Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Cape St. George Light


The Cape St. George Light is the third light as I continue East along the Florida Panhandle.
The first St. George lighthouse was built in 1833 at west Pass. It was rebuilt in1848 on Cape St. George. The hurricane in 1851 toppled that light. The third lighthouse was completed 1852. The light was eventually automated in 1949. The Coast Guard deactivated the light in 1994. Beach erosion at the site of the lighthouse continued to threaten the light until the structure collapsed on October 21, 2005.
Remnants of the fallen structure were salvaged and the St. George Lighthouse Association led the effort to rebuild the lighthouse. Volunteers cleaned the mortar off the more than 22,000 original bricks and assisted in the reconstruction. The tower is 75 feet high and is now located in the center of St. George Island. Reconstruction was completed in 2008. You can get to the island by taking Island Drive (SR 300) off US 98 in Eastpoint. The beauty of the expanse of water from the 4.2 mile bridge is breathtaking. It is well worth the time to drive west from the lighthouse to the St. George State Park. The dunes have been preserved in their natural state. Several walkways lead to the sandy beach.
We stopped for lunch in Apalachicola which is a quaint fishing village and tourist attraction. It is noted for the oysters. I had them on the half shell for lunch. Carol enjoyed a nice grilled grouper sandwich.
This was the first excursion with both dogs. They were good. Tiny slept most of the time and Gizmo needed to look out the window most of the time. We are pleased that Gizmo travels well.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

GIZMO


There was a news item on the local news station that a woman had surrendered a number of Chihuahuas. So yesterday we went to the Bay County Animal Control Center. We went to see if we could get a short haired Chihuahua. There was one left but he apparently had bitten one of the inmates who are on work release. As we walked around the numerous cages we saw this very sad looking Yorkie. We saw several varieties of small dogs , yet we gravitated back to this Yorkie who would not move off his mat in the back of the cage. An animal officer walked by and we asked about him. She told us that he was not very social. I noted that he had not bitten anyone and could we hold him. She got him out and handed him to Carol and we held him. He was and is very thin. We found out that he is four years old and his original owner gave him up as she was moving. He had been in the shelter since October 27th. Yesterday was his 8th day. We borrowed a leash and took him for a walk. He seemed happy to be outside. When we returned I filled out an application. They tested him for heart worm which was negative. Then they gave him his shots and we got a free card to get him his rabies shot at a local vet. He had no hesitation and jumped right into the car. He seemed happy. We stopped at a Pet Supermarket and bought new collars and matching leashes for Gizmo and Tiny. New dishes and a crate for Gizmo. I took the above picture as soon as we got home and just before Carol gave him his welcome to us bath. That collar was trashed.

He is trained and likes to go out for walks. It appears that he has never had dry dog food. We soaked some dry food with home made chicken soup with a little chicken and small pieces of carrot. That he ate, but not the dry. Tiny seems thrilled to have a playmate and they are bonding and were sleeping on the same throw for a while. This morning he finally broke down and ate the food that was left in his dish. I think that us getting him to a better diet will take time. We did get him his rabies shot this morning.

We also drove back out to the shelter to return the leash. I asked the officer how long they keep the animals before they are put to sleep. She told me Gizmo was on the list for last night. It seems eight days is the magic number. Carol and I believe that Gizmo is social, but we think he was grieving at the loss of the only master that he had known. He is no longer shaking when we hold him and seems relaxed. He will sit on command and stay for a wee bit. We are gently breaking him of jumping on the furniture. He seems to know what "no" means and he jumps right down. We went to the market and when we returned he was so excited to see us.

During the time that we were in the shelter we were both surprised at how many dogs are being surrendered. Most say they are moving and can't keep the dog. We suspect that some of the folks we saw just cannot afford them any longer.

As the saying goes "Gizmo fell in S*%t and came out smelling like a rose. "

Monday, November 02, 2009

Crooked River Lighthouse

The Crooked River Lighthouse is a 103 foot skeletal tower with 138 steps from ground to the lantern room. It was built in 1895 to replace the Dog Island Lighthouse destroyed in a hurricane in 1873. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1995. My previous visit was several years ago and the paint had faded badly and the location lacked scenic appeal. I forewarned Carol that this light was going to be a sad sight. We were both pleasantly surprised to see that the light had been restored to its original colors and beauty. The Carrabelle Lighthouse Association along with assistance from the Florida Lighthouse Association and the Florida Communities Trust with an appropriation from the Florida Legislature made it possible to not only restore the Lighthouse but to also build a replica of the Light Keepers Home. The Lighthouse is located at 1975 Highway 98 West, approximately 2 miles west of downtown Carrabelle. There are historical markers on the highway, but it is very easy to go by the single lane dirt road leading into the area as I did. I needed to reverse direction and then enter the grounds.


Future plans are for a museum to be located in the Keepers House with lighthouse artifacts and period furniture. The ground include a covered picnic pavilion and playground equipment that includes a 70 foot replica of a pirate ship, the Carrabella.


As you can see, it is a very pleasant location and Carol and I were able to chat with the person who will be setting up the museum. She came out on the porch to tell us about future plans even though the building was closed on weekdays. A future visit is planned and perhaps this will be our fourth tower that we will climb together.