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Blogs

Travel – Australian Lighthouses

  I came across this article that shows the life on an Australian lighthouse starting in 1971. A wee bit different than Canada I must say.     What got my attention were the requirements for a lighthouse keeper: The job requirements of a lighthouse keeper were a car licence, an ability to climb to […]

Did You Gain Weight Over Christmas?

  The following story from the Victoria Times-Colonist caught my attention yesterday: Heavier Riders Force Capacity Cut on Washington State Ferries   A takeout from the page reads: British Columbia had the fast ferries. Now, Washington state has the fat ferries.   On Dec. 1, U.S. Coast Guard vessel stability rules raised the estimated weight […]

The Love of My Life – Ms. Enterprise!

When my wife Karen and I started on Pulteney Point  in 1969 the house was supplied with a beautiful white porcelain enamel Enterprise oil cook stove. Ms. Enterprise had a “polished cast iron cook top, roomy storage drawer, even heat porcelain oven, no-fog oven window” 1 and a high shelf above the cooking surface. As the lighthouse generators ran […]

Why We Need MORE Lighthouses in British Columbia

One of the arguments for destaffing the lighthouses in British Columbia (BC), Canada is that they are no longer needed because all vessels have the Global Positioning System (GPS). Canadian mariners must move into the 21st Century they say! Have you ever looked at British Columbia? The size of British Columbia? British Columbia is the westernmost province of […]

Lighthouse Collections – Lapel Pins

One of the benefits of having a “glamorous” job like a policeman, pilot, or lighthouse keeper is the collection of memorabilia such as models, photos, key-chain hangers, and lapel pins. This post is dedicated to lapel pins. In the photos below you can see some of the pins that were collected by myself and my […]

Lighthouse Libraries and Their Book Boxes

After writing about the Bookboats and how the Thomas Crosby V used to bring us books to read from their onboard library, I was reminded of the libraries on each lighthouse I worked on. Each keeper that worked the island would leave a few books behind, mostly pocketbooks, and they would take with them new ones from […]