Friday, September 30, 2022

Battery Point Keeper's Log

Welcome to our final blog post from Battery Point Lighthouse!

I was putting up the flag this morning and a man saw me and started into a run toward me.  At first, I did not know what to make of it.  I did not feel any threat, but wondered what he was up to.  In broken English, he asked that he have the honor of putting up the American flag.  He was of Asian American heritage.  I let him put up the flag and his face just beamed.  

We conducted tours from 9:00-10:30.  We had 20 visitors and collected $394.44 in donations and sales. 

Teare and I in front of the 166 year old Hayward & Davis "Banjo" Clock 

 We concluded our tours and were sad to say goodbye to our RV volunteers. We were very fortunate to have two volunteer tour docents who love what they do and enjoy meeting people in Cary and Millie.  Fun fact about Cary - he went to high school with Linda Ronstadt.  They have served for several years at Battery Point, and are from Tucson, AZ.

Cary Birenbaum and Millie Bentley

After morning chores, Teare organized and stocked the gift shop.  Next, we collected all donations both from inside and outside the lighthouse.  We counted it by denomination and included the totals in our official keeper's log.  

After lunch, I went around the entire property and weeded.  Next, I raked the gravel walkways.  There was a flock of small birds in the cypress tree while I worked.  I took a break and a gray seal kept tabs on me.  I took his photo, but it turned out very grainy.  Teare also took a moment to enjoy one of the nicest days we have had the entire month.

I went on to clean the tower glass and sweep steps from the tower to the first floor.  Teare mopped the entire lighthouse! 

Our 5th Order Fresnel Lens in the Tower

I vacuumed both the first and second floor.  Teare had closed the register, and was re-stocking and organizing for the next keeper's.  To prepare for this transition, we made a list to review with the next keeper's.  

As the afternoon tide subsided some folks made their way over to the lighthouse.

Here is a couple visiting from India:

After dinner, I went out to take a picture of the sunset.  I ended up meeting quite a variety of nice people.

Cary from Redding, CA

I met a wonderful couple from outside Portland, OR.  They were celebrating their 28th Wedding Anniversary.  In honor of the occasion, I invited them in to the lighthouse for a private tour.  They enjoyed their personal lighthouse and Wendy claimed it was the perfect end to their day! 

Robert and Wendy Tesulov

Tomorrow, we hand the keys over to the next keeper's, and that will do it for our 2022 stay.

Thank you for following the blog!  It has been a pleasure and an honor to care for such a special place.

We hope you have enjoyed joining us on this adventure!  

In the words of Fred the Seagull... "Muck, Muck, Muck" - which loosely translated means, God Bless until we meet again.

Keeper's Bill and Teare signing off from Battery Point Lighthouse.

Thursday, September 29. 2022

Battery Point Lighthouse Keeper's Log

Welcome back to the blog!  We also welcomed sunny skies back to the Crescent City coast this morning. 

I wanted to include a photo from last night's visit with Dottie:

This is the wonderful lady who gave us the opportunity to be lighthouse keepers

We had enough time to do morning chores, have breakfast, and prepare to open for a 9:00-10:30 tour schedule.  The tides have shifted to where we now are open in the mornings again.  We hosted 27 visitors and collected $300.77 in donations and sales.   We had a bit of urgency toward the end of the tour period when some guests wanted to cut their visit short.  This was in response to a report from the tower that the tide was coming in fast!

After the tours, Teare and I noticed the sea was very churned up and was sending spray high into the air.  We took a moment to scramble down the rocks and shoot this video:

   

We saw several seals and once where there were four together.  Unfortunately, we did not get a photo to share with you here.  The wind really picked up in the afternoon!  This was probably the windiest day yet, and contributed to the high wave action.

We were excited to have some first time visitors from Durango, Colorado.  Tony and Chris Vicari stopped by on their way to Trinidad, California.  This also happened to be their anniversary, so Happy Anniversary Chris and Tony!  Tony is the son of friends Tony and Sue Vicari.  Thanks for sharing part of your special day with us!

Teare, Tony & Chris

Teare, Chris Vicari, me, Tony Vicari

Since this was to be our second to last day at the lighthouse, we have been preparing for the transition to the new keeper's.  Part of that is to ensure the living quarters are stocked with every day necessities.  I also refilled all power equipment, including the ATV so that I could refill the gas container.  It took nearly $20 to buy 2.5 gallons of gas.  Never have I paid over $7.00 for a gallon of gas, but there it is...  Welcome to California...

We had a number of visitors who came out to catch a beautiful sunset.  One guy was riding his bike from northern Oregon to his home in the San Francisco Bay area.  It was nice to see everyone enjoying the day in this beautiful place.  I fed Fred and Janice way out on the rocks due to the high foot traffic and the late high tide.  The things I do for them...  Janice, who is usually the more cautious of the two, let Teare get close this afternoon when we were out on the rocks.  I considered that a compliment to Teare in that Janice has come to trust her.

We cleaned up from dinner and I brought in the flag.  Teare was cleaning our book racks in the entry way and rearranging the books.  

This leaves us with our final day at the Lighthouse tomorrow.  I will post one more entry, then we will begin our drive to Ohio.  This will take 11 days due to stops and visits along the way.  Check back with us tomorrow for our final keeper's log. 

Keeper's Teare and Bill signing off from a windy Battery Point.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Battery Point Lighthouse Keeper's Log

Welcome back!  Today began with a steady drizzle.  I put the gull food out on the rocks as there were people walking around by 7:00AM.  I chatted with a hearty couple from Iowa who were not going to let the rain stop them.  I made a hiking trail recommendation for them in the redwoods.  The rain stopped around 10 AM.  Teare and I worked inside today.  She was on a mission to clean the curtains.  This was a mission she accomplished!  I swept the tower steps and took some time to read a little.  

I noted some serious wave action below.   The photo below was taken just outside the radio room at lighthouse ground level.  At this point, we are approximately 46 feet above sea level.  Note the spray nearly reaching the top of the rock!  

I scrambled down the rocks for a better view of the surf crashing against the island.  Here is a video:

I checked the tidal basin close to high tide.  You would not want to try to cross at this time!

Note who is watching over me as I climb on the rocks:

Here is a photo of the lighthouse from below:

We enjoyed a visit from Dottie Nuszkiewicz.  As part of our farewell week, we had Dottie over for dinner.  Dottie was the former supervisor of the lighthouse keepers.  While she is no longer in that role, she lives nearby and we enjoy her company.

We did the evening chores and cleaned up from dinner.

Thank you for following the blog!  Here's wishing you a very pleasant day!

Keeper's Bill and Teare

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Battery Point Lighthouse Keeper's Log

Teare had some cards to mail so she walked to the car and drove to the Post Office.  When she returned, we had breakfast together.  It was a misty, cool, overcast morning but it was not fogged in.  I was hoping for some sunshine so the grass would dry, as I wanted to get some yard work done.  To bide my time, I raked the gravel walks and did some weeding by hand.  I filled the ATV, lawn mower, and weed whacker with gas.  It was still a little damp, but I started mowing since I wanted to cut the grass on the entire property.  I started with the lower sections and the big fenced-in area.  How often are you mowing on a cliff overlooking the ocean?

Pelicans flying at eye level

This work took me up to lunch.  After lunch, I mowed the upper areas and refilled the mower with gas for the next time.  Once again, I trimmed every nook and cranny in the property.  There was a lot to be done on the lower hillside.  Since some clippings fell on the  paved areas, I grabbed a push broom and a straw broom and made my way down the walk.  By the time I finished, it was late afternoon.  

We had a variety of visitors once the tidal basin water receded.  One nice couple was from Kansas and gave me some tips on things to see when we make our way home through their state.  There were two young ladies from the Portland area (by way of New Jersey), who were enamored with the lighthouse.  I wanted to enhance their experience, so I invited them to feed the gulls with me.  I explained that we feed the gulls so they continue to do their important work, which is to chase other gulls away and keep bird waste down on the rock.  I told them how Fred shadows me when I do my chores.  They really seemed to enjoy hearing these tidbits, and took several photos of Fred and Janice.

The celebrities of the rock

We had invited Karen and Steve Betlejewcki over for dinner, so Teare was busy preparing a meal.    Karen works at the Del Norte Historical Society and is the person who oversees our merchandise and sales in the gift shop.  Teare made a blackberry cobbler from the last of the blackberries which were given to us by a visitor. We had a nice meal and visit.  There was a nice sunset, which we all enjoyed after dinner.

Teare's delicious blackberry cobbler

Afterward, we cleaned up and are both ready for a quiet end to a busy day!

We hope you are enjoying the blog!  Only three days remain.  We'll check back with you tomorrow!

This is Teare and Bill signing off from Battery Point Lighthouse, surrounded by calm seas.

Monday, September 26, 2022

Battery Point Lighthouse Keeper's Log

This was the first of three days without tours.  Teare noted that this would be a good day to take our final off-site adventure.  We decided to drive north to Oregon and set Cape Blanco as our target.  We did the morning duties and we were on our way!  We decided to take Lower Harbor Drive in Brookings, Oregon and check out the the marina area.  Here we stopped at the Bell & Whistle Coffee Shop and enjoyed a couple scones.

Brookings, Oregon Harbor

We continued north on a foggy US 101.  There was no temptation or opportunity to stop at one of the many overlooks or trails, since everything was so fogged in.  (It was the same in Crescent City.)  We drove a side road at Pistol River which was very nice and ended up back at 101.  We drove through the coastal towns of Gold Beach and Port Orford before we arrived at Cape Blanco.  The Cape Blanco Lighthouse is at the end of a 6 mile road that runs through the Cape Blanco State Park.  It sits majestically on a hill.  To get to it, you have to walk about 3/4 of a mile down and then up the hill.  It is a completely different set up than the lighthouse at Battery Point.  The lighthouse is simply the entrance way and the tower, with no living quarters.  The keeper's over the years had a separate home they occupied which is no longer there.  the Fresnel lens is a 1.5 order lens which still revolves due to an electric spring mechanism.  We took the tour and I enjoyed learning about the different lens and what it took to operate that lighthouse.  It was not until the end of the tour that we shared we were the keeper's at Battery Point!  Of course, that was the source of a bunch of questions at their end!  It was very windy up at the parking area which was a narrow pass between the Sixes River Valley and the ocean to the north and the giant cliffs and ocean to the south. 

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Down the hill from the lighthouse was the historic Patrick and Jane Hughes House.  It belonged to a dairy farmer who became well known for his butter and cream operation.  It turns out the bricks used in the lighthouse came from the clay and kilns from the Hughes property.  One of the Hughe's sons became a keeper at the Cape Blanco lighthouse.  The home was beautiful and full of period furniture.  It was built in 1898.  It is considered one of the best preserved, unaltered, late nineteenth-century homes in this region.

The Patrick and Jane Hughes House

We stopped in Port Orford at the Golden Harvest Restaurant for lunch.  We ate at an outside picnic table and I no sooner sat down then a crow nailed me from a tree branch above!  Fortunately, I did not have my sandwich on the table at the time!

Our drive south was pleasant and the fog did permit some stunning views from time to time.

We did some shopping once back in Crescent City.  On the way across the tidal basin, I noted a bicycle which had several saddle bags on it and was obviously on a long-haul trip.  I talked to the cyclist who was sitting on a log and he shared that he had started his bike ride in Montreal and was headed to the southern tip of Argentina!  Now that's a Cross-Country ride!

Teare and I had dinner and we settled back into our lighthouse home.

Evening chores were performed and now we reach the end of the day.  It was a fun day of exploring the Oregon coast.  I would recommend it to anyone!

Keeper's Teare and Bill wishing you a good night.

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Battery Point Lighthouse Keeper's Log

It was a foggy day from beginning to end.  I thought it might burn off, but it never did.  It would look a bit brighter, then a whole new blanket of white enveloped us and we were once again living in a snow globe where the entire outside world was a where the snow was!

I usually observe the sabbath as a day of rest on Sundays.  Here, if the lighthouse is open for tours, there is work to be done.  My day began with the flag and the gulls.  Once again, the gulls knew there were people about, so they were slow to come get their food.  Next I swept the lower walk where the ocean was lapping up over the paved surface.  I was using a push broom on a big pile of rocks and shells when I looked up and saw a wave larger than me coming in.  By the time it curled, crashed and spread forward, it came within feet of me on the sloped incline.  That got my attention!  

Since we had a day away yesterday, there was also inside work.  I wound the 166 year old banjo clock and vacuumed the first and second floor. 

We had lunch and relaxed a bit before our tours.  We called brother Art and sister-in-law Kathy for our usual Sunday visit.  The tours ran from 3:30-5:00.  We had 34 guests and collected $323.84 in donations and sales.  We had a couple families where the parents had grown up in the area and wanted their children to see the lighthouse.  

After the tours, we video chatted with our dear friends Tony and Sue Vicari.  Tony works for Westfield Insurance and he and Sue live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 

Later, when I went to feed the gulls, they were nowhere to be seen.  Once again, as I walked by I noted a man standing down in the rocks.  That explained why the gulls were not in their usual perch.  It was starting to get dark and I made another swing and two more guys came up out of the rocks.  I asked "Can I help you?"  They responded that they were paying respects to the guy's father who had previously had his ashes scattered over the same rocks.  We chatted a while. I expressed my condolences, and they moved on down the hill.  I turned to see a couple walking up with a young girl.  The man was carrying a dog.  Outside of service dogs, we do not permit dogs on the property.  It looked like my work was not done...  We talked a while and I learned the guy's lady friend had never seen the ocean.  This was her first view of it....fog, dark and crashing against the rock.  I was happy she saw her first ocean here, but still had to explain our policy.  Turns out the guy was the pilot of a carrier in the Navy.  He was very good about it and soon they walked back down the dark path, still carrying the dog...

It was a full day.   We hope everyone who reads this blog will have a good day as well!

Keeper's Bill and Teare signing off from a dark, foggy rock. 

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Battery Point Lighthouse Keeper's Log

Welcome back!

This morning, we took advantage of a favorable tide to go exploring.  We drove down to Klamath, California and had breakfast at the Forest Cafe.  Afterwards, we visited the "Trees of Mystery".  Teare and I had stopped at this private attraction before, but chose not to enter.  This time, we agreed to give it a shot.  We began our visit with an informative walking trail through the redwoods.  Trees were identified and some unusual trees were reviewed via audio recording.  

Afterward, we climbed to viewing platforms which were anywhere from 50 to 100 ft high during a tree-top canopy walk.  The walkways were suspended between giant redwoods with ropes and cables.  This provided a different perspective on the forest.  

After climbing back down to the forest floor, we continued on the main trail.  Along the walk, we encountered the "Brotherhood Tree", a 297 ft. redwood giant that is over 2000 years old.  The tree is 19 ft in diameter and 58 ft in circumference.  

Next, we boarded an enclosed gondola lift to the top of the ridge.  Here we had scenic overlooks.  

My favorite was to the west where the fog was working its way up the valley from the sea.  

We ended our walk at the gift shop/museum.  The trail exit took you directly to the gift shop - imagine that!  While we did not give them much business other than a post card to put in my journal, we did stop in the American Indian Museum.  We had heard good things about this museum from lighthouse visitors.  The museum is full of artifacts from various tribes and nations around the USA which would make the Smithsonian proud.

We drove around Klamath before heading back north on US 101.  We took a side trip to see the mouth of the Klamath River, but the ocean front area was so fogged in, we could barely see the water! 

We returned to Crescent City via the beautiful forest areas south of town.  After a quick stop for lunch and chat with Betsy, we went grocery shopping.  It was 2:35 when we reached the tidal basin.  The main walk was still under water and we had to give a tour beginning at 3:00!  We took turns stepping rock to rock and handing the groceries back and forth until we tightroped the pipe!  We did it and then climbed up the hill!  Millie and Cary were right behind us and we opened on time!  Whew!

This being the weekend and a gorgeous day, we had a steady stream of visitors.  The final tally from 3-5 showed 45 guests and collections of $194.50.  The last group of the day included three ladies from Utah who I had met the day before.  

We straightened up from the tour and then watched the Ohio State game.  We have had the best luck getting the OSU games out here!  The favorable outcome with Wisconsin was also a plus!  Teare balanced the register and I fed the gulls and brought in the flag.  Now it is time to settle in and call it a day!

We wish you a good night.

Keeper's Teare and Bill