Photo of the Day: Nobska Point Lighthouse at sunset

I've made Nobska Point Lighthouse in Woods Hole on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, my photo of the day because I also want to pass along this information about 2010 open houses, just passed along by Sandy and Don Abt of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-2.

The lighthouse will be open to the public in 2010 on the following days and times, weather permitting, all 9:30 to 11:30 a.m:

Saturday, May 15; Saturday, June 19; Thursday, July 1; Thursday, July 15; Thursday, July 29 ; Thursday; Aug. 5 ; Saturday, Aug. 14; Thursday, Dec. 4. Also, there's still one more open house in 2009: Saturday, Dec. 5, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

ADMISSION REGULATIONS:

- Children must be at least 6 years of age AND 45 inches tall to enter
- Shoes and shirts required
- No food or drink permitted in the lighthouse
- No smoking permitted in the lighthouse
- Backpacks, large purses, large camera bags not allowed in the light room
- Infants in carrying pouches not allowed in the lighthouse
- No liability is accepted for personal items left unattended in or on the grounds of the lighthouse

Lighthouse tours are conducted by United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-2. Admission is free. For more information, email Abtda@aol.com.

For more on this lighthouse, see lighthouse.cc/nobska/.

Photo of the Day: Windmill Point Lighthouse on Lake Champlain in Alburg, Vermont

Windmill Point Lighthouse on Lake Champlain in Alburg, Vermont, originally uploaded by nelights.

This photo was taken back in the '90s during my first visit to beautiful Windmill Point. This lighthouse is owned by the Clark family, true lighthouse keepers and preservationists.

Arts & Crafts Fair Update

As mentioned earlier, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is holding an Arts & Crafts Fair on Sunday, December 6, from 9 to 3 at the Casey Function Center, 1950 Lafayette Road (Route 1) in Portsmouth, NH. Details are available at www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org. Here's the latest lineup of vendors:

Tammy Dobrosielski, Dragon's Eye Photography and Papercrafts: Photographs, handmade cards, bookmarks, stationary and other items made with papercrafting techniques, including rubber stamped magnets, gift card holders, stocking stuffer items and ornaments. (dragonseyecrafts.com)

Cynthia Legere - Kiln-formed glass and dichroic jewelry.

Pam Sawin, Sawin Arts - Unique custom products, including reproductions of original works and recreations, for decorative home accents, collectibles, gifts, and stationery. (www.sawinarts.com)

Donna Mangeri - Crocheted items; bags and baskets.

Amy Wallace, Just Not Right Greetings - Jewelry, greeting cards, and photography.

Harold Whitehouse - Harold will be signing copies of his book "Home By Nine: The Real South End," about growing up in Portsmouth, NH, in the 1930-50 era.

Virginia Souza - Lighthouse Christmas prints, cards, and original miniature paintings.

Marci Barnes, Yours and Mane - Handcrafted hair accessories; headbands, barrettes.

Sheryl Tichy - Photographic prints (matted and framed), 2010 calendars, other small lighthouse items.

Pam Newman, The Bead Lady - Jewelry w/ semi-precious stones, pearls, sterling and gold-filled beads and chains.

Joan Scialdone, Sea Jay Designs - Tied fleece blankets in 3 sizes, handmade dog beds, crate mats, tug toys, wine gift bags. (www.seajaydesigns.com)

Vince Salvatore, Lighthouse Productions Films & Entertainment - Lighthouse documentary DVDs, photo prints of lighthouses.

Eve Huston - Hand-knitted scarves, hats, purses, needle-felted ornaments, pins, animals, framed art pieces.

Ross Tracy - Lighthouse and scenic photography. (www.lightdreamer.com)

William Marshall - Photography inspired by the coast of New England. (www.craggycoast.com)

Jeremy D'Entremont - Lighthouse books and photography. (www.lighthouse.cc)

Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse - Lighthouse pins, magnets, postcards, t-shirts, polo shirts, baseball caps, books, ornaments, and more. (www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org)

Photo of the Day: Aerial view of Thacher Island Twin Lights

I took this photo of Cape Ann's famous twin lights on Thacher Island from a helicopter, piloted by Dale Hardy, in June 2002.

The Thacher Island Association had contracted Campbell Construction to renovate the assistant keeper's house near the south tower. Dale was hired to fly in supplies and to take debris off the island. I was lucky enough to get a ride along with Paul St. Germain of the Thacher Island Association.

This was among my most memorable lighthouse experiences. For more on Thacher Island, see lighthouse.cc/thacher/

Here's some video from that day:

Photo of the Day: New London Ledge Lighthouse, Connecticut

New London Ledge Lighthouse, Connecticut, originally uploaded by nelights.

New London Ledge is one of the coolest lighthouses anywhere, in my humble opinion. Not only is it architecturally beautiful and unique, but it's haunted to boot! What more could you want?

The latest good news is that the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation has become the newest chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation.

Monomoy Lighthouse Slated for Restoration

$1.5 million in 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will be used to restore the isolated Monomoy Lighthouse, off Chatham on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The 1849 lighthouse has been in the care of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) since 1977, as part of the 2,750-acre Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge.

Monomoy was first separated from the mainland around 1800, but it was later rejoined. It was separated again by winter storms in 1958. The ferocious blizzard of February 6-7, 1978, cut Monomoy into two islands, North and South Monomoy. The ever-shifting contours of South Monomoy have left acres of sand between the lighthouse and the shore, leading some to liken it to a “minaret in the Sahara.”

In 1988, the USFWS hired K&K Painting of Baltimore to carry out a major overhaul of the 40-foot-tall cast-iron lighthouse and keeper’s house. The work was funded mostly by money left over from the rebuilding of Great Point Light on Nantucket, funneled to Monomoy with the help of Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy. The buildings were again in rough shape by 2001, when a new effort at rehabilitation was announced. Because of a lack of funding and the remote location, however, only minor repairs have been completed.

The new restoration project is one of at least four lighthouse upgrades across the U.S. funded by Recovery Act money. The others are Roanoke River (NC), Jupiter Inlet (FL), and Fire Island (NY). The funding for Monomoy is the largest of the four.

Oak Point Associates has been hired to assess what's needed, and their report will be finished in the next few weeks. The contract should go out for bid in the early part of 2010.

The present lighthouse at Monomoy was among the first cast-iron lighthouses in the United States; towers at Boston's Long Island Head (1844) and Vermont's Juniper Island (1846) were among the earlier ones. Among surviving American towers of this type, only Juniper Island’s and one at Biloxi, Mississippi (1848) are older.

Capt. Keith Lincoln offers a variety of cruises on the Monomoy Island Ferry, including a visit to South Monomoy and the lighthouse. See www.monomoyislandferry.com.

Percival The Lighthouse Mouse

Word comes from Elaine Jones at Maine's Burnt Island Lighthouse about a wonderful new children’s book called Percival the Lighthouse Mouse, written and illustrated by Burnt Island volunteer Bob McKay.

The setting for the story is of course, Burnt Island. The book contains a vocabulary section to help readers understand the terms associated with lighthouses. The book is being printed right now and will be available in a couple of weeks, just in time for Christmas. You can visit Bob’s website for a sneak preview at www.percivallighthousemouse.com.