June 5, 2013

Cape Blanco State Park

Port Orford, OR

I woke up at 6am to the sound of strange alarm.  It turned out to be our weather radio that Monte had accidently set.

I couldn’t fall back to sleep so I stayed up and went over my notes again in preparation for our fist day as lighthouse tour guides.

We headed over to the lighthouse at 12, a half hour earlier than our scheduled start time because I wanted to listen to Carol as she gave her tour just one more time before taking over.

As we started up the road to the Visitor Center, the fog was so dense that the lighthouse was not visible.

Carol had me take over while she was still there and I was very up front with the visitors by telling them that they had the dubious honor or misfortune of being my first victims, uh, I mean visitors.

 

After that first couple there was a steady stream of visitors.  We even had a group of ten so I gave my little spiel and then sent the first five up to Monte in the Watch Room.  The five who waited their turn down with me asked a lot of questions and I feel good saying that there was only one I couldn’t answer.  I’m sure glad I did my homework.

 

The Work Room 

These are some of the props and info boards that assist with the tour. 

 

 

 

 

 

Smock worn by the keepers to help keep their uniforms clean. 

100 gallon oil can called a butt.

It seemed like it was only a half hour or so before I was alerted on the hand held radio that we were finished for the day.  It was already 3:30 –tickets are only sold up to 3:15.

All in all, I think Monte and I did a good job.

After dinner we went for our nightly walk-this time down by the bluff overlooking the beach. 

 

 

 

 It was colder and windier than usual and the visibility was minimal but the power of the ocean was still strong and magnificent.