End of week 1

Sun shining on the water

Today the weather was kind of yucky, so we didn’t have as many people coming in. We spent a lot of the day pricing, sizing, and folding shirts. Once again I really enjoyed that. For a while, I was the only one who could get the sticker gun to work.  So, it became my job to price things. Which, I really enjoyed. Every time someone else touched the gun it wouldn’t work or they would break it and I would have to fix it. I also took turns in the video room and was in the tower from 2:30-5:30, then got to sweep the steps down. Sweeping the steps sure is growing on me. That first day I didn’t like it so much, but now I have found that you get into a rhythm and it is rather enjoyable. I played a game today with a piece of paper someone had dropped to see how far I could get it to fall before I would have to sweep it again. While I was in the tower, the guy in charge of coordinating volunteers came up and asked me about the emergency yesterday. Dorothy had already told him what had happened and our suggestions of things to change/update to better prepare future volunteers for an emergency. Though they are few and far between out here the people need to be ready and prepared for any number of situations. He said it sounded like we did a good job which is always good to hear from your “boss.”



the trail people walk in on

Dale and Cindy had friends over, so we had sloppy joes outside for supper. The little black flies were biting something awful, so we came in when we were done eating. After their friends left, we sat in the living room for a while, then played a game or two before bed.



My first week of being a lighthouse keeper is over L I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone and how much I have learned about the lighthouse, and about myself and others. I’ve learned to read people when they come in the door, some you can see are here to climb the tower, others aren’t so sure, some came in because they were out for a walk and stumbled upon the lighthouse, others had the lighthouse planned as their destination days ago. For some it’s their first time at a lighthouse ever, some the first time at this lighthouse, and others come back every year, or multiple times a year. Everyone’s story is different as are their reasons for coming out to the lighthouse. However, they all find themselves here and I get to interact with each of them. That’s one of the things I love, interacting with people you’ve never met. I’ve held a baby, teased children, encouraged children, given facts and information, welcomed friends, met new people, answered questions, learned new things, and most importantly had fun and enjoyed the opportunity to be a lighthouse keeper.



Dale giving a talk in the video room

Not many people my age have the opportunity to choose to take six months off to enjoy life. Since I’ve been home from the Peace Corps I’ve had the opportunity to go on three family vacations, work at Pioneer for a month, then two weeks for pollinating, volunteered at high school week of camp, watch my sister graduate, work on an online TEFL course, and now spend two weeks at the lighthouse. I’ve truly been blessed this summer and can’t thank each of you who have been part of it enough for all that you’ve done with me, and for me. You don’t know how much this time has meant to me, and how much it will mean to think back on these things when I’m back in Thailand.  With that being said, I’m going to enjoy this last week of being a lighthouse keeper as much as I can. What a wonderful opportunity this has been and continues to be.

just a quick picture of the sunset out the window