Keepers Log Sunday, September 23

We can't believe another week has passed since last Sunday.  It feels like we wound the 1856 banjo clock just 3 or 4 days ago... The banjo winding is a Sunday ritual, and in a way, helps us mark the time.  If you are wondering why we never include photos from the inside of the lighthouse, it is because it is not permitted.  All I can tell you is, it is absolutely "in period", especially in the parlor and the Piland bedroom.  ("In Period" meaning mid to late 1800's.)

After feeding a hungry set of gulls, and putting up the flag, I did my usual walk around sweeping and looking for litter.  There is usually not a lot of litter, and I always appreciate that.  Teare cleaned the kitchen, dusted the dining room,  and washed all the rags and dishtowels (separately of course).   She is also the point person of dehumidification.  It is a common site to see her move the upstairs dehumidifier from place to place to combat the effects of moisture when it is typically at a level of 90% humidity here.  After all, we are surrounded by a LOT of water.

We had tours starting at 3:00 PM, so we knew our remaining work of sweeping the tower, cleaning the tower glass, and mowing the front yard had to be completed by then.

                                                            Cleaning the tower glass


Tours ran from 3-5:00 PM today.  We had 26 guests and realized $206.41 in donations and sales.  Teare met a couple, Laura and Mike Villa, from Medford, Oregon who were returning to the lighthouse where they had their first date on July 12, 2012.

  
                                                                    Laura and Mike

Dottie Nuszkiewicz joined us for dinner after tours.  Teare made a delicious meal.   She baked a chocolate cake prior to the tours. The aroma lingered throughout the tours for all to enjoy.  I'm sure many of our guests wished they were staying for dinner as well!  Dottie and I had our favorite Rocky Road Ice Cream with the cake.

Soon after dinner, the Fox family from Henderson, Nevada arrived for a private tour at 7:00 PM.  What a great family!  We were able to catch the sunset from the tower on one side and watch the harvest moon rise over the redwoods on the other.  We worked our way through the lighthouse completing their tour.  It was getting dark as they made their way to the tidal basin.

We believe that Battery Point is a special place.  Teare and I often comment that we wish that all our family and friends could experience this place.  When we knew we would be returning, we shared this with the hopes that perhaps some of you might take us up on the invite.  We realize, also, that for Ohioans, Northern California is not just a weekend excursion.  As you know, from prior blog entries, our daughter Betsy and son-in-law Brett Amstutz provided transportation and helped us get settled in the lighthouse.  We had decided that we could walk or take a taxi where we needed to go in Crescent City.  We've been blessed by the friends who have been able to stop in for a visit.

Now we are excited to report dear friends, Rob and Chris Wilder, from Medina, Ohio are headed our way in dramatic fashion.  Rob and Chris left Ohio on Saturday afternoon, September 22 at 2:00 PM. They are attempting to drive their Tesla, named Tess, to Crescent City, California by 10:00 AM Wednesday morning before high tide!  How's that for a deadline?!  That is approximately 2, 575 miles by car in 56 hours.  In an email to them, I commented that this reminded me of the Lindbergh crossing in ambition and endurance!   After the first day, they made it to Joliet, IL.  Their route shows all the electric supercharger locations, which is Tess' best friend! After the second day, they made it to Sidney, Nebraska.  They posted photos along the way and they are on pace!  We will keep you updated on their progress!  Speaking of the Wilders, here is a special hello to Hope, who is Rob's mother and like a mother to me!

That is all for now.  This is Keeper Reedy and his editor Teare signing off from Battery Point Lighthouse.  Good Night.

Keepers Log Saturday, September 22

Hello readers!  Thanks for you interest in the blog.  In today's episode, we find Teare and Bill engaged in a typical day of lighthouse keeping.  It was a bit overcast this morning and remained so the remainder of the day.  I met a nice lady from the Napa area and a gentleman from Brazil who were up on the rock early in the morning.  I chatted too long with each as both ended up getting wet making the crossing.  Not very good sheep dog'n...  After the morning chores of sweeping, feeding the pets, and raising the flag,  it was breakfast time.  Teare made egg tacos with pepper jack cheese.

After  breakfast, Teare started cleaning the radio room and laundry room while I cleaned the exterior glass on the ground floor.  I used a ladder from the workshop and a broom to take out some well-established spider webs!  Afterward, I mowed the fenced area.  It was slightly cool which made it a great day for this kind of work.  

We had lunch and then I vacuumed while Teare washed the dishes.  Soon, it was time for our tours.  Dan Thompson, our local volunteer led tours in the tower, Bill was in the bedroom, Jill in the parlor, Teare in the gift shop and Fred organized the guests into manageable groups and directed them to the gift shop.  It was all hands on deck and all went smoothly!  We had 37 admissions and collected $204.93 in donations and sales.  

Meanwhile, back in Columbus, Ohio, our son Bill, Bill's finance Samantha Trainer, and nephew Brian Merce were participating in the Columbus Kidney Walk pictured below.  We are very proud of these three and Brian's wife, Courtney, who is not pictured to take a stand, support those with kidney disease and contribute to the fight.  These three fought like DAWGS!  That's saying something for Samantha who is a home grown Steelers fan!

       
                                                             Samantha, Bill and Brian

The tide was low from 3:00 to 8:00 PM.  We had some time after tours to get some groceries, so we hitched a ride with Fred and Jill to the Little Caesars for a pizza.  We ate the pizza on a picnic table, then walked over to Safe Way for our groceries.  As we were walking home, Teare tripped on the sidewalk and fell with one of the bags of groceries.  She had some nasty road rash, but didn't break or sprain anything.  We continued walking while Teare continued bleeding and finally made it over the 1.3 mile distance.  Then it dawned on me...this is the first day of FALL!  The basin was passable and we scooted across, grocery bags in hand.  After cleaning Teare up and putting away the groceries, we took the flag down, fed the gulls, and snapped a couple photos of the sunset. 

                                              Janice perched atop the spot light at sunset

We hope everyone is well and in good spirits.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend and we will be right back with more updates!  Good Night from Battery Point.

  

Keepers Log Friday, September 21

I always enjoy going outside first thing in the morning.  In Seville, it may be fresh, cool air or sometimes there will be some residual manure smell from the farm next door.  Here, there is the aroma of the sea all around us.  It is cool and usually not windy in the mornings.  This makes it perfect for sweeping like this morning.  Fred (the gull) stood by as I put up the flag.  By the time I return to the radio room, I am ready for breakfast.   Coffee tastes better if I do chores beforehand.  At home, I always enjoy breakfast more when I work out beforehand, so this is no different.

Teare and I did a devotion after breakfast.  Afterward, Teare went in to the gift shop to do inventory while I cleaned upstairs and was later joined by Teare.  We swept the tower steps, and really hit the Piland bedroom hard this morning.   I waited for the morning dew to settle, then went out and weed whacked the entire property except, the fenced in area.  This created more work as I had to re-sweep the walkways, but that was a pleasant chore when you are looking down on the Pacific.  At one point, I spotted a sea lion making his way around the rock.  When all the work was done, we took a break and soaked in the sun.

After lunch, we did our final prep for the tours.  We conducted tours from 2:30 - 5:15 PM.  Fred took the bedrooms and I took the tower today.  We had enthusiastic visitors and that always makes it more fun.  I had a ship captain from Vancouver, BC, by way of Russia.  We chatted about modern day pirates, and the amount of armament it takes to defend a merchant ship in the open sea these days.  Another family from Germany were among the tourists.  The father had a Cleveland Indians hat on, so I had a feeling he was from Ohio.  Was I surprised when he turned out to be from Auchen, Germany, and he was surprised when I conducted a portion of the tour in German!  We had a few families from Utah.  One gentleman was from Cincinnati and he knew the track coach at the  University of Cincinnati, who I know from our trips to the Olympic trials. So we had our small world moment.  We had 47 guests and realized $309.01 in donations and sales.  That money will be used to maintain the lighthouse, pay for utilities, etc.  In a small way, we are helping to preserve this treasure which is not only on the National Historic Registry, but is unique in that it has been continuously occupied since its construction in 1856.  

There was still some time after tours and  before the basin became impassible, so Fred and Jill sat down and visited for a while.  We want to thank Jill and Fred for their many trips to the Historical Society to pick up miscellaneous inventory and supplies.  They have been great to work with!  Afterwards, we had dinner, fed the gulls, and chatted with a guy from San Diego as we watched the sunset.  What a beauty it was!  In the other direction, the moon rising over the lighthouse.  

We enjoyed our day here at Battery Point.  There was a beautiful red sky just after sunset.  It is a calm night and there is a moon shimmer which leads right up to the lighthouse.  A little work, a little rest, great people and gorgeous surroundings created another amazing day!  This is Keeper Bill signing off from Battery Point. Good night.   

    

Keepers Log Thursday, September 20

It was yet another sunny, clear and cool morning.  I did my morning chores.  Fred (the sea gull) was there to help me put up the flag and later at night he was there to help me take it down.  Thanks for you help, Fred!  I swept the walk before breakfast.  After breakfast, I took a rake out and raked the gravel which had worked it's way into the grass.  In other areas, I smoothed it out.  Most of the walkways around the lighthouse are gravel.   The front steps and the long walkway ramp which leads up from the tidal basin are concrete, and this is what I sweep.  In any case, it was just a pleasure to be outside.  We had a high of 63 degrees and 10 mile visibility.  

Inside, Teare wiped down the furniture and artifacts in the Piland bedroom.  She also cleaned the window sills and windows.  We also changed the bedding.   I cleaned the floors in the radio room, hallway, downstairs bath, and hallway to the attached shed.  I also vacuumed each of these areas.

After our work was complete, Teare and I both went out and soaked in the sun a little before lunch and final clean up before the tours.  We conducted tours from 2-4:00 PM today.  Fred was in the tower, Bill in the bedrooms, Jill in the parlor, and Teare in the gift shop.  We had 38 guests and realized $308.89 in donations and sales.  

After dinner, I took down the flag and fed the gulls.  I took this photo of the sunset.  Our pet gulls were right there with us!  Here is a photo Pete Schwanke took of the lighthouse a few days ago along with tonight's sunset.

Finally, let's end this blog with a very happy note.  We do not watch much television here, but the Browns game was being televised on National TV via the NFL network, which we can receive at the lighthouse.  Teare and I watched the game.  Most Northeast Ohioans and Browns fans know how that turned out, with the Browns winning their first game since Christmas Eve, 2016 (624 days, but who's counting?!).  Anyway, it is somewhat of a historic night.  I made sure to sit in a special chair to watch the game...the same chair I sat in two years ago in June when the Cavs won the NBA Championship during our last stay at the lighthouse in June, 2016.  If I could, I would carry this chair with me on the plane back to Cleveland...  We just aren't lighthouse keepers often enough!   On this happy note, I wish you all a good night.  Two Browns fans happily calling it a day at Battery Point!

Keepers Log Wednesday, September 19, 2018

For the past two days, we have been closed for public tours.  The tides contribute, but also, the keepers and volunteers can have some down time.  Teare and I took advantage of that down time with our walk to lunch, grocery shopping, and reading over the past couple days.  Well, that all changed bright and early this morning, and we planned it that way.  Today was a designated work day.  We began with the usual chores of flag raising, sweeping and normal cleaning.  I fed the gulls as usual, and picked up a few items of trash around the property.  Next, I swept the tower, and the tower steps from the tower to the parlor.  Next, we fixed a curtain rod bracket in the keeper's bedroom.  It was a beautiful sunny day, so the next job of cleaning all tower glass both inside and out was as much of a pleasure as glass cleaning can be...  There are few views better than from Battery Point tower on a clear day.  Here are a few shots from the the tower in various directions.

Today, one could clearly see the St. George Reef Lighthouse in the distance some 6-7 miles away.  The weather app advised visibility at 10 miles today.  It was windy all day, with winds of 18 miles per hour, sustained, for much of the afternoon.  Meanwhile, Teare was hard at work cleaning the window sills in the keeper's bedroom as well as washing the curtains and doilies.  She also wiped down the furniture and I emptied the bucket of ashes from the pot belly stove from former inhabitants.  She also cleaned the window blinds in the radio room, cleaned the furniture with Murphy's oil and scrubbed the floor in the bathroom. 

We conducted tours today from 2-4:00.  It was supposed to be 2-3:30, but Teare did not have the heart to turn an entire group away, especially those who traveled great distances to get here.  Teare worked the gift shop, Jill took the parlor, Fred had the bedrooms, and I manned the tower.  In total, we had 51 guests and collected $326 in donations and sales.  

After the tours were over and Fred and Jill had departed, we heard someone ringing the bell outside the side door.  It was a couple who identified themselves as former lighthouse keepers here at Battery Point.  The couple introduced themselves as Steve and Dee Dee Salzman from Sparks, Nevada.  We invited them in and it was fun to visit with fellow keepers and share experiences.

Once Steve and Dee Dee left, it was time to play sheep dog.  This is where I roam about and warn visitors that the tide is returning and time is short to depart safely and dry.  At one point, I sat down on the bench near the flag pole.  I no sooner sat down and there was Fred the sea gull just hanging out with me.  It was obvious I did not have food, but he was just keeping me company.  I never would have imagined that a sea gull could be so social!  I encountered two very nice couples.  Both couples were from Germany and they were not together!  I spoke a little with each couple in English and auf Deutsch (in German).  Soon, we had the island to ourselves and sat down to a nice penne pasta dinner with salad.  

I fed Fred who was already waiting outside the side door.  I had to call Janice in from a distant rock.  Both gulls came and ate the cat food I laid out for them.  Teare and I watched the sunset, a nightly ritual, and I took down the flag.  We folded the flag and then I went to work on this blog.  Speaking of the blog, we hope you are enjoying our account of this year's stay at Battery Point.  We feel very blessed and fortunate to be here.  

Until tomorrow, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.  (Old Irish Blessing)  Good Night.

Keepers Log Tuesday, September 18

The sun was shining, and the morning sea air was cool as I moved about outside during my morning routine.  I came in to do some insurance work correspondence and have breakfast.  As we were enjoying our coffee (and tea for Teare), the light went out in the radio room.  Of course our first thought was the impact on the tower light.  All the other lights were out and this included the tower light.  I was on my way to the basement to throw the tower light circuit breaker when the lights came back on.  I climbed up the tower and was happy to see the tower light on.  We returned to the radio room, and approximately 25 minutes later the lights went out once again.  This time the power interruption lasted longer.  I repeated my steps to the basement and cut power to the tower light.  We contacted the Coast Guard and Dottie, our friend and mentor.  When the power was restored some 15 minutes later, we turned the breaker back on and held our breath...the tower light was on, and apparently, none the worse for the outage.  The fear is that a power surge may blow out the fuse or light when the power is restored.  Fortunately all was well...except after all this excitement my coffee was cold... It would have made an interesting video of us checking lights and climbing up and down the tower steps throughout this little non-crisis.  Kind of like "two stooges at a lighthouse"...

One of the simple pleasures here is watching birds in flight.  Most every time we see birds fly, it is from below.  Most birds are gone behind trees or disappear from view so quickly.  Here, some 34 feet above the ocean surface, the birds are many times flying at eye level or actually below us.  Because we have a virtual 360 degree view from the top of this rock, we can watch birds until they are so small against the ocean or sky, they simply disappear.  We are talking about an abundance of sea gulls, huge black crows, pelicans, and heron.  During our duty two years ago, I observed a bald eagle over the harbor beach.  When you factor in the variable winds,  you see some serious gliding and tense touch downs on the rocks or poles!

We were closed for tours but I met two ladies from Denver and a young couple from Seattle and we provided a private tour.  It was especially gratifying to surprise each of them with this tour as you can tell who is really interested and appreciates the historical significance of this landmark.  Afterwards, Teare and I took advantage of a few hours of available low tide to walk the nearly 2 miles to the Chart Room restaurant.  This walk takes you past the marina.  The Chart Room is known as one of the better sea food restaurants in town.  Here, we enjoyed a cup of clam chowder and seafood combo with prawns, scallops, and cod.  This would be our dinner for the day.  We followed that up with blackberry cobbler.  Blackberries are abundant in this area.

                                                          Fishing boats in the marina


After lunch, we watched some sea lions and then hiked to a grocery store for a few items.  The walk home from there virtually ensured we would attain our Fitbit steps for the day!  I had a backpack full of groceries and carried two bags...nothing but a pack mule, but I now know my station in life.

                                                        Sea Lion basking in the sun


We returned and chatted with a few visitors to the rock.  Later on, those conversations turned to warning of the returning tide.  Not long after that, we had the island to ourselves.  We both read and Teare found a less windy spot outside to read.

We had our usual two friends to share the sunset with.  Janice actually hung around with us long after feeding.  Fred had some other business to attend to, as he went in pursuit of other gulls who violated his restricted air space.

                                      Battery Point Lighthouse from our usual sunset perch

                                                   Janice watching the sunset with us


It was another great day on the rock, despite the morning excitement.  We are grateful for every single day here.  We wish you well and thanks for coming along on this experience.  The light is operational against the dark ocean sky and the winds are steady.

This is Keepers Bill and Teare signing off from high atop Battery Point.  Good Night.

 

Keepers Log Monday, September 17

My morning began by putting the coffee on, sweeping the walk, and raising the flag.  I waited to let Cristi feed the gulls.  Teare made a deluxe breakfast of blueberry pancakes and egg casserole.  We enjoyed the morning sun out on the picnic table after breakfast and then visited the gift shop. Before long, it was time to load the gator and say goodbye to Pete and Cristi Schwanke.  It was so good to have them here.  We were a little concerned about their ability to exit the island, but an early low tide actually made it quite an easy crossing.  Here is a flashback to last night when Pete and I lowered the flag.

We took out the garbage and met Dottie briefly.  Teare walked to the Del Norte Historical Society and Museum and picked up items for the gift shop. then stopped at the office supply store for ink for our printer. I took a walk and looped back to the lighthouse.  Along, the way, I shot a photo of a dolo.  This is the 42 ton precast concrete structure you see below.  These are 15 feet from point to point.  Several (750) of these were made and placed at the end of the jetty to defuse the energy of the damaging waves that Crescent City may experience.  Dolo comes from an African word for the ankle bone of a goat.

The sign in front of the dolo advises that the tsunami wave surge of 1964 was 8.5 feet at this location.  Below is a photo of the Memorial Fountain in honor of the 11 victims of the 1964 tsunami.  This is located in downtown Crescent City, CA in an area decimated by that historic event.

Teare totaled the gift shop register and donations.  Recent private tours and associated gift shop sales totaled $136.28.  After lunch, Teare did laundry and I played "sheep dog" warning visitors about the incoming tide.  Afterwards, I read and Teare sat on the rocks for a while.  That may not sound like entertainment to some, but here, the ocean and rock combine to make a tapestry of color, sound, and mesmerizing movement.  I watched a little football -  so different to watch Monday Night Football start at 5:00, but unlike at home, I'm way more likely to catch the end of the game awake!

  

We were able to go out and catch the sunset and it was a beauty.  That's a wrap on today's activities.  Thank you for tuning in and we wish everyone a good night.