Assistant Lighthouse Keepers 8/2- Thacher Island and it's Buildings

Thacher Island and it's Buildings

Let's tour the buildings that keeps Thacher Island going.

The white building on the left is the main lighthouse keeper's quarters. The taller structure is the assistant lighthouse keeper's quarters and attached to it is the apartment to the right.  The taller lighthouse is the south tower and the
one in the background is the north tower.  The white building to the right is the wheel house.  This is a view from
the small boat when we were out lobstering in the ocean.

Tool Shed

Compass Station Foundation

Anita giving me a tour of the island.

Water Collection Site

Privy/Art Gallery
This privy is the nicest I've ever seen.  There are ceramic floors and wooden walls.
It is a composting toilet and cleaning the privy was never bad.  It doesn't smell!

Beautiful ceramic shelf and the beautiful pieces of art.

There's a tradition that lighthouse keepers make  an art project to hang in the art gallery.

This was the art piece that I made.  The piece at the top is actually a piece of  glass from the North Tower.  The glass in the tower is Frexel glass, as well as the green pieces in the lighthouse tower.  When the window/parapet broke, pieces fell to the ground.  The other pieces are all natural items that I found on the island.  

My first showing in a gallery.  I'm so proud!

 

Wheel House

Generator Shed

The buoys wash up on the island and are collected here.
It makes for a very picturesque scene and you see scenes like that all over the Cape Cod area.

Boat House and Generator Shed

This is the bedroom on the second floor where we slept.  You can see the
south tower lighthouse out the window.

This is the kitchen.  Scotty is standing at the stove.
We brought our groceries for the week and did pretty well.  If we were to
do anything differently next year, we'd bring more wine/beer to toast the
lovely sunsets.  We'd also bring more snacks.  The keepers have a tradition of
gathering at 6:00 outside for a happy hour.  

This is the view when sitting at the kitchen table.
I loved having lunch here.

The kitchen.

This is the bathroom in our apartment located on the second floor.

It is not a fancy bathroom by any means.  But, it is absolutely the best view
I have ever had when sitting on a toilet!!

This is the shower.  We took quick showers as the water had to be pumped in from the cistern.
But, we absolutely felt like we needed showers as we worked hard every day.

This is the living room in our apartment. We never sat in here and
we never turned on the TV.  That was marvelous!

The smaller structure in the front is the apartment where Scotty and I stayed.  The larger building is the
assistant light house keeper's home where Anita & Wayne stayed.  The whiter building in the background
is the main light house keeper's home.  Each home was very unique.  

Assistant Lighthouse Keepers 8/1 - Harbor Seals on Thacher Island

Harbor Seals on Thacher Island

We had been told that we'd eventually see the seals around Thacher Island.  One day, Scotty and I went for a walk and decided to get into the water.  This isn't an easy task as the island is surrounded by huge rocks, and very often in the shrubbery leading to the water are huge patches of poison ivy.  We found a spot and got down to the water, which is pretty cold, by the way.  It turned out to be a fun excursion as a seal appeared to be playing games with us.  He'd pop his head up and look at us, then swim to another spot and pop up.

Throughout the week, we would spot the seals sunning themselves on the rocks.  Most often, they were on the rocks to the north of the boat launch.  And on our last day, on Friday there was a huge group of seals.  I'm sure they were there to say 'It was nice having you this week.  We'll see you next year!"

Yes, I do have more photos of seals.

Apparently, I can not have enough photos of seals.

Enjoy my photos of seals!!

Harbor seals are the most common seal species found in this area.  They are frequently seen swimming far out to sea or sunning themselves on the rocks in Gloucester harbor or around Thacher Island or on rock groupings farther out in the ocean.

Harbor Seals are medium-sized seals with the males reaching lengths of just over 6 feet and weighing up to 370 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, reaching lengths of about 5.5 feet and weighing 290 pounds.

The fur of their coats is highly viable in appearance. Some Harbor seals have very mottled coats with lots of spotting, while others have coats that are more evenly colored with only a handful of darker spots or rings.  Some individuals are very dark gray (almost black), while others are blonde in appearance. 

Harbor Seals are told from their larger cousins, the Gray seals, by their smaller size, and by the “puppy-dog-like” appearance to their heads which results from them having a concaved forehead. This means that they have a clearly defined muzzle and forehead, much like a dog does. The Gray seal, by comparison, has a much flatter, “horse-head” like appearance with no clear separation between forehead and muzzle.

Assistant Lighthouse Keepers 8/1- Lobstering Again at Thacher Island

Lobstering at Thacher Island

It's been a busy day of work so we're going to reward ourselves with a lobster dinner.  Of course, that means work, but it really is satisfying to catch your dinner knowing that it's going to taste so good!!

Hello!  How would you like to come for dinner?

Love the colors!

Will we have dinner tonight?

This is a female as you can tell by the eggs.
We'll throw her back into the water.  

Get the hot tub ready.  We're going to have a party.

Fish is used to bait the lobsters.

These lobsters didn't say anything.  They just waved.

Bringing a lobster dinner to our Straightsmouth neighbors.

Be nice and stop being so crabby!

It 'a-piers' this lobster is not very happy.

Well hello, shell we dance?

Lobsters don't usually like to share a trap.  They're shellfish like that.

I just love this view and the colors!