Today we had a splendid Black Friday, our friend Connie invited us to a tour of the Point Sur Lighthouse and Station. We were joined by Patricia and her son Robert and we proceeded to enjoy a spectacular afternoon. We started at the bottom of the "rock" and worked our way up, Connie explaining the history to us as we climbed. We got to watch a whale just off the kelp line, Phil spotted it and we watched it on our climb up. Phil got a perfect view of a fluke, he enjoyed the whole day, it was just his cup of tea.
What a climb, I have always been curious what was beyond the fence, we have been driving past it for years. The area around the lighthouse station is one of the most scenic areas along Highway 1 near Big Sur.
"Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean from the spectacular Big Sur Coast, the Point Sur Lightstation stands as a silent sentinel to a by-gone era. Point Sur, a National Historic Landmark, is the only complete turn-of-the-century light station open to the public in California." www.bigsurcalifornia.org
When Connie asked us if we would be interested, she explained we would be walking and climbing. She looked at Phil and asked him, you won't pop a gasket will you?" Ha! Phil and I loved it, I wish everyone realized that this is our life, this is what we have been given and we might as well laugh at it a little. Phil adored it and said that it relaxed him. He didn't pop a gasket at all. Ha!
The climb up the hill is spectacular and Connie's tour was wonderful, we all just took it in. To imagine the families that had lived there over the years was amazing. It boggled the mind what they must have seen and endured.
"On February 12, 1935, two Point Sur lighthouse keepers witnessed the end of an era when the rigid airship U.S.S. Macon crashed offshore and sank in 1,450 feet of water. Of the 83 crew, all but two escaped from the crash alive. The helium-filled dirigible had an aluminum frame and a painted cotton skin. The craft spanned 785 feet in length, three times that of a Boeing 747. With a top speed of 80 mph, the U.S.S. Macon used a trapeze mechanism to launch and recover in flight the four Sparrowhawk F-9C-2 airplanes she carried." pointsur.org
"The Point Sur Light station originally contained a first-order (the largest) Fresnel lens. The lens was in use until the 1970's when it was replaced by a modern aero beacon mounted on the roof of the fog signal room. The lens remained in the lighthouse tower until 1978, when it was disassembled and transported to the Allen Knight Maritime Museum of Monterey for display. The aero beacon was later moved into the lighthouse tower.
The Fresnel lens was invented by Augustin Jean Fresnel, a French physicist. Fresnel's invention revolutionized lighthouses world-wide. Within a short time his lenses were accepted as the best available. Many are still in use today." pointsur.org 
The actual lighthouse was amazing and had a smell of kerosene. When we lived in France as a child our home had been heated by kerosene, I had some feelings of deja vu. My sister had a doll that she named Kerosene because she loved the sound of the word.
Glass crystals on the ceiling below where the light would have been, they were intriguing and beautiful to look at.
This is a very happy woman. With some family cooperation, some photo sales and a little savings, I'm getting a dream camera. My old camera broke, which was devastating. One of my "dog" mom's had a camera that she gave me, it has been keeping me almost sane during these times without a one. All the photos here are courtesy of Karen. Thank you very much Karen, I have had a ball learning about the camera and it takes a very nice photograph. After I get the new camera, Phil says he is going to use the one you gave me. Perhaps there will be some more of Phil's photography in upcoming days in my blog, I hope so. Nicole, Noelle and Patti, I know each one of you knows how I feel. I can't express what photography has done for me through this process. Thank you! I will get my broken camera fixed as soon as I can and will have a back up for when such a thing happens again. Photography has been the creative outlet to let out what I feel, a healthy therapy of sorts. I can't wait for seal pupping season to get here Kim, I will be ready! (Thank you Kim, you have set my soul soaring, your invitation to help with photography with the Harbor Seals and letting me earn that camera - PRICELESS)
The insides of the buildings are being restored to what they looked like when people lived and worked at the lightstation. Every room had a beautiful view, each one decorated as close to what it had been, as possible. If you ever get a chance we would recommend this tour highly, I'm really interested in a moonlight tour!
The camera on the mantel along with an old painting of the complex from earlier times captured my imagination.
This bedroom would have been one of my dreams as a young girl, I had a desire to be a cowboy. This would have been perfect!
Thank you very much Connie, it was a relaxing dream come true. Phil loved it and we both learned many things about lighthouses that I could have never imagined. Thank you for joining us Patty and Robert, what a beautiful Friday to share.
Phil and I popped over to Big Sur, enjoyed a beautiful walk and visited our friend Helga at a craft fair going on there. Big-Sur-Grange-Harvest-Craft-Fair was a small, wonderful event we were happy to luck into seeing it. Always a pleasure to see Helga, you can see her art at: Helga-Browne-Scarlett
Thank you Connie very much.
One lovely moment at a time.
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