Saturday 21.5.2016

We four volunteers arrived early in Saturday morning before sunset to Maarianhamina. Ari and Markus were bringing a bunch of new solar panels and they were going to visit Märket only a few hours in one day. Risto and Aarni were prepared to stay the whole next week.

As there was four hours before Mats boat took off we went in the woods. Nice hazelnut tree park ”pähkinäpuulehto” close to Maarianhamina was full of flowers as we walked a path between old threes.

Weather was calm as we arrived to harbor and Mats swift boat was waiting for us. Märket here we come!

We helped the old crew to leave after having a breakfast together in the dining room. Jore and Mirja were staying with us the next week as one short week was not enough for them.

Ropes were let loose and the boat started back to Eckerö with the old crew.

Now we were the new lighthouse keepers, and Märket was entrusted to be in our charge.

Later in day we had arrival day’s barbeque party in the front of the lighthouse – first time this summer?

Table clothes were put in use and sun was shining. Great Märket !

In the evening we tried to follow how Finland´s ice hockey team won the semifinal game in the net.

Sunday 22.5.2016

Beautiful fair weather day with some clouds. Some of us were taking photos of full moon and Saturn in the very early hours.

The night was quite calm, but later in the afternoon the wind blew briskly. We saw some fisher boats around the islet in the morning, but got no visits anyway. Magnificent mirages brought far-away islands almost in the neighborhood. We worked in peaceful pace, and had time to enjoy wandering on the islet and to listen soothing rush of the waves. Nice conversations we had, meeting others on our way: “Did you see that one … it is now over there …”

Risto had pitched a tent and spends night listening lullaby sounds of waves, wind and distant boat engines. Our brave fellow lighthouse keeper made his dream true – with essential help of some boulders, which luckily are found more than enough for winds typical for this islet.

Is this worth of trying? Well, sooner in the tent than without it. But in fact, many sleep here on the bare cliff, mostly in warm summer nights – and sometimes even in the daytime.

Hello, Märket is calling. Jori, chief of the group is listening instructions mostly at the phone. Green is a good color for mobile phone. It does not get lost easily, and other do not mix it up with their own.

The instructions are agreeable in this case, too – in spite of his grave looks.

Painting of the border marks is done in turn. Aarni takes a break in Swedish territory, and Risto does his painting in Finland. Mirja painted one border mark too, taking part of this border marking between two states. It is done quite often, because hard conditions wear the paint on the surface of cliff quickly. Besides the paint, yellow lichen cover cliffs in this spot, too.

This cute seal pup found a refuge on our islet for a couple of days.

It had a big bite wound in its neck, and it took recovery time in peace. This morning it was gone. Hopefully it had strength enough to get fish. We were already planning rescue work and catching fish for it, but nature took care of its own also in this time.

We could sing to it in the way of old Finnish lullaby: “Now our friend has trouble, as you well can know; see, his neck is sore, and perhaps the nose and toe … Sleep is happy way to heal, our tender pup of seal.

And here, again … Somebody lolling on the cliff hole. It is ok for Jori that clothes get dirty at work. For him it was absolutely necessary to string the pipe in close contact to the rock. Luckily there was no rain today, and the result of the work was as wanted.

In short – another cosy day again.

Monday 23.5.2016

The clouds dissolved in the afternoon, and sun shined warmly on the side of the lighthouse, in spite of brisk South wind. During the day huge amounts of insects drifted ashore – the definition of species may wait until tomorrow. Mostly they seemed to be black aphids.

The beautiful white foamy wave crests have scattered all over the see whole day – a sight you get enough to watch.

Odd enough, the pastry of this week may run out too early. Maybe freezer is safer place for them? And in case they unexpectedly disappear even from there, may some of the men bake more …

The result of yesterday’s rock painting is here. Nine turning points of borderline have got new white color. Happily there is no border cross formalities here.

Risto brushes with oil and tar blend to terrace and its furniture in front of sauna but some black stripes can also be seen there. Probably this man wants some variety to the monochromatic floor.

Equipment of photography and observance has had a rest day. Birds do not fly and the wind seizes the gadgets. Steady pedestals are essential, too.

Waste water sink is high up, because it needs a Willa filter. It is not easy to empty a bucket that is full. So Jori and Aarni made a suitable step to make this operation easier.

TCK = three chefs in the kitchen. The dinner was made today by three cooks. Nice to eat, when everybody had chance to use his favorite spices. I recommend to repeat this experience.

You don’t miss warm weather so badly, when you have proper outfit.

Tuesday 24.5.2016

Interesting day. Weather report ”promised” Northern wind, but not earlier than in the late afternoon. Morning was yet good for a trip in the rubber boat. We decided to visit seal skerries.

We have communication with mainland mostly in the dining room, and what’s important, listen the sea weather report there. Many of us has own laptop, and communication succeeds with them for better or worse. Ice hockey matches were not seen or heard here – in spite of much effort.

Jori stayed to take care of the lighthouse, and we others steered to open sea. Water was very clear, and we were surprised to see, how far the shallow waters actually reach around skerries and also between them. No wonder that so many shipwrecks have taken place here. When another hundred years has passed, there will be still more dry land.

Not any seals in Swedish waters, but Jori with his telescope observed, that in skerries of Finnish side there seem to be some. Mirja stayed ashore, and men went on to another seal skerry.

There was many seals, very many – and how they sang! Here you see only a little part of them, because they mostly dived to sea. But we heard them singing even in the lighthouse islet.

Aarni tested his floatation suit and floated like a seal, in safe surroundings. No holes in the suit – surely, because it was hard for Aarni to step up ashore, when suit was so full of air. Man was dry and suit ready to use for next purpose.

Lunch was eaten at terrace in nice and gentle weather, but after an hour it became cold, our islet was surrounded by fog, wind blowed from north and waves began to sweep the northern cliffs. Luckily we were not at sea in the rubber boat.

We saw in Swedish coast thin clouds, like a roll, reaching from south to north. It came over and passed Märket. At the same moment the wind got cold. It was an arcus cloud, like one Mirja had seen in september 2012 in Märket in thunder weather, but this time the cloud was only quite narrow string.

Yesterday floated ashore a huge mass of insects on south part of islet. Mirja analyzed a shovelful of it: 99,9 & black and white aspids, along with 1 ladybug, 1 cimicid and 2 flying ant.

In the morning the thermometer on the wall gave temperature of 26 C degrees, same as in mainland at the same time. In fact, temperature here was 12 degrees before noon and after the arcus cloud only 6 degrees. Fog got thinner and wind weaker during the afternoon.

New species of today: red-necked phalarope (vesipääsky, Phalaropus lobatus) and rock pipit (luotokirvinen, Anthus petrosus).

Wednesday 25.5.2016

New day started with rush of sea and ever more rising wind. Before noon it reached the limit of hard wind. Th weather forecast promised rainy afternoon, and we finished some of day’s work before it. There was lot of things to consider, and we started plans of some directions of use and the shopping list for next week’s group. For this we had communications with next week’s cook in the internet.

Jori and Aarni made a partial inventory in the shed under machine room. Jori was prepared for sunshine with sunglasses on, but his expectations were not rewarded this time. It was cloudy all the day. Or maybe this veteran knew better, how to prepare for moving cement sacks than Aarni – whose equipment against dust was nothing but a cap.

Mirja emptied dish sink and wind took care of drying the tableware. Notice the equipments! In mainland people sweat in hot weather, but here we take on more layers of clothing – down and wool are excellent in these conditions.

We fetched the ”grandma’s geraniums” inside the house. They have warm place near the oven. Their leaves were already turning purple and they clearly suffered of blowing winds and coldness. Now its 6 degrees of Celsius and wind 12-13 m/s at worst.

Hard wind made the lighthouse’s popular ”backyard’s” swimming pool Modersmagen (Mother’s womb) a real jacuzzi, the waves hit that far. It was pleasant to admire torrents in the safe lighthouse and wonder the grandeur and beauty of nature. Of course, you got the best impression outside, besides the roaring sea, if you were brave enough to stay there.

At best the the splashes reached several meter height, and rose far on the cliffs of the islet. Good chance to take a shower, but not in this case, anyway … Half of the islet is occasionally under the waves, and weather forecast promises increasing wind next morning.

But luckily, hot sauna bath is available. After day’s work it was most welcomed. Dry birch firewood catches fire quickly. Excellent: there is som firewood left of last summer. Nobody of us lighthouse keepers dared to go to swim. Better so!

Happily the nights are quite light, so we observe the swell of the sea, hoping to get good photos of the monster waves – in case there will be some. Early bird lighthouse keepers are now increased in number. And over 50 species of birds observed during 10 days. With these winds, too!

Märket falls silent for a while.

Thursday 26.5.2016

Weather was very windy in the morning and sea in turmoil with big waves reeling and rocking. We started the day doing maintenance works inside the lighthouse such as medical cabinet examination.

Here we found even antidote for snakes even if we never see them in this far away distant cliff. Well accidents don’t happen when you are well prepared – we hope.

Transmitter antenna on the roof had problems, caused by the strong wind and one of the metal wings broke and came down close to Jori. Luckily it did not hit anyone, and a new stronger antenna will hopefully be ordered.

Fog surrounded the islet and visibility was limited. There was something hypnotic to stare at the horizon and see how the big waves arrived from the fog and crushed high on the cliffs of the lighthouse rocks.

Sea monster in horizon or just the big waves storming and splashing on the cliffs? Sea was monstrous to old time seafaring, and storms like this wrecked a lot of ships in the last centuries. Even in modern times such as ours we are now practically prisoners in Märket islet as no ship could land in its shores in this stormy weather and even coast line rescue helicopter would have problems. We had plenty of food and a reliable lighthouse building as a safe place so there was no reason to worry in our distant home islet.

Waves after this around 15 m/s wind were glorious and it is hard to even imagine how big they get in extreme storms. Obs! The photographer is in safe distance from the waves, though perspective can suggest otherwise.

Wind calmed down and we had coffee break again in the terrace in the late afternoon. Sea was however still storming as the waves continued to splash on the cliffs through the evening and the next day.

Friday 27.5.2016

Wind had almost calmed down in the early hours of the morning, and this was the dawn of our crew’s last whole day in the lighthouse. Windmills were ”on strike” and our Lighthouse society flag hardly moved at all. However, waves were still rolling on the cliffs, reminding of the yesterdays stormy weather.

Here we have a photo of last week’s special cloud formation called arcus. It looks little like a smoke from an aeroplane but is actually a rare form of a small storm. With this narrow and long front occured cold wind, quickly rising from zero to around 10 m/s, lasting for some five minutes, and then calming down again.

After yesterday’s inventory of the medicine cabinet we saw fit to have some eye wash bottles in places, were they could be quickly needed and available: for instace in the boathouse working area. Thanks to Jori we have nice racks for them.

After two weeks in Märket Mirja takes a break to study clouds and birds high above in the sky. But hey: her eyes are shut in the foto! – But that’s impossible, isn’t it?

We cleaned up the lighthouse with a vacuum cleaner for the next crew. Finally we put away our working gloves. It was time to relax and make the last notes into the Märket diary.

We had a wonderful and eventful week here in Märket: weather was first sunny and warm and then we experienced a storm. It was challenging to watch wildlife in these changing weathers – but anyhow, we saw birds of about 50 different species. Aarni ”the birdman” was of great help in identifying these different species. As to seals, we saw them both here, in the cliffs of Märket, and especially on our boat safaris to nearby skerries!

We did not phographed only birds and seals, as this ladybug flied to the terrace to wish us good start of the summer season. May it be joyful and special also to all lighthouse keepers who come here after us, as well as the guests visiting this unique and beautiful lighthouse island!

Best regards from the lighthouse and Jori, Mirja, Aarni and Risto