Keeper’s Log Battery Point Lighthouse June 30

We are going out with a bang on our final day!  We climbed the tower at 12:40 AM to see the stars.  We had to wait until after midnight since this is when the spotlight which illuminates the lighthouse goes off.  We saw the stars in between flashes of the beacon light.  The reflections of the lights from the city also posed an obstruction.  Still we had a great view of the big dipper and the most recognizable constellations.  

The day dawned perfectly sunny and getting more windy as the day goes on.  I was up early and took some morning photos of the lighthouse and surrounding area.  As I crossed the tidal basin and rounded the corner to climb up the ramp by the parking lot, I came upon a raccoon.  We were both a bit surprised!  When the racoon was satisfied I was just moving through, it went on about its business.  On the way back, I pushed a few large rocks out of the path I plan to take when I bring the ATV to the mainland later in the day.

Next, I raked all the gravel on the walkways as it tends to go down over the embankments and gets into the flowers and ice plant.  Fred waddled along side of me as I raked the area close to the lighthouse.  As reward for his help, I fed him.  Again, he hung out after his modest meal of cat food, and we talked.  

We had breakfast and used up more of our remaining food.  Afterward,  I packed everything I would need for Oregon into one bag and everything that would wait for our return trip to Ohio in the other bag.  

After breakfast, I cleaned the tower glass inside and out.  With our work over the past month, I can plainly attest we are leaving the lighthouse in better condition than we found it.  Once Teare had packed, I fired up the ATV and took a load to the car.  This way, we will only have to make one trip tomorrow morning when we meet the new keepers.  At that time we will transfer all keys and leave the ATV in the parking lot so they can use it to move in.  Fortunately, the couple coming in for July have been here several times before, so we will not have to orient them like new keepers would require.

After I took the load to the car, it was time to straighten up for our tour schedule.  We wanted to have this done a bit early so we could visit a bit with the Schmidts who we have worked with the most on tours.  Since it is unlikely we will work with them in the future, this will be our last chance to visit with them until we return to Oregon where they live, or they visit us in Seville.

Our tours ran from 1:00 - 4:00 today and all went smoothly. Afterward, I played sheep dog a bit warning tourists about the incoming tide.  

We had dinner, and then visited with Teare’s sister Norleen and her husband Jim Hoadley via Facetime.   Afterward, I swept the stairway and Teare vacuumed upstairs.  Now it is time to make this final post from the lighthouse.

It has been a great experience and we will take these memories with us from this time forward.  It has been a stretch role for two people from Ohio to assume the duties of lighthouse keepers simply because it was our month!  Learning the history behind every stick of furniture and the lighthouse, supervising volunteers, running a gift shop, and changing beacon fuses and lights were all new to us.  Visiting with every new tourist was the easy part!  Thanks to the Del Norte County Historical Society for their faith and confidence in us.  Thanks to the many volunteers over the past month who have worked with us on tours. Special thanks to Dottie and Karen who mentored us and taught us how to run the lighthouse, register, and kept us supplied.  Finally, thanks to all who joined us on this journey.  

If you like the sport of Track and Field, you are welcome to continue to monitor this blog as I report highlights from the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.  We will be there from July 1-10.  We will drive our car to Redding, California, and fly home from there, leaving our car with Brett and Betsy.  I call that phase 3 of our adventure.  Phase 4 comes in September when we fly to California and drive back across the country taking a different route!

Signing off from Battery Point Lighthouse where the light is operational, tide is rising, and visibility is estimated at 5 nautical miles.

Bill and Teare