left and that would have left the light with no one . Being there takes you back to the day when keepers had no tv, no internt phone. Well there was the aln but that is only if it works. The large house was almost empty. A small desk, three odd wooden chairs, and mattresses on the floor. A few dishes, pots, coffee pot, stove, fridge and of course all the things you need for doing the weather. Lets just say that it was interesting and we where glad of our computer. It was taken so we could watch dvd movies. That made the time in the evening go a bit faster. Yet it makes one wonder what one did in the evenings way back when. I suppose mend, bake and such.

Out my other window there is snow on the mountian tops and coming down the moutain side. Not quite to the water edge but close. Looking like an early winter for sure.

Well off to see about what needs to be done here so later from the Bluff.

Time is coming

It has been a few days. With good reason,it looks like we will be retiring off the lights in 2008. This has all taken place in the last few days. One question has led us to learn that we have done 35 yrs with the government. So now it is our time to move on once again and start another new part of life.

Also we had groceries what a day that was. NO rain at least so nothing got wet and soggy. Hurray. I must say in all honesty that part of lighthouse life I will not miss. There is alot more and yet I enter into this part of my life knowing I will miss the wildlife, water and the solice. Yes I did say that word. There are many times that solice is good. There is so much more that is hard to discribe that one will miss.

We have had choppers all week even with the bad weather. Not sure why but having the company has been great. Has been hard on the days before the groceries no milk and other things like that but they have been great with things when they arrive and we offer them while they are here.

Well it is time to get myself a coffee and more so much to think about so for now later from the Bluff ,, after thougt the humback whales are still here

ONe of those days

Well yesterday was so lovely sunny and as the clouds creeped their way up the mountain side one noticed that there was snow on the tops. But today the grey and rain are back. Nothing new for our winter here.

Another thing that is not odd is we had lost all comm's no vhf or aln. The Northern circut always does this every winter. It can be down for wks until they can get up to the mountain tops. As well they have to make sure that the snow is not in their way to land.

It was so lovely yesterday, sunny and cold and then out of the blue we hear a blow and one of our humbacks is hanging about. It is so great to have them hanging about. As well the sea lions are busy doing there thing. They are so fun to watch and they react to a human voice as well.

Our new grandso is doing well.... Has been great to atleast be able to call and get reports on his growth and they send photos as well. So we are please but would be so nice to have them close. Again one of the many hard things living on a light.

I was speaking of the "girls room" a blog or two back and it seems that my two brothers will be staying there when my older one heads down to visit our parents for American Thanksgiving. As well my younger brother and his two boys will be there as well. So there will be a housefull there. Everyone will head to my sisters for dinner. It will be a good time for everyone. Again another hard thing to get out for living on the lights. We are finding that the older we get the harder it is coming to be away from out family.

So enought of my feeling sorry for myself day and must get on with the laundry and life out here.. so bye now from the Bluff

just one of those days

So a few more days of rain and wind. But the it is winter and fully to be expected as well we have the mountains all round. Yesterday we had a few hours of sun. Having the lights that are like sun really help on days like this.

Our son has been great to send photos of the guy. Like all grandparents he is the cuties, best and sweetest. The granddaugther is so pleased and excited to have him. I wonder who is more the parents or the daugther that she is now a big sister.

As I am sitting here there is small tug passing with what we call the christmas tree lights on. that is a tall poll with three lights on it. And he is pulling a barge there have been times this past month that they had come empty from Alaska or just garbage on board.

It is looking like we might have our two humpbacks hanging about this winter we have been lucky enough to see them daily now. So if they ever get close enough to the station I can take a photo as they are staying on the other side of the channel. I wonder if the children in the past felt the same as we do when we see them pop up or the eagles fly by. Well it is time to get going this morning no chopper but I do have to get the grocery list done as we get delivery on the 8th of Nov this month. So all have a good day from the Bluff.