Being not sure of the weather or the desires of Jan and Mary I made no plans for the day, yet the impromptu day would turn out to satisfy all definitions of a great day at the beach.  A visit to the lighthouse was the first stop for the day.  After the tour we went up the hill behind the lighthouse.  I have been suggesting to all my tour groups to walk up the hill and yet I had not walked up there yet.

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It was a cold wet day at the lighthouse.  Not too many people choose to walk to the lighthouse today.  We had about 30 people take tours.  During the day I heard some chatter from people about potential snow.  In my universe it didn’t matter.  My life revolves around reading books and writing, checking the tide table to orchestrate dog play time on the beach, giving lighthouse tours, cooking, exploring, and domestic chores.  I do not have access to the internet and cell phones unless I drive south towards Florence which I do once every two or three days.  I do not follow the news.  For now I’m happy to be away from the world and living only in my small isolated universe.

That evening my friends Jan and Mary arrived for a visit bring news from the outside world.  It came as a complete surprise that their simple enjoyable drive from Seattle to Heceta was interrupted by a snow storm on I-5 with cars crashing and cars sliding off the road.  They altered their travel plans and headed west to the coast at Longview where the weather was warmer.  The result was a longer drive but an enjoyable drive.  They didn’t arrive until after dark.

They are staying at the Heceta Head Bed and Breakfast which originally was a duplex serving as homes for the second and third lighthouse keepers.

An absolutely wonderful place.  With two parlors and two fireplaces it invites one to sit, relax and visit.

The weather remains unusually cold.  I saw ice on the beach this morning.  During this time I’ve gained a deep appreciation for my friend Sylvia.  She is stylish black with a chrome grill.  Tall and slim.  Strong but elegant.

She hums happily as she does her work sharing heat with me.  When I press a button she does a little dance swaying back and forth as she spreads her warmth around.  In the morning I ask her to work while I lazily stayed in bed.  When I return from being away she immediately goes to work warming my home and lets me hover around her without complaining that I have invaded her space.  And she can sense when I have gotten warm and she stops her job until more heat is needed.  She is truly a charming trustworthy friend.  When I leave Heceta I’ll give her a vacation.  She will have deserved it.

A day for new beginnings.  Visitors at the lighthouse are wishing us a happy New Year and we return the wish.  We kept tours going non-stop for the three hours we are at the lighthouse.   Today the view from the lighthouse includes many fishing boats.  We have heard that crab season starts today.  When not giving tours we keep looking out into the water searching for whale spouts.  And the visitors are looking for whales too.  Interestingly, we see no whale spouts today.  This is a mystery to me; yesterday we saw many spouts, today we seen none.  And Perry the falcon isn’t sitting on his rock today.  Maybe they did too much New Year celebrating last night.

When I returned to my trailer after work, three of my fellow volunteers have left.  All were located next to me.  The campground seems rather empty.  The three are replaced with a single person, camping away from me.  January is not a popular month for volunteering here.  The lighthouse is now staffed shorter hours.