Wordless Wednesday

 

Mysteries of Lighthouses part 2

The romancing of lighthouse is continuing as promised. I'm am truly enjoying this series because when I photograph these lighthouses, sometimes I just stare at them and fantasize about living there years and years ago.

My next lighthouse is Nobska Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse is located in Falmouth Mass. I was absolutely shocked when I looked up this lighthouse address as I have passed by this street for the last 20 years of my life never knowing there was a lighthouse off the street.

Woods Hole, with its deep harbor, developed a substantial whaling fleet in the early years of the nineteenth century. Besides the local maritime traffic, Nobska Point was passed by a stream of vessels crossing through Vineyard Sound, bordered by Falmouth and the Elizabeth Islands to the north, and Martha's Vineyard to the south. In 1829, the year the lighthouse was established, it was reported that more than 10,000 vessels passed through the area.

Through much of the nineteenth century, the keepers had to count the vessels that passed the light. On one day alone in 1864, Keeper Frederick Ray counted 188 vessels -- including 175 schooners -- passing the point.

Oliver A. Nickerson had the longest stay of any keeper in the station's history, from 1874 to 1911. A 1908 article described the duties of the keeper's daughter, Florence Nickerson. For the previous seven years, she had been the official "observer" at Nobska, keeping track of all the vessels passing by in daylight hours. "She is shrewd and kindly," said the article, "one of those Yankee girls who fear nothing and take life cheerfully." Besides her observational duties, Florence kept house at the station and tended a flock of chickens.

In August 1935, Keeper John M. Scharff and Assistant Keeper Waldo Leighton rescued a man who had fallen overboard from his sailboat in a squall.

The Coast Guard took over the management of lighthouses in 1939, but civilian keepers remained at Nobska Point Light until November 1973.

Osborne Hallett was in charge from 1955 to 1968, and Joseph Hindley was his assistant. Hindley took over as keeper in 1968. When he retired in 1973, Hindley was believed to be the last civilian lighthouse keeper in New England. His career in the Lighthouse Service dated back to 1927, when he was an assistant at Whale Rock Light in Rhode Island.

The light was automated and the Coast Guard keepers were removed in 1985. The last officer in charge was Charles Tebo, who lived at the lighthouse with his wife, Gina, and their two young children. After automation, the station became the home for the commander of U.S. Coast Guard Group Woods Hole, which was renamed in 2006 as Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England.

The lighthouse has been "adopted" by the members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-02, and there are occasional public open houses in season.

Keepers: Peter Daggett (?-1849); William Davis (1849-1853); William Ferguson Jr. (1853-1861); Frederick Ray (1861-1874); Oliver A. Nickerson (1874-1911); George I. Cameron (assistant 1910-1911, principal keeper 1911-?); John M. Scharff (1925-1955); Waldo Leighton, assistant (c. 1935); George T. Gustavus (assistant 1911-?, prinicpal keeper1939-1941); Joseph G. Hindley, Jr. (assistant, c. 1956-1968, keeper 1968-1972); Osborne E. Hallett (1955-1968)

Thanks to New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide where I got all this information. http://www.lighthouse.cc/
Lots more information is available in Jeremy D'Entremont book, "The Lighthouses of Massachusetts."

Wordless Wednesday

The Mystery of Lighthouses

I've been photography lighthouses lately. They possess a kind of mystery and romance to them. I've always been mystified about them and always wanted to live in one or go inside them. What kind of people live in them. Each lighthouse has a story and I will be writing about all the lighthouses that I come across.

I first got interested in lighthouses when I went on a Whale Watch in Plymouth, MA. There was this lighthouse in the middle of the harbor.

This lighthouse is Duxbury Pier Light nicknamed "Bug Light". I thought this name was adorable.

Frank A. Grieder, a Maine native, became keeper in 1930. The Grieders brought their belongings from Maine to Plymouth in a Model A Ford, and the keeper's wife and children took up residence in the Rocky Nook section of the city. In an interview in 2000, Grieder's son, Bill, remembered his father's days as keeper of "The Bug."

The thing that I used to get a big kick out of was when it came in foggy. We had a huge brass bell up on the tower, and it worked like clockwork. You'd wind it up, and it had a big hammer. You'd wind and wind and all of a sudden it'd go "whammo!" and the whole tower would shake. You'd lie there at night and wonder, "How am I going to sleep?" And next thing you know you'd gotten used to it. And when the fog cleared and they shut the bell off, you woke up.

At low tide you could walk around there and pick up lobsters and sea clams. Of course if you were out on the flats you always kept your eye on the tide because it came up quite quickly.

Fred Bohm, later at Deer Island Light in Boston Harbor, was keeper in the late 1930s into the 1940s. The historian Edward Rowe Snow claimed that Bohm rescued 90 people from drowning in a single year, including 36 Girl Scouts.

One windy night Bohm heard a scream for help. He rushed out to see a woman swimming toward the lighthouse from her capsized boat. Not able to row to her in time, Bohm dove into the water and swam to the woman, who was unconscious by the time he reached her. Bohm brought the woman back to the lighthouse where she gradually came to. In her struggle to stay afloat she had lost her bathing suit.

As she regained consciousness, the woman's first words were, "Where are my clothes?" Keeper Bohm answered, "I don't know, but you're lucky to be alive." Later that night the woman was safely ashore with borrowed clothes.

In December 1942, Bohm and a companion were heading for the mainland to pick up provisions, but nearly drowned when their boat began to leak. A lobsterman rescued the pair, but the keeper lost two fingers from frostbite.

Coast Guardsman Harry Salter was keeper at "The Bug" in 1944. He has written a booklet about his time at "The Bug," called simply Bug Light. Salter was at Duxbury Pier Light when the hurricane of September 1944 hit, battering the isolated station with 30-foot waves. He described the scene:

The gigantic waves were hammering this stout little light station unmercifully. It shook so bad we had trouble keeping the oil lamps lit... The heavy seas on the east side were striking against the light, then crashing up under the catwalk and tearing away at our boat that we had previously lashed high on the davits.

Salter went out on the deck in an effort to secure the boat. A wave opened the trap door near him and Salter fell through. Fortunately another wave drove Salter against the ladder, and he was able to climb to safety. Salter gave up on saving the boat and watched the hurricane from inside the tower for the next few hours. He and the other keepers surveyed the damage later and found that the boat, the fog bell mechanism, and the outhouse were all gone.

The lighthouse was automated in 1964 and the keepers were removed. A modern optic replaced the Fresnel lens. Over the next two decades Duxbury Pier Light fell victim to much vandalism and seabirds made themselves a home in the interior.

In 1983, the lighthouse was slated by the Coast Guard to be replaced by a fiberglass tower much like the one that had replaced Boston Harbor's old Deer Island Lighthouse. The Coast Guard had estimated that a renovation of the current structure would have cost $250,000. A group of concerned local residents formed Project Bug Light.

Aided by Congressman Gerry Studds, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and State Senator Edward P. Kirby, the group convinced the Coast Guard to alter their plans. A five-year lease was granted to the preservation committee. The Coast Guard sandblasted and painted the structure and did some repair work in 1983; the work was completed in 1985. The Coast Guard spent $100,000 to refurbish the lower half of the lighthouse. Project Bug Light raised $20,000 from local businesses, as well as sales of T-shirts and bumper stickers, a fashion show, baseball games, and raffling a painting. They used this money to restore the upper parts and the interior, including the rebuilding of the roof and the catwalk. At the same time solar power replaced the older battery system. The fog signal was also converted to solar power.

In the late 1980s vandals broke into the lantern room, leaving it susceptible to leaks. The weather deteriorated the wood interior so much that all the wood had to be removed, leaving bare iron walls.

After a few years Project Bug Light virtually dissolved as an organization, and the five-year lease expired. In 1993 the Coast Guard again talked of replacing the lighthouse with a fiberglass pole, or at least removing the lantern room. This time Dr. Don Muirhead of Duxbury, an avid sailor, spearheaded a new preservation effort. The Coast Guard again refurbished the lighthouse in 1996.

Project Bug Light is now responsible for the care of Plymouth ("Gurnet") Light as well, and they have changed the name of the organization to match the mission. Founder Don Muirhead died in 2000, but the volunteers of Project Gurnet & Bug Lights, Inc. continue to do maintenance at the light and to raise funds toward the continued preservation of "The Bug."

In the fall of 2001 Project Gurnet & Bug Lights, Inc. hired the Campbell Construction Group of Beverly, Massachusetts for another major renovation of the lighthouse.

Joints in the caisson were repaired by caulking and welding, and over 1,200 pounds of rust was removed from the lighthouse. All the paint was removed inside and out, and three new coats of paint were added. In addition, several inches of guano were removed.

Duxbury Pier Light remains an active aid to navigation. While it can be seen distantly from the Plymouth waterfront, it is best viewed from the harbor cruises and whale watches out of Plymouth.

Keepers: William Atwood (1871-1878); John A. Richmond Jr. (assistant 1872-1873); Oscar Marsh (assistant 1873-1874); S. J. Atwood (wife of William) (assistant 1874-1878); George Manter (1878-1881); Milton Reamy (assistant 1878-1881); Benjamin B. Manter (1881-1884); Henry H. Sampson (assistant 1881-1882); Edward L. Gorham (1884-1887); Amasa S. Dyer (1887-1888); James H. Bagnall (1888-1891); Michael J. Curran (1891-1892); Edwin F. King Jr. (1892-1895); George A. Jamieson (1895-1897); Mills Gunderson (1897-1902); Joseph F. Woods (1902-1903); Willis Higgins (1903-1904); George E. Kezer (1904-1909); George E. Howard (1909-1910); Fred C. Brown (1910-?); Frank Allen Davis (?-1920); Frank A. Grieder (1930-1934); Fred Bohm (c. 1930s); Homer Hathaway (1942-1943); Harry Salter (Coast Guard, c. 1944); ? Jovie (Coast Guard, c. 1943); Ellis Woods (Coast Guard, c. 1943)

Thanks to New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide where I got all this information. http://www.lighthouse.cc/ Lots more information is available in Jeremy D'Entremont book, "The Lighthouses of Massachusetts."

Boomers and Beyond Team Sale

Shopping from your keyboard
Here's a special opportunity for all of you online shoppers who want to save gas and shop from your keyboard instead. Check out It's a Wonderful Sale this holiday season when you shop the BBEST Limited Time Sale and find handmade and vintage treasures for everyone on your list, quickly, easily, and at remarkable values. So pull up a chair, get comfy and find the joy that the BBEST (Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team) has to offer! BBEST artists are talented individuals who sell their products in the homemade goods marketplace known as Etsy.com.Here's how this special event works. First, if you have not yet registered as an Etsy visitor, go to http://www.etsy.com/, and click on Register. Now you're ready to begin!Check out the BBEST HoLiDaY HuNt for registered Etsy buyers. THREE WONDERFUL PRIZE PACKAGES will be given away.These BBEST Team members have generously donated the fabulous holiday gift item collections seen in the above photo.

Kathy's Krafty Kreations, http://kathyskraftykreation.etsy.com/
Beth Peardon Prods, http://bethpeardonprods.etsy.com/
ZudaGay, http://zudagay.etsy.com/
Yankeegirl’s Watercolors, http://yankeegirl.etsy.com/
Firefly Glass Design, http://fireflyglassdesign.etsy.com/
Sixsisters, http://sixsisters.etsy.com/
Sassa Lynne at Etsy, http://sassalynne.etsy.com/
Van Fleet Street Design, http://vanfleetstreetdesign.etsy.com/
joonbeam, http://joonbeam.etsy.com/
GinaBEE Supply http://ginabeesupply.etsy.com/
Precious Quilts http://preciousquilts.etsy.com/
Onawhimsey http://onawhimsey.etsy.com/
Chauncey Design, http://chauncey.etsy.com/
artmixter, http://artmixter.etsy.com/
JN Originals, http://jnoriginals.etsy.com/
Lemachi Designs, http://lemachidesigns.etsy.com/
Hemlock Hollow Creations, http://hemlockhollow.etsy.com/
Ghi-Goo-ie Designs by Joni Stinson, http://jstinson.etsy.com/
Talking Dog, http://talkingdog.etsy.com/
Anna’s Jewelry, http://annasjewelry.etsy.com/
Rosegardenfae, http://rosegardenfae.etsy.com/
Night Sky Jewelry, http://nightskyjewelry.etsy.com/
The Button Hole, http://buttonhole.etsy.com/
Kittyd, http://kittyd.etsy.com/

TWO ways to enter. NO PURCHASE REQUIRED.

RULES:Play this way . . . Holiday Hide & Seek:Simply hunt through the shops below and look for the BBEST avatar seen to the right. It is randomly placed in one listing item photo slot in some of our shops.Find the avatar. Copy the listing ID of each item. When you've found 10, convo (contact) the BBEST shop with that list, AND come to the sale discussion on Etsy (click on link to get there) and post that you've done so. Do not reveal any hidden avatar locations to any eligible players. Your name will be entered into our random prize drawing! Limit: one entry per Etsian.EXEMPT from this method of entry are those team members who have a hidden avatar in their shops. EXEMPT from both methods of entry are joonbeam, chauncey and sixsisters, who are the team leaders and organizers of this sale and game.Play this way . . . Support Handmade.Save money. For every $1 you spend in our participating shops, listed below, your name will be entered into the random prize drawing. All three prize packages will be given away.

You must enter BBEST in the notes to seller upon checkout.
Only complete dollar amounts (i.e., $7.65 = 7 entries) from each shop count. No amounts less than $1 will be combined between or among multiple shop purchases.
The final sale price dollar amounts coincide with your entries. In other words, regardless of when the discounted price is finalized, the discounted total dollars determine the number of entries. (For example, some sale transactions are handled via convo / reserved listing with the sale price, others purchase and get a revised invoice.) If a shop has a mix of sale (reduced price) items and non sale items, all purchases do count toward your dollar amounts.
Excludes shipping/handling costs. Item costs only.
Only purchase dollars from transactions with the shops in this list and made between 12:01 a.m. Etsy Time, November 12, 2008 and 11:59 p.m. Etsy time, November 17, 2008 qualify.Winners will be announced on our team blog: http://boomersandbeyond.blogspot.com/ on Thursday, November 20, 2008 at NOON Etsy Time. You must come by and look for the winner's Etsy ID names listed there. Winners have 3 (three) days to convo (contact) the teambbest shop with their mailing address, or they will forfeit their prize and subsequent names will be drawn.You can play either or both ways. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.Each shop owner has their own sale style and terms, which you will find in their shop announcement.We are all convo friendly. Do not hesitate to contact us with your questions or requests!

Thank you for shopping with us and HaPpY HoLiDaYs!Participating BBEST Team Shops for It's A Wonderful Sale 2008:

ART:
Yankeegirl’s Watercolors, http://yankeegirl.etsy.com/
On A Whimsey, http://onawhimsey.etsy.com/
Purelypainting, http://purelypainting.etsy.com/
Sixsisters, http://sixsisters.etsy.com/
Van Fleet Street Design, http://vanfleetstreetdesign.etsy.com/
Fairy Frond, http://fairyfrond.etsy.com/
Althea Peregrine, http://altheap.etsy.com/
Jean Levert Hood, http://jeanhood.etsy.com/
Lemachi Gallery http://lemachigallery.etsy.com/
Heron Kate, http://heronkate.etsy.com/
Artmixter, http://artmixter.etsy.com/

CRAFT SUPPLIES & CREATIONS:
Circle In The Sand, http://circleinthesand.etsy.com/
GinaBEE Supply http://ginabeesupply.etsy.com/
The Button Hole, http://buttonhole.etsy.com/
Lemachi Designs, http://lemachidesigns.etsy.com/

FABRIC & YARN ARTS:
The Knotty Sheep, http://theknottysheep.etsy.com/
Sassa Lynne at Etsy, http://sassalynne.etsy.com/
Precious Quilts http://preciousquilts.etsy.com/
Asianexpressions, http://asianexpressions.etsy.com/
Whimseys, http://whimseys.etsy.com/

GLASS:
Firefly Glass Design, http://fireflyglassdesign.etsy.com/
Chris1 http://chris1.etsy.com/
Nonnie’s Treasures, http://nonnie60.etsy.com/
Chauncey Design, http://chauncey.etsy.com/

HOME DECOR ART:
Jill’s Treasure Chest, http://jillstreasurechest.etsy.com/
joonbeam, http://joonbeam.etsy.com/
Glitz n Glass, http://glitznglass.etsy.com/
Lord’s Living World, http://lordslivingworld.etsy.com/
The Wild Hare, http://thewildhare.etsy.com/
Talking Dog Productions, http://talkingdog.etsy.com/
The Good Old Days, http://goodolddays.etsy.com/

JEWELRY:
Sending Love Gallery, http://sendinglovegallery.etsy.com/
Kathy's Krafty Kreations, http://kathyskraftykreation.etsy.com/
Magdalene Jewels, http://magdalenejewels.etsy.com/
Night Sky Jewelry, http://nightskyjewelry.etsy.com/
Hemlock Hollow Creations, http://hemlockhollow.etsy.com/
The Filigree Garden, http://thefiligreegarden.etsy.com/
Rosegardenfae, http://rosegardenfae.etsy.com/
Kittyd, http://kittyd.etsy.com/
Ghi-Goo-ie Designs by Joni Stinson, http://jstinson.etsy.com/
maryeb jewelry designs, http://maryeb.etsy.com/
Anna’s Jewelry, http://annasjewelry.etsy.com/
Wrist Wrap Works, http://wristwrapworks.etsy.com/

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Beth Peardon Prods, http://bethpeardonprods.etsy.com/

POLYMER CLAY ART:
ZudaGay, http://zudagay.etsy.com/

My Baby's Grown up

Sometimes I find blogging very difficult and very hard to come up with subjects but I can never get enough of my family.  I talk a lot about my daughter but not much about my son.  He's my first born, January 24, 1981.  There isn't one day that I never saw him without a smile.  OK when I had to diaper him, he'd fuss and cry because I was keeping him from playing, but mostly he was the happiest and funniest child.  I know all moms think their children are far advanced than others, but he was truly an over achiever when it came to physical achievements.

 

He was born in January and was walking perfectly by November.  His father bought him a 2 wheeler bike with training wheels when he was 4 and by the end of the day his training wheels were off.  He surely had a need for speed.  He had me running ragged trying to keep up with him.

 

 

By the time he could walk we put him in ice skates which he loved.  He's been playing hockey most of his life and decided he wanted to be a goalie, which horrified me, but he was so good and natural in the position.  He played youth hockey through high school.

He was an avid water skier also and played any sport he could.

 

My son has seen many challenges in his life.  He was in a horrific car accident which he broke his neck and was lucky to be alive and to be walking.  He was in a halo brace for 6 months.  One year later he decided to take a ride on a motorcycle and crashed it and broke his back.  Another 6 months in a brace.  Well he decided to slow his life down a bit after that which was music to my ears.  After getting over these physical and mental challenges he's had through his years, he has turned into the most caring and beautiful person.  He's chosen a wife who happens to be the most wonderful person and has a stepson whom he loves dearly.

He will be 28 soon and I'm so proud of all his accomplishments and all his challenges that he's conquered my heart is swelled with happiness.    They are expecting their first son in February which will bring more joy to this boy who has become a tremendous man.  Love you David.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY