Wednesday, June 1 Battery Point Lighthouse Day 1

We began our orientation for the lighthouse by meeting Karen at the Del Norte County Historical Museum and having an orientation on the point-of-sale ipad system used in the gift shop.  We learned how to identify items and ring up merchandise.  We learned how to balance the drawer register and what to do with the cash.  Karen gave us a brief tour of the museum, including the giant lighthouse lens that was at St. George.

Next, we drove to the lighthouse and met Dave and Myna Wilson, the out-going keepers.  We took two loads of suitcases and various bags via the 4 wheeler ATV.  Good thing it has high clearance as I had to negotiate some big rocks to get back and forth to the parking lot.  Dave gave me a tour of the old boathouse where tools and paint are stored as well as the old oil house where wood is stored for the wood burning stoves in the bedrooms.  Afterward, we toured the attached shed where we store the 4 wheeler, mower, weed wacker, and gasoline.  All of this information will be important for the upkeep of the grounds.

We moved through the facility and Dave showed me the spot timer, circuit breaker and fuel pellets in the basement.  We looked at the old weight ways, or enclosures of the cables that used to operate the lens turnining mechanisms of prior lenses.  We passed through the bedroom areas and looked at heating and bath details.  We found where the spare halogen bulbs and cotton gloves are kept in the event we need to change the lighthouse bulb.  Last, we climbed the narrow metal circular metal staircase to the lighthouse tower and light.  We dicussed tour safety and talking points and Dave pointed out where the voltage cut-off switch was.  

Dottie arrived and we bid farewell to the Wilsons, and went through our third orientation of the day.  Dottie went over the rules of the house and a few tour pointers.  No open flames in the house.  Also she prefer the tours be segmented where possible and hand-off occur to keep a better flow of traffic during busy times,  as opposed to one person conducting the four section tour on their own.  The four sections to the tour are the original parlor, the sitting room, the bedrooms on the second level, and of course, the light tower and light on the third level.

After Dottie left, we locked up and went for groceries at the local Safeway.  We carried them all back across the narrows and up the walkway and it was as much as we could do without the ATV!  We put our provisions away and Teare unpacked while I walked the grounds seeing who was still on the point despite the rising tide.   

As I walked around, I gave recommendations for the last to leave.  This included a woman from Australia, a lady from Oklahoma, two fisherman down on the rocks, and a group of girls who waited a bit too long and had to walk through the shallow but icy Pacific Ocean tide which had covered the walkway to the lighthouse.  This rocky hill will herein be refered to as “the rock”.

Pictured below are the lighthouse from an adjacent bluff, the back side of the lighthouse showing the old cistern, Fred the seagull - one of a pair of “pet” gulls who are regulars outside our door, Ginger was flying about at the time of the photo…, buoys and net floats that have washed ashore on our rocks, the walkway to the rock after the tide came in, and our first sunset on from the rock.   

As I write, Teare and I are on the rock and the sun is setting over a number of rock outcroppings as the waves pound the rocks below.  We are on an island now… And we are realizing how blessed we are to be having this amazing experience as day one draws to a close.  Signing off from Battery Point Lighthouse where the light is operational and sea conditions are good for navigation.  Come on out to visit…we’ll leave the light on!