The last day of August already!  Is it the "dog days of summer" when the days are very hot and dry and the flag is limp?  We did have 72 hours of on-and-off foghorn last week, every 30 seconds, however the days returned to hot, sunny and dry.

Fifteen weeks so far as Bakers Island Light Station Keepers.  We have welcomed almost 1000 visitors this summer, on the one-year anniversary of Essex National Heritage Commission owning this property.

Niece Elizabeth and Mary's brother Frank Hillery

Everyone seems to love the 1960's helicopter pad we uncovered on the upper lawn, however, when the Coast Guard came out last week to check their equipment, they came by boat.  

One of our early summer visitors sent out the book, Ten Hours Until Dawn by Michael Tougias, about the February 1978  blizzard in Salem Harbor and the sad loss of life during heroic sea rescue efforts.  This is a must-read book for students of Salem history and will remain in the Bakers Island Keepers House Library.  We will leave behind a few historical sea faring books and bring the rest of our summer novels to the Salem Library Book Sale when we leave.

Recently we were visited by Coast Guard Vets who used to be stationed on Bakers.  Randall "Andy" Anderson and his wife Lorraine, who came out to Bakers on Friday, lived in both houses between 1967 and 1969.  Paul Baptist (stationed 1946-51) was here with his daughters on Sunday.   Both Vets had fond recollections of work and family life with their very young children when on Bakers.  The pleasure of meeting these people seemed mutual.  The honor was all ours.

Lorraine and Andy Anderson with Mary & Greg

Paul Baptiste and Mary

The new Lighthouse Trail is complete, with the help of ten National Park Service teens from Salem.  The trail is a restoration of an old trail that shows up on early 20th century maps, but which had been greatly overgrown.   Visitors are delighted to end their visit with a walk from the Lighthouse down to the beach.  Another "Field Trail" is being restored for next year's guests.

Both houses now have hot water, however on these warm end-of-summer days, we still take outdoor sun showers.  The inside of the Assistant Keepers House is completely repainted; a few tile floors are yet to be replaced.

This past weekend our family from Martha's Vineyard left their beautiful island to fall under the spell of our beautiful island.  Three teens hiked, swam and explored in the daytime, and fell asleep playing cards with us on our front porch in the evening.  We all watched spectacular Salem Willows fireworks from our lawn on Saturday night.

Aurora, Eddie and Christopher and Sophie from Vineyard

Labor Day being late this year, our grandchildren are back in school.  We hope for another visit from all of them before our expected departure Oct 1.  Until then, we are loving the "dog days of summer" on Bakers Island.