For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.
Lighthouses in a Bottle
I have heard of ships in a bottle but never lighthouses in a bottle until I came across the photo at the left. It has been sitting on my computer for ages and I forgot where it came from.
Doing a Google Image Search I came up with Village Crafstmen and lots more lighthouses in a bottle – some multiple ones as the photo on the right shows.
Their address and contact information is on their website.
A long time ago back in 1969 on my first lighthouse at Pulteney Point, we used to recycle glass bottles by taking them out in the boat or canoe, and breaking the washed glass bottle over the side of the boat and letting the fragments settle onto the ocean floor. It was not pollution as such as most glass is 90% sand.
Have you ever seen frosted glass pieces in the beach sand? Usually many varieties of colours from the sea green pieces of broken glass from Asian fishing net floats (glass balls) to the browns and whites of everyday bottles. Usually the bottle is thrown in the sea from land, thrown overboard from a boat, or dumped from a garbage scow off a big city. Glass is the most recyclable of modern user items, even if it is just dumped in the ocean.
The whole bottle can be returned for refilling, the broken ones can be melted down and remade into new bottles. But the sea does it differently. With the pounding of the waves on a beach, each piece of a broken glass is ground down, rounded off, and frosted by the action of sand moved by the waves. Another name for these polished glass shards is mermaid’s tears.
If you are lucky you can find every colour, with red and blue harder to find. At the end of this article I will give you a way to make your own sea glass. It is very beautiful as a floor in an aquarium, used to support candles, make sun catchers – uses are endless.
What brought this story to mind was this news article:
The Glass Beach in California – January 13, 2013 on Twisted Sifter
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by Jef Poskanzer
In MacKerricher State Park, near the city of Fort Bragg in northern California, you will find a beach littered with glass. Over decades of crashing waves the glass has been smoothed and rounded, transforming the shoreline into a colourful palette of pebble-like glass and sand. . . . more
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Now, as promised, if you do not live near a beach with sea glass, you can make your own easily. My last lighthouse was on a rocky island with no beaches – hence no sea glass.
Go to your nearest rockhound shop and purchase their cheapest rock tumbler. The one I had was two rubber barrels on two rollers run by a small electric motor (similar to photo on the left). The next item you need from the rockhound shop is their coarsest grit to rough up the glass.
Carefully break any bottles you want to tumble, fill a tumbler barrel with the broken glass, add water and grit, close the lid securely and drop the barrel on the rails and let it run all night. Check in the morning if your glass is what you desire. If not, then tumble some more.
It is hard to tell real sea glass from the tumbled variety, and you have an infinite variety of coloured glass to choose from – just go to your nearest liquor store – especially in the wine section! Check out this website for more information.
If you are on Facebook, check out this page from a lighthouse on the BC coast where they recycle the beach glass into ornaments such as earrings, etc.
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The Glass Beach in California – January 13, 2013 on Twisted Sifter
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by Jef Poskanzer
In MacKerricher State Park, near the city of Fort Bragg in northern California, you will find a beach littered with glass. Over decades of crashing waves the glass has been smoothed and rounded, transforming the shoreline into a colourful palette of pebble-like glass and sand.
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by Molly (teeping on Flickr)
From 1906-1967 (the start date is up for debate), seaside towns were known to use the coastline as dumps, Fort Bragg was no different. After the devastation of the San Francisco earthquake the streets were filled with rubble and trash was dumped on the coast for the ocean to wash away. This of course, included plenty of glass.
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by John ‘K’ on Flickr
It wasn’t until 1967 when city leaders and the North Coast Water Quality Board realized what a mistake it was and sought to relocate the dump away from the ocean and clean up the shoreline. After the clean-up and more decades of crashing ocean waves; only smoothed and rounded glass mostly remained.
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by Jef Poskanzer
Glass Beach was purchased by California State Parks in October 2002. The Coastal Conservancy, with the City of Fort Bragg and the Mendocino Land Trust worked for over four years to assemble funding for the purchase of the 38-acre property. The Land Trust managed waste removal and clean-up, and completed botanical, archaeological and erosion control work that was required prior to purchase by State Parks. Since the Pudding Creek Trestle was completed in 2007, visitors may now walk from MacKerricher State Park to the headlands at Glass Beach connecting this highly visited “city” park to several miles of beach trails.
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by mamojo on Flickr
As word of this unique beach spread, more and more visitors descended onto Glass Beach. Drawn to the beautifully smoothed and rounded glass, visitors began pocketing the glass with each visit. This has greatly diminished the amount of glass on the beach. And since it is now State Park property it is a misdemeanor to remove any artifacts. While there is still glass to be found the area has been greatly depleted.
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by Megan (meganpru on Flickr)
In addition to searching for glass, the beach has an interesting array of tide pools to explore. Crabs, mollusks, and many aquatic plants make their homes in these ever-changing environments.
5638422480_312e6094d7_b – Photograph by Lee Rentz on Flickr
– FortBragg.com: Glass Beach – From Trash To Treasure
– Visit Mendocino: Glass Beach
– The Mendocino Land Trust: Glass Beach
– CNN: From trash to treasure
– Wikipedia: Glass Beach (Fort Bragg, California)
glass-beach-mackerricher-park-fort-bragg-california – Photograph by kara brugman on Flickr
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For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.
Power supply resumes at Unoosaki lighthouse in Soma
2 November 2012
The Unoosaki lighthouse in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, has resumed full operations after power was restored 19 months after the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.
As a result, the lighthouse is now fully able to help ships safely navigate the waters off Fukushima Prefecture.
The Japan Coast Guard’s office in the prefecture, the Fukushima Coast Guard Office, unveiled the lighthouse to the media on Nov. 1, which is observed as “lighthouse day” in Japan [I did not know that!]. . . . more
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Bridgeport couple’s lighthouse on display at Maritime Aquarium
A model lighthouse made by a Bridgeport couple is helping to light the way for visitors in The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk as part of the aquarium’s 11th annual “Festival of Lighthouses.” – more
The mission statement of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation is “To Assist the 45th Space Wing in preserving, protecting, and interpreting the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and its historical significance to the Florida Space Coast, State of Florida, and our Nation.” The US Air Force owns and maintains Cape Canaveral Light, but the Foundation exists to be of assistance in its restoration and to share its remarkable history.
In many ways Cape Canaveral and the Lighthouse is a bridge between the age of exploration and exploration yet to come; a bridge between the sea and the stars!
On October 13th, 2012 I attended a gathering at the Canaveral Lighthouse with my father to celebrate the progress having been made on the restoration of this special and significant beacon. Although, we had visited the light by special permission a couple of years ago in order to photograph, I did not then have the opportunity to see the interior of the tower. Saturday, October 13th, could not have been a more perfect day to gather, discuss goals, walk the newly built Keeper’s Brick Paver Walkway, and climb!! I have to say right here that I was amazed that my 88 year old father was able to navigate the stairs better than I did! The metal lighthouse is lined with brick and the winding stairs curl upwards around a center pole with no hand railing along the brick walls. Of course, it was probably because I was lugging my heavy camera!! Probably!! Continue reading Reprint – Restoring Canaveral Light – Brick by Brick!
For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.
Some of these stories and articles are a bit late for Halloween, but better late than never, especially when lighthouses are a year-round topic!
The Fog – Best Scary Movie Starring Point Reyes Lighthouse
You may have heard of this John Carpenter film – myself, I have never seen it. I was going to write about it, but May, the author at Completely Coastal has done such a good job, I thought I would turn you over to her. Enjoy . . . [link]
A Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony, is the target for revenge by a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths. – Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
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Lighthouse Switchback India Pale Ale (IPA)
The Province October 20, 2012
This is the first in a series of reviews on the new wave of British Columbia India Pale Ales (IPAs). This province already produces some Continue reading Mise Tales Fifteen
Do you want to visit some of British Columbia lighthouses? A lot of them are isolated, but there are a few that tourists can easily see. Some of these are manned; some are automated.
One of the best websites for finding the location of the lighthouses is Ron Ammundsen’s Lighthouses of British Columbia website. On the opening page he has maps of manned/staffed and unmanned lighthouses and their locations. This will show you what is available, and where they are located. To find photos and information on the chosen lighthouses check out Google.
One of the main items you will require is a place to stay. When flying to British Columbia via International Airlines (from another country) your point of entry would be Vancouver International Airport (YVR). From there you have a variety of ways to accommodate yourself – from hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, camp site, hostel, inn, resort, etc. Select from the list on the Hello BC website. Enter your dates, town, and preference, and select a place to stay. Really easy website to find your way around.
The next thing after a room for the night, is a place to eat. Canada is well-known for its diversity in the culinary arts, and British Columbia is no exception. The easiest way is to introduce you to a special webpage called Dining, again from Hello BC. This is an interactive menu connected to a BC map. Pick what type of food you want, where you want to eat, and wait for the results. It is well organized and easy to use.
The choice is amazing! Your selection may be saved as a PDF file for reference. Pick your town, pick your food and grab a cab to good dining. The nice thing is you can look on the map to see if a location is near your place of residence for any place in BC. The map (left) shows the 538 results from just selecting West Coast. Each red flag is a city with multiple locations in each. Each result will give you location, telephone number and website if available. A very comprehensive help page.
Before you come you should decide where you want to go, and what lighthouses you want to see. Most of the available lighthouses will be seen in and around the cities of Vancouver, and Victoria, BC. Others are visible from the ferries, and up and down Vancouver Island. On the Hello BC website on the Things To Do page there are no exact listings for lighthouses but if you type lighthouse in the search box (upper right) you will get a page of lighthouse listings, things lighthouse, resorts near lighthouses, etc. With the map from the website on Lighthouses of British Columbia you can then sort out where you want to go and which lighthouse you may wish to visit..
If you want to get off the beaten track, you can fly into many places or take ferries, hike in, or even rent a local water taxi or fish boat. The opportunities are unlimited depending on your time and finances. On the Hello BC webpage is also a section on Transportation and Maps listing many services available in BC.
Take your time, talk to other tourists, and if you have any questions, maybe I or other readers can help you out. They don’t call it Beautiful BC for nothing. Enjoy!
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To help you enjoy the coast more, it might be helpful to read up on a few of the things you might find at the shoreline. A great website for this is Vic High Marine. Check out the information on all things you might stumble across, or see on your trip.
Any more good advice out there? Please send it on and I will post it.
Probably most of you have heard of Legoland Parks. Like the Disney parks, they seem to be all over the world, but the one I am going to speak about is Legoland Park California at 1 Legoland Drive, Carlsbad, California, 92008, USA
I have mentioned Lego lighthouses as model kits before in posts, but in this park there are large lighthouse replicas – one of mention is in the New England Harbour area (see the interactive map at the left).
Canadian Lighthouse Photographs
New website is coming.
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/ketm/
is no longer online.
Chris Mills
1121 Ketch Harbour Rd.
Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia B3V 1K7
British Columbia | Nova Scotia | Prince Edward Island | New Brunswick | Newfoundland
Chris Mills served as a lighthouse keeper for the Canadian Coast Guard on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
He is currently co-chair of a committee which is recruiting Members of Parliament in support of a private members bill to protect lighthouses. To see how you can help, visit this site: Canada Needs a Lighthouse Protection Act.
Photographs and enlargements are for sale. Contact Chris Mills for price information.
All photographs and slides in the collection are identified, dated and signed.
Chris Mills is also author of the book on Nova Scotia lighthouses Lighthouse Legacies available from Amazon.ca
Sambro Island restoration project
Some of these photos may be viewed at the Lighthouses of British Columbia site.
Green Island (1994, 1995) 250 colour photos, 70 colour slides in collection. All aspects of the station and island documented — aerial views, sea views, night views, details of light and lighthouse, lightkeepers, Coast Guard helicopters, surrounding islands and seascapes.
Langara Island (1994, 1996) 250 colour and 25 black and white photos, 180 colour slides in collection. All aspects of station documented — aerial views, night views, detailed views of 1913 First Order Fresnel Lens (manufactured by Chance Brothers), light tower and lantern, lightkeepers, dwellings, interior of engine room, old cabin on island, face carved in tree, shoreline views, lightkeeper’s goats, stormy seas.
Triple Island (1994) 24 colour photos in collection. Aerial views, third order Fresnel lens, lightkeeper, detailed views of lighthouse structure, interior of workshop and engine room.
Bonilla Island (1994) 250 colour photos in collection. Many aspects of station — aerial views, sea views, night views, shoreline views (including Japanese glass fishing floats), lightkeepers, dwellings, engine room interior, light tower. (NOTE: this collection will be expanded during Sept/Oct 1996)
Boat Bluff (1994-1996) 160 colour photos in collection. All aspects of station — aerial views, sea views, night views, details of light tower, fog horns , engine room, main light (including views of keeper inspecting light at night, inspection of light and bulbs during day), views of station and mountains from 1000 foot hill across the channel from lightstation, snow views, old hand fog horn, three modern plastic lenses, sunrise views, surrounding bays and inlets, Santa and Mrs. Claus visit 1994. (NOTE: Available as of Dec. 1996 — selection of a further 200 colour and b&w prints taken during August 1996, including Coast Guard ship and work crews supplying station.)
Ivory Island (1994-1996) 600+ colour and 36 black and white photos, 100 colour slides in collection. All aspects of the lightstation — 30 aerial views, sea views, night views, lighthouse, keepers, dwellings inside and out, engine room, main light, surrounding area, beaches, salmon fishing, snow, totem poles, artist and photographer at work at the lightstation, Coast Guard helicopters, sunsets, shoreline and forest, various tidal life (sea stars, crabs, etc.), local minor beacon lights, 25th annual Santa and Mrs. Claus visit December 1995.
McInnes Island (1994, 1995) 48 colour photos, 22 colour slides in collection. Aerial views, lighthouse structure, radio room, keeper, detail of lantern and main light, large thunder cloud formations.
Dryad Point (1995) 32 colour photos in collection. Aerial views, light tower, main light, keeper and daughter, keeper and main light, dwelling. (NOTE: This collection will be expanded during 1997)
Addenbroke Island (1994) 14 colour photos in collection. Aerial views.
Egg Island (1994) 10 colour photos in collection. Aerial views.
Pine Island (1994) 3 colour photos in collection. Aerial views.
Scarlett Point (1994) 2 colour photos. Aerial views.
Point Atkinson (1994) 14 black and white photos in collection. Light tower, keeper and main light, station dwellings and exterior of radio/engine room.
Brockton Point (1994) 5 black and white photos in collection. Light tower.
Porlier Pass (1994) 32 colour photos in collection. Two light towers (Porlier is a range light station), main lights, boat and boathouse, lightkeeper, dwelling, interior engine room and fog horn building, Coast Guard hovercraft. (NOTE: The old front range light was demolished Feb. 1996 and replaced by a fibreglass tower and the lighthouse was automated shortly after.)
Fisgard (1994) 6 colour, 2 black and white photos in collection. Light tower and detail of gothic style window in old keepers dwelling.
Sheringham Point (1994, 1995) 20 colour photos in collection. Light tower, abandoned dwelling, sunset, old Fresnel lens at local museum.
Amphitrite Point (1995) 9 colour slides in collection (prints available). Lighthouse structure, old keepers dwelling.
Lennard Island (1995) 52 colour photos, 25 colour slides in collection. Traveling to island by boat, keeper in boat, keeper in lighthouse, keeper and wife on station grounds, dwellings, radio room, engine room, details of two fog horn systems, including traditional diaphone horn taken out of service Oct. 1995, light tower, station grounds.
Cape Scott (1996) 23 colour photos in collection. Aerial views.
Some of these photos may be viewed at the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society site.
Baccaro Point
Bear River
Beaver Island
Black Rock Point (new lighthouse)
Black Rock Point (old lighthouse)
Boar’s Head
Brier Island
Cape Forchu
Cape George
Cape Sable
Chebucto Head
Fort Point (LaHave River)
Fort Point (Liverpool)
Fourchu Head
Gabarus
George’s Island
Grand Passage
Hampton (Chute Cove)
Horton Bluff
Jerome Pont
Louisbourg
Low Point
Maugher’s Beach
Medway Head
Peggy’s Cove
Point Aconi
Port Greville (old light, now at Canadian Coast Guard College, Point Edward, N.S.)
Port Medway
Prim Point
Rouse Point
Sable Island (east light)
Sable Island (west light)
Sambro Island
Scatarie Island
Schafner Point
Seal Island
Sydney Range (front light)
Sydney Range (rear light)
Western Head
Battery Point
Betty’s Island
Canso Locks
Cross Island (comprehensive collection including automation day)
Eddy Point
Mosher’s Island
Seal Island (comprehensive collection)
Seal Island Lighthouse Museum
Blockhouse Point
Borden Range (front light)
Borden Range (rear light)
Cape Bear
Cape Tryon
Brighton Beach Range (front light)
Brighton Beach Range (rear light)
East Point
Murray Harbour Range (front light)
New London Range (rear light)
North Rustico
Panmure Island
Point Prim
Souris East
Summerside Range (front light)
Summerside Range (rear light)
Woods Islands
Woods Islands Range (front light)
Woods Islands Range (rear light)
Cape Spencer
Cape Tormentine
Fish Fluke Point (Grand Harbour)
Gannet Rock (comprehensive collection: 700+ prints and slides)
Great Duck Island
East Quoddy (Head Harbour)
Letite
Long Eddy
Long Point
Machias Seal Island (comprehensive collection)
Mulholland Point
Southwest Head
Swallowtail
Cape Anguille
Cape Ray
Cape Saint Francis (dwelling only)
Cape Saint Mary’s
Cape Spear
Lobster Cove Head
Rose Blanche (old stone lighthouse)
For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.
Do You Want to Buy a Foghorn?
Aberdeen’s Torry Coo on the market for £5,000
Buyers lining up for foghorn
Published: 28/09/2012 Evening Express
A famous foghorn in Aberdeen has sparked a bidding war between prospective buyers desperate to own a piece of Scottish history.
And property agents revealed several offers made for the much-loved Torry Coo in Aberdeen were “well in excess” of the asking price.
The Northern Lighthouse Board put the 110-year-old horn and store building on the market in July with a price tag of £5,000, but several mystery bidders want to get their hands on the Category A listed structure. Continue reading Mise Tales Twelve
For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.
This is too cute not to show you all. I discovered this page by accident, and could not stop going oooh and ahhh! It is priceless, and I mean that literally, as this item is a one of a kind according to the experts. According to the article:
The object is an early 19th century miniature musical automaton movement that controls a nautical scene. The scene features a gilt lighthouse set on cliffs of green and brown painted wood. A gilded ship sits on a painted sea in front of the cliffs. The ship rocks to and fro as though in a storm while a (then unidentified) tune plays on a plucked comb. more ->
More information here on the Automata / Automaton blog.
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I know many people do not use checks/cheques these days, but if you do, AND you like lighthouses, here is a company that produces Lighthouse Checks!
Check out checkadvantage.com for these checks. They have four different designs which you can see on their website. I will keep them in mind for my next batch of cheques.
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OK, here’s another one. A lighthouse on a USA Waterfowl Hunting Stamp. I know there are lighthouses on Postage Stamps, but never realized they did it for Hunting Stamps. Are there any more out there? This one is for 1994 and shows Oak island lighthouse. The full story is here on the Southport Times website.