Category Archives: Hobbies

Mise Tales Forty-Seven

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.

As mentioned earlier on the front page of my website, any photos or cartoons, or short bits of information, when it is removed from the front page, will also be included again later in the next next Misc Tales posting. That way you can keep track of it, search for it, or copy it.

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Wind MapOn October 18, 2014, a large storm was hitting the British Columbia, Canada coastline. The photo above shows the winds as a visualization of global weather conditions, forecast by supercomputers, updated every three hours. Click the photo for more recent details. Move around the map with your mouse. Zoom in also. Check out the menu in the lower left corner for more information.

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Mise Tales Forty-Four

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.

As mentioned earlier on the front page of my website, any photos or cartoons, or short bits of information, when it is removed from the front page, will also be included again later in the next Misc Tales. That way you can keep track of it, search for it, or copy it.

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10294509_805559479465065_7375517851873014253_n This is a cute Infographic to help teach your children about the Water Cycle

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The Lighthouse Keepers

 

 

This book The Lighthouse Keepers by Stuart Buchanan was brought to my attention by an Australian resident. It is small, only 282 pages, but according to this Google Books report it contains a lot of information:

Illustrated personal account of work and life on a Queensland light station – most of which are now unstaffed. Includes a list of 1200 Queensland light-keepers from 1857 to 1994 and the first issue of instructions to light-keepers issued in 1917. The author joined the Commonwealth lighthouse service in 1973 and worked with his wife as light-keepers along the Queensland coast until the destaffing of all Australian lighthouses began in 1982. – Google Books

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Oldest Wooden Lighthouse in America Is (still) for Sale in Poplar Point, R.I.

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Does anyone have a spare $6.45 million US dollars to purchase it?

[private]

By Erika Riggs

For many years, the Poplar Point lighthouse was the beacon guiding ships in Wickford Harbor, a protected inlet in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. Built in 1831, the structure — listed as the oldest wooden lighthouse in America — is left over from the era before satellites and GPS. And now, it’s for sale for $6.45 million.

Because of the size of the harbor, Poplar Point lighthouse wasn’t in service long. In 1882, the lighthouse was darkened and later sold at auction for $3,944.67 in 1894.

Gallery: Take a Peek at Poplar Point Lighthouse
view fullscreen

When the lighthouse was first built, the caretaker’s living area was a stone cottage, measuring just 40 by 20 feet. The home was slightly expanded in 1932, again in 1966, and when the current owners took over in 1987, they undertook the task of continuing to expand and renovate the entire property.

Today, the home in North Kingstown, R.I., is more than a stone caretaker’s cottage: It’s a full estate measuring 4,563 square feet with four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a detached guest house and garage. Although completely updated, the home still retains much of the original feel, says listing agent Judith Chase.

“It still has tons of the old charm and nautical detail of the old lighthouse,” Chase explained.

Spanning 1.66 acres on a private peninsula, the home juts into the harbor with spectacular views of the bay.

“It’s a beautiful front-row seat to everything that happens,” Chase said.

The home’s location in the picturesque town of Wickford only adds to the property’s appeal.

Chase describes Wickford as a “darling Nantucket-type town,” and the home is within walking distance of many of the town’s charms.

According to Zillow’s mortgage calculator, a monthly payment on the lighthouse would be $23,044, assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year fixed mortgage. [/private]

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lighthouse   eBay

 

Have you ever typed in the word “lighthouse” in eBay? Try it! You will get so many lighthouse related items it is amazing. Maybe there will be some you will want to buy. Great place to shop. eBay for Lighthouse Articles.

On the left is one part of 10+ pages of lighthouse related items. Great fun!

Britain’s Royal Mint Honours 500 Years of Trinity House

Britain’s Royal Mint honours 500 years of Trinity House 20 May 2014 The Royal Mint is this week commemorating the 500th anniversary of Trinity House (20th May), the organisation that has safeguarded the lighthouses, pilot ships and coastal waters of Britain since being awarded a Royal Charter to do so by King Henry VIII.

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Silver

 

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Gold

To mark the milestone event The Royal Mint has produced limited edition commemorative Trinity House-themed £2 coins in sterling silver and 22 carat gold. Its striking lighthouse design also appears on 2014-dated circulating versions of the £2 coin which people are likely to find in their change from October this year. Each coin is edged with the words ‘SERVING THE MARINER’. Continue reading Britain’s Royal Mint Honours 500 Years of Trinity House

Something Whimsical

Color Curl

I came across this website the other day called Design Seeds. Above is one of their palettes under the theme category The Sea. I thought the idea was great – a whole host of themes and palettes with more being added daily – get on their mailing list.

As you all know this is a lighthouse website so I went looking for a theme that would illustrate that topic. Alsas, most of the themes are pastel in hue and a pastel lighthouse is definitely not realistic, so I decided to design my own for fun using the same idea. Below is my lighthouse paints theme.

Design seeds

Just for your information the brown is used in non-skid paint, the grey for doors and steps and the yellow for diesel fuel tanks.

Take a look at Design Seeds – their palettes can be used for house painting, garden furniture, crafts and hobbies, or just plain old picture frames. Enjoy.

 

Trial Island Lighthouse

A lot of people who visit Victoria, British Columbia (on the southern tip of Vancouver Island) never get to see Trial Island lighthouse as it is not visible from the town core. One must travel to the Oak Bay waterfront to see the lighthouse.

Trial Island_Doug Clement
Photo credits – © 2013 Doug Clement Photography

 

Photo credits - © 2013 Doug Clement Photography
Photo credits – © 2013 Doug Clement Photography

Although it is only about half a mile from Oak Bay, most people see only the radio station antennas of BC TV on a black rock be it day or night.

An interesting article on the web is Trial Island Lighthouse & VE7DQA – describing the life of a Ham Radio operator living and working there.

Trial Island is NOT an isolated station compared to West Coast Vancouver Island lightstations like Carmanah Point, Pachena Point and Cape Beale, but it is an interesting place to work.

Google Interactive Map showing the location of Trial Island.

Lighthouses of Brazil

A friend of mine from the Coast Guard, Abe VanOeveren, now retired, loves to travel to Brazil. Knowing I was running this site he asked if I wanted photos of the lighthouses he comes across in his travels. My answer was a definite YES!

So, below are photos sent to me by Abe. I am appending his comments as he wrote them as I myself know nothing about the lighthouses, so I will leave it to my expert. He says:

Hi John, Last email you mentioned lights in pictures. I’m not sure if you have a place on your website for pictures of lights from other parts of the world. In my travels in Brazil I’m always on the lookout for lights big and small and sometimes it is surprising what shows up. They are not all grand structures like estevan or Father Point flying buttresses but there are some beauties on the Brazilian coast . . .I’ll send some pictures of lights in Brazil, but the files are big (3mb) and take forever to upload (also to download). Abe

 

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– photo © A. VanOeveren

 

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– photo © A. VanOeveren

This one is in Manaus; Brazil, on the shore of the Amazon river. It is attached to the Alfandega (customs house), and generally off limits to the public. I had to ask for permission to go into the walled compound to get close to it. Light probably has been shrouded for years, so its  hard to tell what kind of lens is inside. Continue reading Lighthouses of Brazil

Private (Model) Lighthouse For Sale

Private (Model) Lighthouse For Sale – via Journal Pioneer

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Wall looks out from the top floor his lighthouse.

 

New Annan fisherman looking to sell unique lawn ornament
NEW ANNAN – Anybody want to buy a lighthouse? Chris Wall of New Annan is selling his.

It’s three storeys tall and is a scaled down replica of the Cape Tryon Light.

It’s currently sitting on Wall’s front lawn in New Annan, on the headlands of the Barbara Weit River.

Anyone who’s driven by his property would probably have noticed the structure – it’s pretty hard to miss. The lighthouse is the pride and joy of his carpentry hobby, said the career lobster fisherman, but he’s recently decided that it’s time to move on to his next challenge.

So he’s offering up his lighthouse to a good home for $15,000. . . . more

Continue reading Private (Model) Lighthouse For Sale

Lighthouse in a Mason Jar

Bass Harbor Head Light   Todd Burgess2

Bass Harbor Head Light – Adding to the mind-blowing natural landscape of Mount Desert Island is the Bass Harbor Light. It was built 1858 for $5000 and is located located at the tip of Northeast Harbor. This morning shot also captured a full moon to the left.

The first time I saw this I was amazed! I had never seen lighthouses, or for that matter, anything framed like this. It is unique, interesting, and a framed print on your wall would have all your friends asking “Where did you get it?” Well, I can answer that question.

Maine in a Mason   Images   Todd BurgessThe prints, and many more lighthouses and unusual scenes in a Mason bottle are available from Todd J. Burgess on his website. Not only are the lighthouses identified but there is a small bit of information included as well – see under the above photo.

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The above photos are all found in his gallery Maine in a Mason Jar (108 images)

Other images, including more lighthouses, can be found in Land and Sea (89 images) and History Preserved (6 images).