Lighthouse

This summer Lou Ann has been volunteering at the lighthouse every Wednesday afternoon from 1 - 3 pm. She opens the door and lets folks walk inside to see the spiral staircase, look at the six foot thick brick walls, and gaze up to the base of the lantern room. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was not made to accommodate visitors, so climbing the stairs is not permitted. The stairs are narrow and old, the lantern room is just barely large enough for the Fresnel lens, the door to the balcony is only 3 feet high, and the railings would not prevent a small child from tumbling over.

I believe this will be Lou Ann's last Wednesday to open the lighthouse. If you are on the island tomorrow please stop by, say hello, and enjoy a rare opportunity to view the inside of the 1823 beacon.

Here is a photo of me last year, climbing the stairs at the invitation of the restoration specialists who spent several months working on the lighthouse:



(Click on photo to view a larger image.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Night Blooming Cereus Cactus by Lou Ann. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072111.htm.