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I recently bought a lighthouse print from a lady on eBay. It was of Dumpling Rock, Massachusetts, and when I got the bid, I told her why it was so precious to me — my father was the lighthouse keeper there. I was born while my parents lived at Dumpling Rock. I sent her some information including a history of Cuttyhunk, where my father was also keeper.
Well, she did me a huge favor. She has another friend she called right away. This friend, Barbara, and her husband live at Round Hill, which is where Mom and Dad would row ashore while at Dumpling Rock. Barbara called me and did we ever click right away. She said, “Boy oh boy, do I need to talk to you.” It happens they have a very nice sailboat and they do Buzzards Bay and have not only been to Cuttyhunk numerous times, but also went ashore at Dumpling Rock! She takes wonderful pictures and she wanted me to identify some foundations at Cuttyhunk and also see if I could tell her anything about the pictures at Dumpling. So, she sent me these wonderful pictures of this and we are comparing notes.
She made me cry too — joy tears. She asked me if my parents had planted daffodills at Cuttyhunk out at the lighthouse. Indeed, they did. Mom had gotten a huge amount of mail-order bulbs that Dad scoffed at ever coming up. She planted patches all over the place and while we were there they did come up. Well, we left there in 1946!
Barbara said, “Did you parents plant daffodills? Because there was a huge overgrown patch there that I took half of — and I’m glad to tell you, the patch at Cuttyhunk now blooms very well and the other half blooms in my garden in Dartmouth,” and she sent me a picture of both. Yes! They were Mom’s cheap and nearly white daffodills.
What a wonderful feeling this was and is to know that while we left in 1946 there is a growing memorial there for each of us.
Yes, I cried. I think Barbara and I are going to be famous friends.
Seamond Ponsart Roberts grew up at Massachusetts lighthouses and now lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is working on a book about her lighthouse memories.
This story appeared in the July 2001 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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