The winds were strong and persistent today, with very choppy waters surrounding the islands. I did my daily checks, including checking in on my favorite pair of Elephant seals who made their way up to in front of the main house happily snoozing in the sunshine. The howling winds made for a not so quiet Sunday but the sunshine gave enough energy to make some water with the desalinator. Although too stormy at the shores to safely collect wood, I did get to making some kindling with the wood in storage so I could cozy up to the stove in the cool evening.
It is International Women’s Day, and I was reading up on the women who lived in the lighthouse in it’s early days. One of those women was Ellen Argyle – here’s a excerpt from the book Keepers of the Light:
Ultimately Ellen was not recognized or even paid for the hard work she conducted over many years serving as the Matron of Race Rocks lighthouse. Her story reflects some of the many challenges women are faced with in a patriarchal society, not just back then but continue to face today. I’m grateful to be here in her footsteps, enjoying quite a luxurious stay in comparison, with equal pay and duties to others who enjoy this job!
Facility work
- Ran Desalinator
- Water sample
- Split and chopped firewood
- Cleaned house
Weather
- Wind 15kt NW, gusting 35kts
- Sunshine, periods of rain in the afternoon
- Air temp: 8
- Sea temp: 8.8
- Sea state: 2ft chop