Sunday, June 14, 2015

Day 14, 14 June 2015

72 Visitors

Happy Flag Day!  We got to deliciously sleep in again since our duty wasn’t till 2 pm due to the tides. We were really feeling bad again and my voice was totally shot – what will Dottie think of that when she shows up to help us?!  Right before my shower I looked out the guest room window to see two guys trying to wade over in the rising tide water. WTF?  Do they not know the tide is rising and they will be swimming back if they come over here? They spent a few minutes walking around the island and then returned across, the water now about 6 inches deeper.  They convinced a third guy who watched them to come over as well.  Fred told him, after he crossed and was approaching the lighthouse, that the tide was getting higher so he turned around and quickly headed back thanking Fred for the warning.  He made it back but was completely soaked below his waist.  This is some of the idiocy we have to contend with. Meanwhile I decided to make my popovers this morning since we had more time even though I felt like crap. I lugged my special popover pan from home and stirred up the creamy dough and popped them in the oven. Fred put out some smaller flags and Old Glory was already flying high, proudly over her lighthouse domain.
Old Glory
I put on a flag motif hoody that I got in Times Square, NYC and flag earrings and Fred had on a nice red shirt. For once in a long time it was not blowing like hell outside and the flag remained up all day on her special day.  We enjoyed my popovers for brunch with butter, honey and jam with some fruit and my chai tea. The tea helped a tiny bit with my miserable feeling from the cold. We got ready for the onslaught and for Dottie’s arrival.  There were lots of people waiting to get in for tours and Dottie ordered me to handle the gift shop since I couldn’t talk very well. No arguments from me – I could sit a lot and not have to talk non-stop for 3 hours. I did try to greet and welcome people the best I could with my croaking and wispy voice. I drank water a lot and sucked on cough drops. Fred who was not feeling much better did the upstairs and Dottie the first floor. Dottie wore a rubber glove to protect herself from door handles and things we had touched. She didn’t want to get sick and I don’t blame her. Her rubber glove made for some hilarious comments and conversation throughout the day. It was backed up at the beginning with visitors and then it smoothed out but it was constant and we stayed open till about 5:30 pm. Most were patient to wait and understood. One lady who waited with her kids for a tour was so nice to sit by the front door and monitor it at the end for me, what an angel, she was such a good helper.
Flag Pole with Lighthouse in Background

We had a foursome show up around 5 pm and they seemed so enthusiastic that I let them in for a tour. They were lots of fun and worth staying open late. Dottie let in one young couple as the last tour, they had been waiting around a lot and were very excited to see the tower and light. Whew, we called it quits at 5:30 pm even though people were still coming up the ramp. The tide was just starting to come in and we had had enough!  We were starving and exhausted but rushed out of the house to grab a Mexican dinner in town – the closet one we could get to – HA!  We went down the street and found a cute little place and wolfed down some shredded beef chimichangas in record time and raced back to the parking lot at 6 pm. It looked good with the tides and crossed back with no problem. It was Ok till about 6:45 pm.  I actually felt better after a full tummy and I think it was due to all the spicy salsa I slathered on my chimi. The wind had picked up again and it was blustery when we took our evening walk. I watered the 4 plants in the planters just a bit to help them along. The rest had dampness about them. Inside the front door was rattling and I closed the inner doors and the door to the dining room/parlor. Upstairs the wind was rattling the closed doors to the guest room but the doors to our bedroom were fine. It all depends on the direction of the winds as to which doors rattle. We were too tired and sick to care about making a salad later and I made a big pot of orange spice tea and drank that with honey up in our cozy bedroom with a fire roaring in our tiny wood burning stove. My sleep was fitful with coughing even after taking some cough syrup but I eventually fell asleep. Perhaps pillows of spicy chimi’s finally soothed my tortured throat with blankets of sour cream and guacamole.
Celosius Flowers that Cynthia Planted

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