Keeper’s Log Battery Point Lighthouse Tuesday, June 7

This morning the tide was out early and there were visitors on the point as early as 7:30.  I fed both Ginger and Fred at different times.  Ginger tends to eat and keep a close eye on me, then fly away.  Fred, on the other hand, will walk with me as I look over the tide basin even though I already put the food down for him.  As I walk back to the picnic table and sit down, then he will eat - almost as if to say “business before pleasure”.  I use a small tin cup to scoop the small cat food pellets.   I left the cup on the top of the table and that son of a gun tried to swipe my cup.  Now we know we have to keep an eye on Fred…if it’s not nailed down, he’ll take it if he thinks he can carry it!

We conducted tours from 10-11:30 this morning with the help of Bill and Gretchen Schmidt.  We had 55 guests and collected $143 in donations.  During one of the tours, a local guy described how they dismantled a large section of rock and turned it into the boulders used to construct the jetty that exits today.  The jetty is vital to the protection of the town from future tsunamis.  In 1964, a massive tsunami, triggered by an earthquake near Alaska caused extensive damage to Crescent City and was responsible for 11 deaths.  In 2011, when the Japan earthquake hit, Crescent City once again bore the brunt of the resulting tsunami, but due to the jettys and sea wall, the damage was minimal beyond high water and damaged boats in the harbor.  

I went out to check the remaining visitors on the point and met a family from Wala Wala, Washington.  We decided to let them in with their two small children.  The incoming tide would not permit a full private tour, so we headed directly to the top of the lighthouse tower.  I always include the fact that the tower and light are 77 feet above sea level and is visible 14 miles out to sea on a clear day.  A 6 foot man standing on the beach can see approximately 3 miles out to sea, so the higher a lighthouse light is, the better.  In our location on the top of the natural rock point, the structure does not have to be as high as others which are built on or close to sea level.

Afterward, I watched as the tide crept slowly in.  The tidal basin was full of people and I felt like I needed to hang out for a while.  Sure enough, I had to make three trips down to the basin to encourage people to turn around and splash their way back across the shallow water before it became deeper.  Finally, it seemed, I was off sheep dog duty and we could sit down to lunch at 1:00 PM.  

During lunch, I heard something and thought we had some people on the point.  We looked down in the greenish Pacific and here was a sea lion barking as he his way around the point.  After lunch, we relaxed and read a little.  Teare did a load of laundry.  

Later in the afternoon, California time, we Face Timed with son Billy and girlfriend Samantha.  

During dinner, two young men were sitting outside the radio room window on the picnic table just hanging out.   I went out after dinner and fed Ginger and visited with them.  One of them had a bicycle, so I suspected they were locals.  Again, I learned something from them.  They are students from the local high school.  While visiting with them, a grey whale came very close to the point shooting his spout spray 10 feet into the air.  One of them told me he was a surfer.  He pointed to a large island of rock west of Battery Point and informed me this was a bird and seal sanctuary.  He continued to say it also attracts a great white shark which comes around every so often.  If I were him, I would surf at the other end of town…

I fed Fred and he came to eat while I was still just a couple feet away.  After dinner, we decided to take advantage of the low tide and go for a walk.  After a brief chat from a couple from Sun City, Arizona we walked along the bluff and had some nice views back at the lighthouse.  It was misty to begin with and this turned into more of a light drizzle while we were halfway through the walk.   It is a dark, rainy night as I write.  If it gets any colder, I will stoke the wood burning stove that heats our bedroom.   Thanks for joining us on this great adventure.  B&T

Keeper’s Log Battery Point Lighthouse Monday, June 6

We continued to have heavy fog this morning.  We were due to have a school group of 3rd graders in from 9-10 AM followed by public tours from 10-11.  With this schedule in mind, we made sure to get breakfast and staighten up by 8:15.  I walked down the walkway to sweep and Dottie was coming up the hill.  Dottie is our main contact and advisor from the Historical Society.  She has a quick wit and an ornery sense of humor.  Let there be no mistake, she is our boss.   

We provided an update on the work we had performed and much of it she could see for herself.  Pleased with what we have done so far, she settled in and I gave her a cup of coffee.  Soon afterward, Bob, a local volunteer arrived.  I invited Bob in for coffee and Dottie devised a tour game plan.  Teare had baked oatmeal cookies for the school groups and we provided star fish for anyone who found two stars as a mini treasure hunt in the lighthouse.   One of the children was ill and threw up in our bathroom.  This was the only snag in the morning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

We had four small groups of third graders and another four groups of public tours from 10-11:30.   We had 46 total visitors, 26 school kids, and 20 adults.  $153.00 in donations.

After the tours were complete, both Dottie and Bob left and I walked down the path to sheep dog those who might want to cross the tidal basin.  Sure enough, there was a family from Colorado that had already crossed the narrow walkway.  I did not have to explain the tide pattern for long as the tide explained itself!  More wet feet…   I returned up the hill to have lunch on our private island in the Pacific…

After lunch and I fed Ginger, the sea gull.  The light continues to shine and all is well.  The day grew more windy as the hours went by.  Looking out from the tower, the white caps were racing toward us.  At one point the gulls were putting on a show of hovering in the wind at eye level.  All they had to do was face the wind, extend their wings and they were suspended in place.  

When we looked forward to this experience, we had visions of times when we could read and just look out over the ocean and soak it all in.  Today, after the tours and lunch, we had a chance to relax.  We both read a little.  I did some exercises.  Went up to the tower a couple times.  With the increased wind, the fog cleared and we had decent visibility for the first time in three days.  

We had dinner and went for a 2-3 mile walk on the bike path that originates at the parking lot for the lighthouse and fishing pier.  We discovered the Cultural Center, an aquarium and a local natatorium.  The trail finally ended near a campground, but a paved area brought you out to the 101near the Apple Peddler Restaurant at Elk Valley Road.   I jogged a little.  We both needed to get out and move a little.  

The sun has set once again and I noted that every window has a view in this lighthouse….even the bathroom.  One thing we are getting used to is people walking past our windows exploring the point.  Since this is public property, visitors are likely on the point until the tide dictates their departure….and even then there are those who are either unaware or not afraid to get wet and might try to hang out over here if we were not aware of them. 

Here are a few photos of the wind-swept seas from the lighthouse tower.  Have a great week everyone!

Teare and Bill 

    

Battery Point Lighthouse Keeper’s Log Sunday, June 5 Day 5

There was morning fog, but not as much as the previous two days.  Teare made pancakes for breakfast while I wound the original clock from 1856.  This clock was presented to the new lighthouse keeper, Theopolis Magruder on Christmas Day, as a gift from the National Lighthouse Establishment.  It is one of the few original clocks still in use and it keeps perfect time.  I noticed it’s pendulum was silent one hour after it stopped.   I wound it and it should not need winding for another week. 

After breakfast, I fed Ginger.  While I was feeding the gull, I noticed a family had been moving about.  The family included a mother and four children.  We visited for a while and I learned they were from Colorado Springs.  While chatting with them, the 7-8 year old boy with red hair asked if he could look around inside.  To this point, we had not given any private tours, but this is left to our discretion.  Teare was upstairs and I touched base with her as I wanted to do something special for them.  We showed them around and I think they appreciated it.  I especially like the time in the tour when I ask young kids about pirates and how they stored their treasures.  As they answer treasure chest, I point to the chest at the foot our our bed which is stocked with small toys and various trinkets. I then allow them to raid the treasure chest and select a toy of their choice.  Of course, the light tower is what most guests enjoy more than anything and they were no exception.

It was closing in on noon and Teare and I decided to knock out some personal notes, so we sat in the radio room and went to work.  I had checked the passage way prior and it appeared we had plenty of time.  As I peeked over the hillside, I was surprised to find the tide had come in sooner than anticipated and WE were the ones who were going to have wet feet along with two other families who we encouraged to leave with us.  We paid for my misjudgement by stepping on rocks as much as possible, but ultimately, the tide flow of 3-5 inches was covering our path and we had to get our feet wet.  I considered removing my hiking shoes, but, the path is more rock than sand and many of the smaller rocks are sharply pointed.  We visited with a couple families from Redding, CA. who made the crossing with us.  One of the men was originally from this area and his childhood memories included the eels that frequent the shallow tide waters.  Their children were digging rocks and shells from the constant tide action.

Bill and Gretchen Schmidt are the RV’ers who are volunteering this month.  In exchange for their time, the local Historical Society pays for their camping space where they have their RV parked.  We had planned to go to lunch with them and they picked us up in the parking lot opposite the lighthouse.  We went to a local place called Good Harvest.  We had been there before and had quality meals.  We learned more about each other and then drove to what appears to be a public park and veterens memorial,  It is actually a partial cemetary for the recoveverd bodies of the worst ship accident in West Coast maritime history.  This accident involved a ship known as Brother Jonathan.  This tragic accident occured in 1865 and resulted in the loss of 221 lives.  It happened off the coast at Point Saint George, which is approximately 7 miles north of Crescent City.  Because of the way St. George juts out in a prominant point, we actually see the St. George lighthouse in our northwestern sky as we follow the coastline from our lighthouse.  

We then went with the Schmidts to their 5th wheel trailer where we visited and met their dog Ben.  Afterward, we returned to our car and took a drive up the coastal road to Point Saint George.  It was so foggy, you could not see the tower shaped lighthouse.  We hiked around the area for a while and returned to Crescent City.  We feel that we can add more depth to our Battery Point tour and underscore the importance of the coastal lighthouses with our insight into the story of the Brother Jonathan.

We returned to our post at Battery Point.  We watched the Cavs lose game two of the NBA Finals…tough to watch.  At halftime, I fed the gulls, which I believe to be the offspring of Fred and GInger.  Like siblings, they fought over the food I put out on the yard for them.  

It remains foggy to the time of this writing - so basically all day…  The sun is setting now at 8:43, but everyone in Ohio has been in bed for at least an hour…  I observed a banana slug on the walk to the work shop tonight.  My final act was to convince two interested parties to turn back as they were starting to cross the shallow tide basin at 9:25 PM.  Our tours resume tomorrow.

Thanks for your interest in our blog. 

  

Keeper’s Log Friday, June 4 Day 4 Battery Point Lighthouse

We awoke to another foggy morning…really socked in this time.  The early morning temperature was 61 degrees and it stayed that way all day.  From prior research, this is the average temperature for June in Crescent City.  No wonder we see so many guests from Arizona and New Mexico!    

The access path washed over at 10:30 AM…  Not a lot of sheep-dogging in the morning (that is what I call my twice daily walks to recommend to tourists unaware that they may be stranded here that they may want to consider returning to the main land).  There was a nice couple from East Central Illinois who were the last to exit.  

Due to the timing of the tide, the lighthouse was not open for tours today.  The combination of a closed lighthouse and no visitors was a perfect opportunity to do some work.  After breakfast it was chore time.  This is the other reality of being a lighthouse keeper…the lighthouse is a museum, gift shop, national historic site, a working lighthouse, a tour destination April through September, and our home.  It needs cleaning on a regular basis due to the foot traffic and the environment.  

Teare tackled the two story stairwell while I cleaned all the glass on the outside and inside of the lighthouse tower.  Next she cleaned the bedrooms while I did all the transom glass and all the windows on the second floor.  She continued to wipe everything down and dust as I moved outside and mowed the grass.  This is not like mowing a conventional yard…as there are places where the area to mow is only as wide as the mower itself, and the 30 foot cliff is unforgiving if you are not careful.

After mowing, I weed-wacked areas that are too uneven and rocky for a lawn mower.  Teare continued cleaning.  We worked continuously until after 3:00 PM.  We cleaned up and went into town for a grocery run and dinner out.  We went to the Chart House, a local sea food favorite, and had a great dinner.  

We returned with time to make the crossing.  There were three groups walking around the lighthouse when we arrived.  The last off was a group of college students from Oregon.  They had been climbing on the rocks and thankfully, all were accounted for as they left.  

I fed Fred and he gave me the treatment for being late tonight…  After Fred flew away, I observed his nightly ritual.  He, along with a few other gulls, will fly down to the foot ramp and beach and hang out to see what the tide delivers to them.  They work us for appetizers and let the ocean deliver the main course.  The gulls know exactly what they are doing here.  

The fog has returned and the Western sea has an orange hue but no trace of the sun.

So today was dominated by chores.   Sorry this could not be more entertaining.  At least it’s realistic.  Even as I write Teare is back upstairs cleaning.  Woo Hoo -  Saturday night in the Lighthouse!

Here’s a few photos of a new extreme sport called cliff mowing followed by a shot of the light providing safety and navigation for ships at sea on a foggy night.  The last shot shows the tide closing off the exit from our beautiful Battery Point…   Let’s revisit later…it’s bound to be more interesting…

Friday June 3 Battery Point Lighthouse Day 3

We awoke to morning fog which burned off by 10:00 AM. While we ate breakfast, Fred the seagull was staring at me as if to say Forgetting Something?!?... so I took my little tin cup with cat food outside...  Fred gobbled his food down like it was the last meal he would ever eat.  My next order of business was to check the width of the walkway.  I noticed there was something not far behind me…here came Fred waddling along behind me and as I stopped to look down over the path, Fred went to higher ground, turned his back to me and did the same!  It was as if he was helping me! 

The colored water barometer in the parlor showed steady, clear weather.  Since the tide was not due to be in for another forty five minutes, I walked up to the Ocean Front Lodge, a nearby hotel, to mail some cards.  While there, I also checked on our car which is parked there.  On the way back, I provided warnings to a few folks that their window to leave the lighthouse grounds was beginning to close.  Many of those people have no idea since they are not from the area.

Once back at the Lighthouse and after it became an island once more, it was time to catch up on some writing.  Teare and I had lunch on the picnic table outside the kitchen.  While eating our lunch, we spotted grey whales swimming and blowing their spouts as they made their way past the lighthouse and further out to sea.

Sharon, a local volunteer, came out a little before 3:00 PM and we became acquainted.  We determined how we would divide the tours and opened the doors.  Despite the fact that the tour schedule was only 3-4 today, the last tour ran late and we did not finish until closer to 5.  It is really difficult to move people efficiently through narrow spiral staircases and up and down a ladder in the lighthouse tower.  We had a group of young people who had attended Simpson University in Redding - the same school as our son-in-law, Brett.  One of them was a young man from Boliver, Ohio.  During that time, we hosted 37 guests and received $137.00 in donations.  Teare had a nice balanced register at the end of the day, so everyone felt like the tour portion of the day was a success.    

Teare and I went for a walk before dinner on the fishing pier.  We noticed a large octopus had washed ashore at the walkway.  Just like everyone else, we paused to look at it.  Many of the fishermen off the pier were using traps as opposed to poles. 

As we finished dinner, we noticed more whales.  We believe them to be California Grey Whales.  Afterward, I fed Ginger and I believe the two younger gulls may belong to Fred and Ginger.  They are both old enough to fly, but I noticed they still return to the same spot and Ginger appears to be on the lookout.  

As the evening tide approached, I once again made my rounds and recommended that people not chance the crossing over rocks that remain unseen under the water.   An island once more, Teare and I went up to the old water tower remains to view the sunset.

  

We feel we are starting to get into a rhythm on the rock and part of that is in the anticipation of when you can be outside and when you need to “mind the store”.   The Lighthouse is closed all day tomorrow and we know we have more chores to do…

We are closing the day writing a few notes.  We hope everyone has a great weekend! 

        

Thursday, June 2 Battery Point Lighthouse Day 2

Today, we woke up in a lighthouse.  We rolled over and looked out the window and there was the Pacific Ocean continuing to wash over the rocks below.  We had breakfast in the old radio room and the phone rang.  It was Renee from Phoenix, Arizona.  She is getting married and coming to this area for her honeymoon.  I reviewed the tide schedule for June and advised her of the best time to arrive in order to tour the lighthouse and stay dry doing so.  The tide schedules vary and twice a day the rock becomes an island as the tide comes in and covers the pathway to the lighthouse.  

It was time for chores, and since we were still an island, I went outside and fed Ginger, the sea gull, then weed wacked the walkways.  Afterwards, I replaced the battery in the smoke and fire alarm.  Next, came tour rehearsal.  After lunch, we cleaned up and prepared for our tour guests.

The Historical Society, which operates the lighthouse, offers a free place to park the RV to folks who volunteer at the lighthouse.   Bill and Gretchen Schmidt, our acting RV co-hosts, arrived and we became acquainted.  We clarified our tour assignments (Teare on the register and in the Gift Shop, Gretchin in the Parlor, I would be on the second floor, and Bill would take the tower).  

People were lined up outside the door prior to our opening time of 2:00.  Soon we were conducting tours continuously for 2 hours.  In that time, we had 56 visitors.  I enjoyed doing the tours.  The guests were from all over the world.  

After dinner, I did a walk-about around the rock to warn folks that soon the land upon which the lighthouse sits will become an island.  One gentleman from Japan was the last one off.  He did not make it with dry feet…

I returned to feed Fred the sea gull.  Ginger, his mate, was no where to be seen.  We were able to watch the first NBA Finals game and were sorry to see a game one loss.  We focused on our responsibilities today and did not take photos, but stay tuned for more to follow.  

The sun is now setting over the Pacific and the day is drawing to a close.  The light is operational and all is well.

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!