So, since we were not moving today, it was time to take everything back out. Out came the patio awning, out came the patio mat, out came the turtle and flowers, and on went the tire covers, Hey, I need the practice!
Today was a really nice one. Reasonable temperatures, a cool breeze and not a hint of rain. What more could one ask for. It is so nice to be able to leave the windows open and let the breeze blow through. I’ll take as many days like this as the good Lord is gracious enough to give us.
Well, today was the day, another day older for me, but not necessarily wiser nor richer! What a wonderful 70th birthday it was. Thanks one and all for the birthday wishes. A special thanks to my loving wife for making this an absolutely fantastic day.
First, knowing my love for history she took me to the town of Sodus Bay for a tour of the Sodus Bay Museum and Lighthouse. Regarding the lighthouse, in 1824 Congress appropriated $4,500 to construct a lighthouse tower and keeper’s residence at Sodus Bay.
By 1869, both structures had deteriorated to the extent that Congress appropriated $14,000 to build a second lighthouse to replace the original tower. This second stone lighthouse building, with its attached tower and Fresnel lens, was completed in 1871 and became the residence of Sodus Lighthouse Keepers for the next 80 years. This same lighthouse is still preserved in excellent condition, and has been run as a Maritime Museum by the Sodus Bay Historical Society. This is the lighthouse from the front showing the old keepers quarters which today houses the museum. The original keepers quarters contained a living room, dinning room, and kitchen. There were bedrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor that could only be accessed by the lighthouse tower stairs. Within this modest home at one time lived the light keeper, his wife and their eleven children!
This is a view of the lighthouse from the rear in the which the original lighthouse is seen. This lighthouse was decommissioned in 1901 in order to save on the cost of kerosene.
This is a closeup of the sign out front.
The door mat at the front door.
Today the lighthouse is no longer active. It has been replaced by a lighthouse that is now set at the end of a pier that marks the entrance to the bay. The first light on the pier was built in 1836. In 1872, an elevated walk was built on top of the pier that allowed access to the lighthouse without a boat. In 1938, the original wooden lighthouse was replaced with a steel structure set on a concert base. Finally, in 1988, the light was automated and a Fresnel lens was placed in it . This is a picture of that light today as seen from the top of the original lighthouse.
Within the museum there was an excellent display of the light keepers tools of the trade.
Today the original lighthouse is open to the public. There are 52 steps leading to the top.
Remember I said earlier that these stairs were the only way the 2nd and 3rd floors of the keepers quarters could be accessed.
Once to the top – oh yes I made it – the view is spectacular. This is Lake Ontario which is 193 miles long and 53 miles wide at its widest point. Perhaps small in comparison to the other great Lakes but by no means is it a Lake to be taken lightly. Hundreds of ships have been lost to storms on its waters, and there other ships that have simply vanished and as of today no one knows where they went.
This is the Sodus Bay Beach viewed from the top.
Within the Museum there are also various other exhibits. There was an exhibit of the working boats that once called Sodus Bay home. The first exhibit highlighted the Alma. Alma was a flat-bottomed, two-masted schooner used in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s by the U.S. Lighthouse Service to supply lighthouses. She was 88′ long with a beam of 23′ and a draft of 3’6″.
Another exhibit featured the tugboats that used to sail the waters in and around Sodus Bay
Finished with the Museum, we were just getting ready to leave when we met two more of God’s beautiful people, Mike and Sandy who are out here, from the state of Washington, to see their son. We had a wonderful time sharing with these two beautiful Christian people. Their son is a part of Christian Athletes an organization in which its members use their faith and their athletic abilities to impact the world for Christ. We are so thankful that God brought them into our lives. We will remember them for a long time to come.
Hold on, the day is not over yet. My beautiful wife had one more wonderful surprise in store for me. Dinner out at a delightful restaurant in Sodus Bay called Captain Jack’s.
Can you say fish? Blackened fish? Delicious fish that melted in my mouth. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. Just think, if I hadn’t pulled the plug on moving, what a meal I would have missed. (Bill would have gone to a different restaurant if we would have moved). All I can say is thank you sweetheart for a fantastic birthday!
So that was our day. A delight from beginning to end. One could not have asked for a more beautiful way to spend the day. And the day was even better because, as always, we journeyed through the day, hand in hand, singing our song. Sweet. Ok, a thought now for all of us to consider:
As always, if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God. After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.
Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye. Till tomorrow.
These are the voyages of Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans. Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before
"On The Road of Retirement" 
Happy Belated Birthday. What a beautiful view from the lighthouse. Eleven children, Wow, that was a full house. Thanks for sharing.
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