July 12

You can almost see the light on in the tower! We worked 1-3 today, tide still good as we left. Tomorrow will be just 3-4. Then the tides must really be doing some crazy things because we will be off four days in a row before going back on Thursday the 18th. Hope we can find enough to do to stay out of trouble!

July 11

Another interesting day. It started with the arrival of a tour bus of boy scouts from Phoenix. Our immediate reaction to an unscheduled tour is panic! We can only take eight at a time through each section of the lighthouse because only eight will fit in the tour (and sometimes, depending on the size of the folks, eight is a very tight fit). But the scout leaders understood and were happy to agree to an abbreviated tour--the scouts probably were mainly only interested in looking out from the tower--and it went smoothly. The last group of the day was from Pinetop.

One of the men on the tour had worked at a lighthouse on Lake Michigan and one had lived at or near (he was vague) one in Eureka. One family was here from Alaska.

We tried visiting an antique shop and thrift store before work (started at 11:30), but they didn't open till 11:00 and we needed to be on our way by then. The keepers had the day off and were taking her sister to an airport to fly home to Phoenix. Dottie and Dan were there to help us out today. Thankfully!

This picture shows how high a wave can get! 

July 10

We told Dottie we did not need the day off and that she and Dan did not need to come out to the house to work. We are glad they came anyway. Six of us out there really helped things along. Dan spoke in the gift store after Dottie greeted them at the door. Jill continued to take their donations and the money for whatever purchases they made. Cary did his routine in the parlor and kitchen while I welcomed them upstairs and told them about things in the bedrooms (and letting kids pick things from the treasure chest) before sending them to the tower where Kittie let them look at the amazing views, pointing to various outbuildings and answering any other questions they might have. Today there were families from Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Florida and Louisiana as well as various towns in California. The four and one half hours we worked went by quickly. Still...it was another day for Subway sandwiches for lunch.

I finally finished this book--outstanding! 

July 9

It was so nice to be outside before work this morning!

These seagulls are used to being fed every day, so my being this close to take their picture was no big deal.

My cellphone camera doesn't do well for zooming. Several boats were out; I hope the fishermen were successful.

We were open four hours today, testing my back and my voice. At one point I tried to change the name of one of the lighthouse keepers from Wayne to George!

July 8

               We have a healthy walk up the path before work every day, one with breathtaking views.

        

It was another fun, busy day. We had one group from South Korea who spoke no English, but they were visiting family here in town who did the translating. I told them my son-in-law was also from there.

I had taken some microwave bowls over yesterday to sell in the gift store with the proceeds to be donated to the lighthouse. Two of them sold! I will be making more over the next few weeks.

For something different we stopped at Subway for lunch--it was nearly 2:00 p.m. by then since we had to drop off something at the museum first. It didn't take long for the rest of the day to zoom by!

I made my first Etsy sale of the trip also: a 1940 Oldsmobile brochure that my Dad probably acquired in 1940 and saved since then. 

Work Day Four, July 7

My camera and my computer have quit talking to each other! I will continue to try. The wifi has been pretty cranky this evening too. 

Today was one of the prettiest yet and a very good day at work. I took two pictures of the view out of the bedroom window before the tours started, using my cell phone. I am attempting to insert of them here before calling it a night!

Twenty-five minutes later, it worked! Good night!

July 6

It's Saturday...yard sales! But we didn't find anything, although we tried at six or seven different places. Next week we are off so we can try harder.  

We did work today, very fun, lots of people--even another coincidence--one of the ladies had taken horse back riding lessons from a friend of my parents in Snohomish, Washington. My dad and this woman, Ellen Hayden, went to Tucson High together for a few years, then her family moved to Washington. They stayed in touch over the years and I even met her in 1965 on a family vacation. Ellen and her husband had Arabian horses and she was also very artistic.

Cary was craving seafood enchiladas so we went to Torero's for supper. Delicious, as usual. I did walk with my friend, Sharon, later this evening.