Status Updates From Lighthouse by Tony Parker (...

“The morning watch’s my favourite, four o’clock to midday’s best because you see the dawn. You extinguish the light at sunrise and every time it’s my watch and I do it, it gives me a thrill. It’s like you’re in charge of starting the day; the light’s done its job so you’re letting the sun take over. It feels really good.

I checked this out from the library ages ago, when Phasma was still alive. It’s in the background of a bunch of photos of her. Not reading it and not returning it is a little grief ritual I’ve been trapped in, and now that I’m home with a sinus infection it seems like a good time to face these things. Unfortunate that this very good book is inexorably tied to the sudden death of my beloved cat ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This was a fascinating piece of history. The author gives an in depth glimpse into the lives of lighthouse keepers and their families in the 70s. The book is a nice snapshot of largely lost profession. I found the intimate moments of enjoyment and frustration genuine. I felt like I really started to understand what it could be like to be stationed remotely as a keeper on a lighthouse.