Keeper’s Log Battery Point Lighthouse June 26

Teare got the day rolling with her famous blueberry pancakes.  We enjoyed them while looking out the window at the ocean from our radio room perch.  It is called the radio room as this is where the Coast Guard had their radios during the time they occupied the lighthouse.  There is still a 2 way radio in the corner of the room.  

Every Sunday morning, we wind the original Howard and Davis 1856 clock in the parlor.  This was presented to the lighthouse on Christmas Day of that year by the United States Lighthouse Establishment.  We wind it once a week and it keeps perfect time - as it has for 160 years.  When I climb the small step ladder, open the glass face, pull the old key and insert it, I feel a connection to the long list of lighthouse keepers who have performed the same task for the entire history of the lighthouse.  I take a tremendous sense of satisfaction in this humble task.   

I also fed Ginger and secured the old exterior access door to the basement cistern.   

We had the day off from tours and decided to spend the late morning and early afternoon off the point while the tours were here and the light was being attended.  We drove north of town to the Tolowa Dunes State Park and parked where the dunes meet the sea.   It was a foggy day and visability was a bit restricted.  We walked down the beach and discovered various rocks, shells, and agate.   Next, we hiked on the dunes on a trail which ran along the ocean.  The grass covered dunes had a footpath just wide enough for one person at a time.  The grass was of various heights and, at one point, waist high.  We ended up on the beach again, and returned to the car via the beach.  On the way, we encountered a family who was fishing.  They already had four fish in a bucket and the man was reeling in a perch as we walked by.  These fish would be tonight’s dinner.  This area has beaches, dunes, redwood forest, crystal clear rivers, farmland, and snow capped mountains.  If you love the outdoors, this is your kind of place! 

We drove down another road and tried to get a look at Lake Earl, a large fresh water lake within a State Park Wildlife Area.  The lake is a wildlife sanctuary.  It was tough to get a good look at it due to the marsh area that surrounds it.  

We were aware of our time constraints and headed back to Crescent City.  We stopped to get some light bulbs and have lunch on the way back to the lighthouse.  We returned just prior to the close of the tour day.  We were able to finish with the last of the visitors and let them browse the gift shop so the volunteers could leave for the day. 

Before long, the tide was in and we had the island to ourselves.  Teare wrote post cards while I read a short book about a local pioneer.  I fed Fred the seagull and he brought me a large wad of dried grass as a show of appreciation and dropped it at the picnic table.  He waddled over and stood next to me as I sat there.   It is just about time for sunset, but it is so overcast, it will simply fade to dark tonight.  It will also cut down on the tourists outside our window who will wander over for the sunset from our high rocky point. 

Our best to all!  Four days are all that remain of our lighthouse keeper month.  We will try to make the most of them!