Sunday 24.6.2007 – God, sea and a radio journalist!

First morning at the lighthouse. The diesel engines of the passing ships feel like heartbeat of the sea. Oatmeal porridge tastes like heaven.

Our new group places themselves round the kitchen table to discuss who will row if somebody comes over; the sea was quite impressive on arrival the previous evening.
”Hey! It’s a boat!”

The bunch electrifies, hurries down the steep iron steps out of the lighthouse and tries to look professional.

The two visitors come in a Buster metal boat; they arrive from South.
A woman in a yellow overall has a microphone ready and earphones on as well.

”Why did you come to work on Märket for your vacation?”
I would have liked to ask: ”Are you a journalist or just keeping a personal journal?” (I’m a journalist and knew better so I just played along not to ruin the show in case…)

”I think somebody has to take a little responsibility on this architectural sight. Preferably, the officials but if not, we at the Finnish Lighthouse Association can do a bit.”

The woman is Riitta Vauras, a reporter from the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.
She asks a lot: ”What is the first thing you lot would do for savekeeping this place?” ”Which side is Sweden?” ”Have you found the rumoured porn magazines from the past decades?”

Then comes the philosophical part. JP, one of the crew here this week, studies Religious Studies at the University of Turku.
”Do you have good ideas on God and the sea for Yle’s radio programme next month?”
JP promises to think of something for a whole hour.

The other visitor, Antti Halkka, is working on a doctoral thesis on seals and the climate change.
He thinks the seal that comes on the Northern end of the island might be sick.

Everyone looks disturbed, not our friendly seal that waves to us…
Antti has been on Märket several times; he finds his own signature from twenty years back on the lighthouse diary.
We are all impressed; the lighthouse has not been abandoned during the 30 year silence.
After the visit, we are happy to have found out that the word on the Association being here has spread and will continue to spread when the radio programme comes out in the near future, Kultakuume is the name on YLE Radio 1.

Märket over and out! Will get back to you tomorrow.

 

Monday 25.6.2007 – So many layers

Sig is playing on the radio of Turku. It brings back memories from the 80s.

Supper on the North Eastern side of the island is rhythmed by a radio station that only plays schlager – we could absolutely not think of listening to anything from the last 20 years.

It has been a busy bee day here on Märket – the theme is nostalgia.

We started ripping off the walls in the ground room; we think it might have been an office because there is the Morse signalling system on the wall.

Or was – now the walls lack at least three layers of time compared to yesterday.

Under the wall paper there was a heavy layer of plaster and underneath it wooden panels.

The feeling of having things done overwhelmed the group; we let Katja, the geologist, tear down a fuse case all by herself just to let her enjoy the satisfaction of having it done. She looked like the queen of the island…

Now, sitting on the rocks, a new point of view is puzzling us; we have in one single day undermined all the hard work the dedicated people did constructing the interior of the first ground room in the first place!

Such a long time, so many people, so much work, so many layers. The rocks, the walls; history presents itself both in the geology and the structure of the lighthouse in way that cannot help touching us in a simple but deep level.

Follows a sentimental thought: We promise to work for the future of this lighthouse.

As a matter of fact, JP is labouring as I write this; he is constructing a shower. Not a bad idea at all: it has been a full day’s work.

Märket over and out.

Webmaster: Due to technical difficulties there are no pictures today. Hopefully tomorrow there will be.

 

Tuesday 26.6.2007 – Sun and cosmos thinking in our universe

This week, every morning has been like living inside a thick foggy cloud. By 9 o’clock, however, the sun has come – or the rain.

Not rain today. Today we have had a full day of bathing in the sun beams.

We might have liked to do as our regular neighbours, the 2-6 seals, do; they mostly stay on the little islette off the coast line.

They do not mind us much; only their premises are so far that we cannot send you their photo.
No, we work – and philosphise. The midsummer night bonfire has finally cooled down so we moved the ashes from one side of the lighthouse to the other.

Why? To try and make flowers grow. One of us, the geologist, was sceptical. She thinks the next winter will wipe away our effort. Another one of us, Tiina the teacher, however, has been excited about the gardening.
After separating nails and other misplaced and unburned objects from the ashes and wheelbarrowing them into holes on the rocks, Tiina goes on planning discarding the bio compost of our own residues.

Not a very exhilirating thought, but Tiina says we have to learn to know that side of our bio mechanisms as well.
How about the philosophical part of the day? While loading the former bonfire onto the wheel barrow, JP asked Katja, the geologist, whether there is something outside the boundaries of our universe
Katja took it as not meaning our märketcosmos, but our known universe.
”Nobody knows for sure, as far as I know, but I think the human kind should consider some totally different type of life forms when we search life in space.”

There we were again. I, the humanist journalist, think staying on a deserted island with the seals and the swallows and, like yesterday, without field of telecommunications, creates interesting conversations.
Tiina would very much like to know why the sea does not move around even if the waves move constantly.
We welcome all outsiders warmly to visit us and give some more topics to wonder about.

It is a wonderful island and now I shall try and send the photos for you; yesterday I was trying from 5 PM to 8 PM and again at 10 PM. No connection.

 

Wednesday 27.6.2007 – Wind is chasing waves

Yesterday early evening was ideal for staying on the rocks and feeling the warmth of the sun.
For the first time on the reef, the six seals that live on Märket became persons. Five of them enjoyed themselves just lying on the islette North from us. One of them was kidding around by taking little slides down the waves.

Taking a binocular and staring South from the bridge of the lighthouse, we found out where the sixth seal was. It just lay on the farthest end of the reef. Just lay still.

We became worried and went to have a closer look. Even at a several hundred metres’ distance, (s)he did not like to be got close by. (S)he put her/his head down and pretended to be a rock. We backed to respect her/his privacy. (S)he might be old and sick or wounded somehow. We hope (s)he is OK.

Soon after the wind started to blow. In a few minutes or so our sun paradise changed its nature and became wild and exciting. The waves beat high even to block the sun from sight as it was setting.

Today the weather has been a palette of grays and blues. Of course we could finish ripping of the wall in the bottom room and we counted the shirts to be sold; but still we cannot help but think of the wilderness.

The terns rest on the ground; they do not try and decapitate us for ruining their fishing prospects. The eiders flock their young ones off the water; there is a flock of circa 40 little ones and five mothers on the reef. (The males are having a blast all by themselves down in Danemark; this I have been told by people who know the birds and the archipelago.)

Coming in the lighthouse from a frisky session of hair washing in a bucket, we thought there are still values not measureble in money.

The thought probably came with the wind.
Märket over and out.

 

Thursday 28.6.2007 – The remarks of the guest book

There is a toffee coloured soft covered book in the lighthouse kitchen. The back of the book has been broken but it has a golden lining.
”Gäst bok vid Märkets fyr från 12.7.1973” – the Guest book of the lighthouse.

On silent moments everyone of us has been leafing thru the pages. To sum up the general feeling, we are surprised to see that the lighthouse has not been totally abandoned during the silent years after the shut down in the late 70s.

Mostly it has been the keepers of the meteorologigal station, the seal researchers and the radio amateurs that have been coming here.
Märket is its own state according to the radio amateur code; that is the reason they get even thousands of ”QSOs”, calls, as soon as they report the frequencies they are online at Märket reef.

To give you some idea of the little stories the diary casts light upon, I shall translate some brief notes here.

The 13th of August, 1973 (originally in Swedish)
”Our respects to guys that have their job at Märket. Our thanks for a very friendly socialising from your neighbours of nearly 60 years.”

the 22nd of July, 1976 (Swedish)
”Might be our last visit to Märket before its automatizing and retirement.”

The 3rd of January, 1977 (Swedish)
”The lighthouse shut down.”

The 17th of April, 1977 (Swedish)
”On a salmon fishing tour.”

The 11th of August, 1977 (Finnish)
”The news paper Ilta-Sanomat thanks for a different kind of trip to Sweden.”

The 11th to 15th of January, 1978 (Finnish)
”Planned fixing the lense etc. Spent a few windy days at the reef.”

The 7th of November, 1978 (Finnish)
”The frontier guards.”

The 19th of June, 1979 (Finnish)
”The National Marine Research Institute. Installation of sea sensors to the automatic weather station.”

The 20th to 30th of July, 1979 (English)
”With many, many thanks to Kee (Eriksson), who invited us to take part in this Dx-expedition.”

The 26th of March, 1981 (English)
”4-man radioamateur group arrived to Märket reef and made 11 000 + QSOS.”

The 25th of April, 1981
”mt/a Aranda”

On several dates (Finnish)
”The Guardian”/ Valvoja

The 25th July to 1st of August, 1983 (English)
”The highlight of my amateur radio career so far – we worked about 8 000 QSOs in 124 DXCC countries using the three callsigns in less than one week.”

The 12th of November, 1984 (Finnish)
”Visit of local governor.”

The 22nd of November, 1985 (Finnish)
”The commander of the Finnish army South Western district.”

From 1986 on several occasions (Finnish, Swedish)
”World Wildlife Foundation, seal protection project.”

The 2nd of November, 1987 and on several occasions after that (Finnish)
”Working on camera, 25 seals on Märketshällor.”

The 29th of August, 1999 (Finnish)
”Guard ship Tursas on patrol came by to check out the lighthouse. Time is taking its toll. Shame on the handsome building.”

The 8th of August, 2006
”Finnish Lighthouse Association.”

(From the webmaster: The original diaries from 1880´s to 1970´s were saved and taken to the Maritime Museum of Åland in 1976 and were rediscovered in 2007. They help to draw the picture of the life on Märket on its glory days).

Friday 29.6.2007 – They came from the sky

Standing on the bridge of the lighthouse. A head of seal pops out of water between the Märket reef and the islette off coastline.

The head is like a periscope, turning; turning and pulling down.

A few moments later, on the North side, another head of seal pops up. Winks her/his long eye lashes, pulls down.

Still some moments having passed, on the East side, two heads pop up; they are taking turns. Tiina wonders whether they float. I ask if they have to paddle all the time.

Our line of thinking gets cut suddenly, a sound of motor boat. Visitors!

We grab some old car wheels to help the boat to land; but this is in vain. It is the Marine Guard; and a rubber boat is already being put on the waves. (They have diminished since these couple of days that we have been wondering where the wind might be blowing so that the waves are so grant here at Märket as well.)

A group of three people lands on the reef. Jan Andersson, about to write a book on Märket lighthouse, and two researchers, Piotr and Elisabeth Palamarz. They are from Ålands self-government’s museum department.

”We have been reading your diary; and when we saw that you dug out the tapestry from the 1890s, we know we had to come without a delay!” says Elisabeth.

We are delighted to have company and WATER. (We had stopped drinking coffee for shortage of drinking water.)

”We wanted to come already on Tuesday, but the wind has blown from Denmark and that is why we had to wait until Friday”, Jan Andersson remarks.

But what now? An enormous noise fills the air. A helicopter! Is it with the museum folk? Not apparently for they are as astonished as we are. The sea turmoils as the huge wasp lands on the territoir of the terns. (The aggressive birds will not let us stroll on their premises, but even they cannot help but save themselves as the flying machines lands.)

We do not know which way to turn when we find out that it is the Frontier Guard’s repair men who came with the Turku forces’ helicopter to repair the guard camera on top of one of the lighthouse’s warehouses.

Everything is happening at the same time! Katja points out that the military know how to synchronize things… Yup.

The museum folk want to know in which order the wooden panels, the cartons, the plaster and the tapestries were in the walls. We try our best to explains the architectural details in Swedish. We find out that the room we have been clearing belonged to the lighthouse watch guard. Hence the telegraph on the wall.

They are impressed on the work the Lighthouse Society has done since May. At first, the museum folk seem somewhat worried that we might have destroyed some historical layers; finally, however, they like to see that our work has improved the bad condition of the historical building complex.

Meanwhile, the two repair men have checked out the camera. The fault is apparently not on the Märket system. The line that transfers the footage from here to the next island, Enskär, seems to be faulty in the other end, not here.

Then the time is 4 PM. The Marine Guard’s boat comes and picks up the museum folk. Before they have the time to leave, it is the return of the huge wasp. The repair men hurry in the middle of the Southern part of the reef and rise inside the helicopter.

I lean veeeeeery much back in the turmoil to shoot some photos as the wasp takes off. Almost fell down, but not quite.

The aftermath of all the fuss, we see more seals than ever during this watch week: atleast 20 heads. The seals are just as amazed as we are. They look stupefied turning their heads as periscopes. Some pop their heads up directly next to the Marine Guard’s watch boat.

What a day, wow – we on the bridge of the lighthouse agree.

 

 

Saturday 30.6.2007 – The old hankerchief trick

Yesterday evening we four off going lighthouse guards had a farewell party. We set up a small fire between some rocks and roasted marshmallows. Very delicious.

Then, as the night settled over the reef, we moved to the kitchen and cooked some tea. Stayed up late and talked about the meaning of little bit everything.

The moon rose pink orange, a bright round wonder between the clouds. Saw the frog of the reef and watched two huge spiders fighting on the window sill of the kitchen.

The two Katja have been sleeping in the lighthouse these last few nights; and before going to bed we got up on top of the lighthouse. We could see four neighbouring lighthouses. Felt like a castle maiden climbing the stairs with candles.

This morning we got up early to prepare both to receive some visitors from a voluntary fire brigade in Hammarland and the newcomers, Viveka and Auvo. Cooked three termoses full of coffee.
We were all excited to have almost 20 new people on the reef. How about speaking Swedish!?

The visitors came with two fast boats and landed without any difficulty on the Northern side of the reef.
We answered guestions fluently enough in Swedish and sold lots of caps, shirts and post cards. Nicely done, brigaders!

Tiina and JP went with the boats; we hugged each other warmly and sweared to write each other letters every week… Such nice new friends! Did as they do in melodramatic films and waved a hankerchief goodbye.

Now I am sitting in shelter of the wind rising from South. Katja’s and my ride to Eckerö is supposed to come at 4 PM and bring two more new lighthouse keepers and some people from a group called ”Most travelled people”.
They are people who travel around the globe to collect points from different countries. From Finland, you get three points: Finland, Åland and Märket. Figure that out, Märket is its own country!

Well, was nice to write to you and we will miss Märket.

Will come back!
Katja Kuokkanen over and out. Märket continues.