The seal came back yesterday evening. We were all sitting on the terrace eating garlic bread and admireing the scenery. It was Ari who noticed the silhouette of the seal against the bright sunshine. There it was, on the cliff close to Märket, waving its fin to us.

This morning the rain started soon after seven. Some of us woke up wondering what that new sound might be. After several days of sunshine and such a beautiful sunset last night nobody expected the weather to chance during our stay. It is however very good to us to get a reminder of the fact that the lighthousekeepers must calmly accept any kind of weather.

The peace and harmony in the ligthouse was soon disrupted when Ari took a drill, put on the ear protectors and started to work. He wanted to locate the chimney of the corner room in the first floor.



Because of the rain, hammering of the wall was not continued today. Pasi wanted to and was allowed to make a birdhouse for a goldeneye, bucephala clangula. It is now hanging on the wall of the ligthouse wellcoming a bird to nest sometime in March or April next year.



For lunch we had mushroom soup with home baked bread. Irma had brought dryed mushrooms picked from forest. We started brainstorming and someone suggested that the cellar of the lighthouse could offer perfect conditions to grow mushrooms. Today you can even buy a beginner´s kit for cultivation, so it would be easy to get started. Wouldn´t it be nice to get fresh mushrooms instead of the sliced ones in a tin.

Lilla Märket was built in 1939. Thanks to Roope, today it got the "floor heating" which is easy to turn on and off. The wood is so much nicer under the feet than bare concrete.

In case of a rainy day it is good to have some entertainment. Roope and Irma donated the traditional "mölkky"-game to the lighthouse society. This version is ment to be played inside and today it gave much exitement and fun to the crew.



The fishing has not been a total disaster after all. When last checked, there was one sculpin and one burbot. The catch was not big enough to feed the whole crew, but it is a start anyway.

Now we are listening to the wind slightly worried. The weather broadcast promised hard wind for tomorrow. The swich is ment to happen then and we are expecting the new grew in the morning. Ari and Teija will stay but the six of us must return back to our every day lives. We just got started and now the week is over. It was a great week and a good start for the summer. We thank the lighthouse society and wish to return back to Märket one day.

Seija, Irma, Roope, Penni, Maaret, Pasi, Emil, Ari and Teija.