June 6, 2013

Cape Blanco State Park

Port Orford, OR

Today was our second day as lighthouse tour guides.  It was a full day beginning at 9:45.  We had the keys so Monte unlocked the light house door. 

 

 

 

I turned on the heater and lights while he turned off the dehumidifier and emptied the water holding tank. 

 

 

 

Monte's view from the tower.

Close up of the Fresnel lens.

He went up the stairs to the Watch Room and within a few minutes we had our first visitors.  From then until our lunch break at 12:30 there was no more than 5 minutes of idle time.

 After lunch we relieved Leeroy and Carole at the Visitor Center.  Monte stayed outside greeting visitors and what I call smoozing.  I stayed inside the center and started off the tours by giving a 2-3 minutes speech centered on the hardships faced by the keepers and their families. 

There are a pair of birds building a nest just outside the door to the Visitor Center 

They fly away and then return with bits of grass in their beaks.

Isn't nature wonderful!

Around 2:30 Monte announced that there was a group of teenagers walking up the road toward the lighthouse.  Mary, the cashier in the Visitor Center, looked at her list and informed us that the group was scheduled. 

When the group arrived at the center I went outside with them and gave my usual introductory speech.  Then Monte escorted the teens in groups of 10 to the lighthouse. 

Ticket sales stop at 3:15.  The teens who had already toured the lighthouse were sitting outside on the sheltered side of the building.  I told Monte he should drive down by the gate and block the entrance with our car so more visitors could enter.  I ran up to the lighthouse to let Cheryl know that the group she had with her would be her last group.

I then had to walk all the way down to the gate because if Monte were to come pick me up, more cars might enter.  We couldn’t lock the gate until every car was out of the parking lot.  SHEESH.

While we were waiting for the parking lot to clear,

Monte took a walk down the trail leading to the beach 

 Finally, the parking lot was empty and we could lock up the gate and leave.


After dinner we took a long walk down a horse trail that led to a bluff.  We encountered a couple taking pictures of two whales.  

We didn't see them at first but then-there they were!

 How awesome is that!  We have been here less than a week and have already seen two whales.  Monte wished that he had his Pentax with the zoom lens. 

From the bluff we found a trail that led to the beach.  It was a little difficult to maneuver in the soft sand. 

 With each step I could feel more and more sand getting in my shoes.

I climbed up on some driftwood hoping to see the whales again.  Monte didn’t think I was going to see them from the shore but I did. 






 Awesome!

 

We had to walk up a steep incline to get back up to the bluffs.  We encountered another couple taking pictures. 

YEP, more whales.  Awesome.

I sat on top of a picnic table and the next thing I know a really cute dog started licking my hand.  This is Zoey.  Cute, isn’t she!

What an awesome day!!!!!!