Chapter 3: Childhood Days at the Lighthouse

Many people, especially children ask me what it was like to live and grow up at a lighthouse? Since most of you are young people, I would like to tell you what it was like for me. I feel knowing something about life at the lighthouse will make you appreciate the tour even more.

When I look back on my earlier years, I feel I was very lucky to grow up at a lighthouse. When you think about it, I don’t know of any lighthouses today where you would have the opportunity to spend your childhood.

My first question to you, Do you think it was easy being a child of the keeper? Some of you are thinking yes, and some of you I know are thinking, no way.

I remember all the responsibilities my father and mother had, and the daily chores I was required to do. It might make some of you shy away from the lighthouse life.

My day started very early. During the winter months, it could still be dark. One of my daily chores was to go to the barn and either milk the cow, or the goat. That’s right, milk the cow, or the goat. You’re probably thinking or saying “yuck”, not me! I had no choice; we didn’t have a corner grocery store where we could go buy a quart or more of milk. The times I didn’t like, were the mornings when it was raining cats and dogs, and the wind was howling. The rain would make the ground pretty muddy! It seemed like those were the days it took forever to get enough milk. When I went back to the house, I had to take off my wet and muddy clothes and shoes. My mother would inspect the pail to make sure I had enough milk. If I didn’t, I had to put on the wet and muddy clothes I had just taken off, and go back out to the barn, and finish the job to satisfy my mother. I have to admit, even though I didn’t like going back out to the barn, it was still worth it to have fresh milk.

We not only had a cow and a goat, we also had chickens. Chickens were easy; all you had to do was feed them. We would check for eggs in the morning, and on special occasions we would have a chicken dinner. It was important to make sure we put them inside the barn at night, because we had coyotes and raccoons in the area. It was a challenge to stay one step ahead of them, or they would take a chicken or two. My father was always checking the barn to make sure there were no holes where they could get inside. Boy, I sure learned a lot about how smart and crafty coyotes and raccoons could be when they where hungry.

I will be right back; I have to make sure my supply order is completed before the tender arrives. When I return, I'll continue to discuss what my childhood days were like at the lighthouse. In the meantime, I have some questions for you to ponder.

● What other chores do you think I had to do?
● Do you like seafood? What types of seafood would be available to us?
● We had a garden at the lighthouse. What vegetables do you think we grew?
● If you have a garden at home, what are some of the problems you might have to deal with to grow vegetables? A clue, think animals and weather.
● Besides seeing coyotes and raccoons, what other types of wildlife might be seen at or near the lighthouse?