Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts

Subject: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 14 Oct 99 - 06:25 AM

Joe if you want to see some "tasteful" light-house related kitsch (er, I mean gifts) see: www.nauticalia.co.uk/
RtS

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Oct 99 - 08:26 AM

And, if you are running around looking at lighthouses, be sure to go to New London, CT and see the one out in the middle of Long Island Sound, perched on its own tiny bit of land; there's also a small one on shore there, near the O'Neill theatre, which is now a private residence.

Miss you..have fun.

kat

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Barbara
Date: 14 Oct 99 - 12:33 PM

Oh, and Joe, since you're retiring, there is a lighthouse and rock (in Lake Superior) FOR SALE. I gather from the ad I saw that it has been uninhabited for about 60 years and, in the language of the trade, is "a real fixer upper". Believe the Rock is called "Grand Rock" and the Parks Service is who is offering for sale, if you want to check it out.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Bert
Date: 14 Oct 99 - 12:43 PM

I can picture this now. Joe has a Mudcat gathering and he's at the top of the lighthouse, singing, and there are hundreds of 'catters crowded together all the way up a hundred feet of stone spiral stairs.

Great acustics though.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Oct 99 - 01:29 PM

How much, Barbara?

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Bert
Date: 14 Oct 99 - 01:30 PM

You too Kat?

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Barbara
Date: 14 Oct 99 - 07:09 PM

Kat et al, I believe it is to be auctioned off. I'll go see if we saved that paper and post you the specifics.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 01:19 AM

Could you arrange to move it about a thousand miles south?

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Barbara
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 01:25 AM

Here's the story from The Statesman Journal (Salem OR) Tues Oct 12:
If you're interested in buying a secluded fixer-upper with a great lake view, here's your chance.
Granite Island -- complete with its 131-year-old lighthouse on Lake Superior -- is up for sale.
"It's a rock in the middle of the water with a building that's in bad shape," said Stephen Lyons, chief warrant officer for the U.S. Coast Guard in Marquette Michigan. " I don't know what somebody would do with it."
The stone structure, built in 1868, hasn't been occupied for 60 years. But it's on the National Register of Historic Places. Appraisers haven't been able to judge the worth of the 2.5 acre piece of rock 10 miles north of Marquette.
"It's like trying to price an acre of land on the moon, there's no comparison basis." said Melissa Green, the U.S. General Services Admistration officer who is in charge of selling the island. The property will be sold by sealed bid on Oct. 19. Green said she expects plenty of interest.

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 01:26 AM

Hey, Bert, a girl's gotta dream, right? Actually there is no way I could do all of those stairs in any reasonable length of time, but there's usually a nice little cottage at the bottom.

Thanks, Barbara.

I found a wonderful UK site here, of unique properties, incouding lighthouses, train stations, houseboats, castles, etc. Lot of fun to look through.

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 01:40 AM

Here is a gift for Joe Offer and Big Mick, and anyone else looking for a REALLY good read.

Elizabeth Whitney Williams grew up on Beaver Island (now a center of Irish culture) in the middle of Lake Michigan. She eventually became the first female lighthouse keeper in the Great Lakes. Her memoir is a real page turner--and it's on-line in its entirety. A link to A child of the sea and life among the Mormons. By Elizabeth Whitney Williams.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Big Mick
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 02:08 AM

Actually Charlie, I have played on Beaver Island. It was settled first by Native Americans, then fishermen from the Arran Islands immigrated and that is when it became an Irish enclave. The Mormons came much later, established themselves, declared it a Kingdom until one of their own killed the King. The Irish then re-established control over the island and the Mormons eventually left. The Irish have maintained the Mormon shops and have made a museum dedicated to the time that the Latter Day Saints group was there. I am going to look into the book. Thanks for pointing it out.

Mick

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 04:51 AM

Hmmmm. Lighthouse on Lake Superior for sale? Sounds tempting. I could spend my life there - as long as I didn't have to be there for winter, mosquito season, or black fly season. Any seasons left? I do love the Great Lakes, though.
Just got back this evening, after a very nice tour of the Chesapeake Bay. It was nice to spend a few days by myself by the water, savoring memories of the Getaway. And yes, I did see several lighthouses, and ended my vacation by climbing the Hooper Strait light at the maritime museum at St. Michaels, Maryland.
-Joe Offer, off to look at the lighthouse kitsch site-

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 06:26 AM

Sorry, Joe, I got their web address from their printed catalogue, I assumed the site would show the items, but it only invites you to send for catalogue!
(Characteristic sound on Mudcat, Roger the S. barking up wrong tree).
It had things like lighthouse fridge magnets, table lamps etc. as well as a lot of "nautical" brassware for the home and boat of the sailor who has everything and the money to pay for it!

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Tony Burns
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 09:05 AM

I hope you've seen the PBS special on lighthouses Joe.

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 10:01 AM

Now there' something for the real afficionado:
Leuchttürme Nordsee or
Svenska Fyrsällskapet (they have a well organised links page leading you, e.g., to "Lighthouse links on the web" which leads to the most interesting "Lighthouses with their own webpages"; there seem to be more lighthouses than Mudcatters with own webpages).
I'll have to stop now detracting Joe from his real task, mudcatting.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: annamill
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 10:18 AM

Joe, we here in Jersey have a nice lighthouse you might like to come see. "Ole Barney" we call it. It's in Barneget Light on Long Beach Island. I've climbed it many times. It's one of my favorite spots. If you ever are able to come to a gathering at my house, or just come to visit, we'll go down and look at it. I enjoyed meeting you, Joe. I just wish we had had more time to talk. Is there such a thing as too much music?

Love, annap

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 12:25 PM

wow! Those pages Wolfgang posted lead to about every lighthouse you can imagine! I could get truly lost following all the links...Joe, you sure have a fascinating hobby!

(thanks Wolfgang...I will be perusing this off & on for a long time!)

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Philippa
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 12:51 PM

Many of the gifts in this (coming) winter's National Trust (conservation, UK) catalogue have a lighthouse motif. I haven't checked whether there's a relevant website.

Subject: RE: Joe Offer:Lighthouse gifts
From: Vixen
Date: 15 Oct 99 - 02:12 PM

Joe-- I have a lighthouse question that I wanted to ask you at the getaway, but we never actually ended up in one spot at the same time long enough to chit-chat! Next time, I hope. And it was a delight to hear you singing in Latin at Lisa's workshop!

Anyway, looking at the sites Wolfgang posted reminded me. There is a popular poster of a lighthouse just about inundated by a humongous wave with a man standing in the doorway on the lee side. My question is, where on earth is this one? Also, aren't there a bunch of lighthouses off the coast of England or France or someplace that were hellishly difficult to build, and about which there is a really moving song? I can't for the life of me remember more than that, and yet I am convinced I've heard something about it somewhere. Any ideas???

V