Well, I have been on the island about three days now. Being the only one here makes it rather interesting to say the least. The cabin sits in the middle of a giant gull colony. No the gulls are not giant, the colony is. There are several hundred just around the cabin alone. By the harbor where the boat dock is there are probably a couple thousand out there. There are white dots as far as you can see. They are pretty vocal as well. While I walk out the door of the cabin they just sit there about 5 feet from me just looking at me. I watched a pair yesterday gathering nesting materials. They would dig grass and pick up big mouthfuls of it and carry it over to where they were building a nest. Rather interesting.
As far as living here, it is very comfy and relaxing. Heat is from a woodstove and water is heated on-demand. There are both 12v and propane lights in the house, plus an inverter for 110v off the batteries from the solar cells. There is a generator to run the washer and dryer and for extra power if it is cloudy for a few days. Much different than what we are used to, but very warm and cozy.
The only internet is through my iPhone or iPad. That is probably the biggest change for me. Using something other than a desk top computer to access the internet is something I haven’t done in a while, but I am making it work.
The night before last I was sitting there in the recliner, with the propane lights on, and was typing an email on my iPad. I heard an owl outside the window for several minutes. I had not heard that sound in quite a while, probably since I lived in the Midwest. The next morning, which was yesterday, I went out to get some firewood to restock my supply in the house. There, on the chopping block for splitting wood, was the wing of a bird left there. Just a wing… And nothing else. Something have removed it from its previous owner and decide to leave it as a present for me, just like a horse’s head left in the bed in that one movie. Maybe it was…the Birdfather. Needless to say that was a bit startling but not unexpected. I have heard other people say that they have found bird heads laying around outside the cabin.
It is also a huge change in that Protection Island is closed to the public. And I was over at the spit, we had 80,000 to 100,000 visitors a year. That’s quite a drastic change. With the longer days in the summer and better weather as well, I will be patrolling around the island in the boat frequently to keep people back the required 200 yard minimum.
I was going to take the boat out patrol around the island today, but there is a small craft advisory. I figure I probably should heed the warning. I’m really not too interested in getting caught out on the water in some nasty weather. Instead, I’m watching some birds play around the harbor. Some white-winged scoters, gulls, several bald eagles, a pair of Canada geese, and different sparrows. On the way down here I saw a pair of mallards. Yesterday I saw some harriers, which for some reason have become one of my favorite birds. On the way down here this morning I saw several deer of our resident herd.
My car is still broke. I talked to the shop yesterday and it’s going to be late next week before it’s done. The shop I had it fixed at originally is sending a replacement transmission. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, since the first one they did only lasted 22,000 miles and none of the parts in the bad one are salvageable. Guess it’s a good thing I don’t need to come in from the island quite yet.
