When it's cold and foggy, as it's been most of the summer, we have to light a fire in the woodstove almost every night. This means hauling up wood from the beach, then sawing, chopping and stacking it every few days. Washing clothes and people is another time-intensive task. We use water from old cisterns left from the last inhabitants of Tatoosh. Although we try to restrict our showers to calm, sunny days, they've been few and far between this year.
Laundry is a soak, scrub and wring affair.
We don't have TV or radio, so our entertainment is a good dinner, conversation and an occasional card game. My assistants, Nathalie and Jill, are both cribbage aficionados. I feel like the most isolated person in the United States. I love living with the birds and know I'll miss them. However, I admit I'm really looking forward to a long, hot shower.