2015 Opening Weekend - Day Two

A beautiful sunny Sunday at our St. Helena Island light station last weekend.

The combination of improved weather and the poison ivy barely poking its head through the ground created an irresistible opportunity for most of our crew to set out across the the island to explore the site of the old fishing village which existed on the north shore in the mid 1800's.

This tree clearly took root many years after the fence was erected around the grave site of the young man who was buried here.

Ric Mixter proudly shows off his new friend "Wittle Fishy" whom he found on the shore near the old village site. Knowing Ric, we would not be surprised to see this fish showing up on his Facebook page at some tim.

A carefully placed foot gives dimension to this large pile of scat that was lying out in the open trail. We can only wonder who might be responsible - coyote, wolf, bobcat! The complete lack of evidence of any of the once abundant snowshoe hares on the island bears witness to the fact that there have been some larger predators on the island of late.

The crew made numerous stops along the way to pause and pick up trash and tale a close up look at wild flowers. Something really seems to have everyone's attention here ....

Walking the shore in the bay around which the village was located 175 years ago. Imagine the tales these beach stones could tell if only we could understand them.

Ric Mixter and Bob Brunais de-barking some cedars that Bob cut last year. It is our plan to split them and use them in building a fence.

One of the final tasks was for Rc Mixter to don his dry suit and SCUBA gear and dive on the two moorings we maintain offshore. Here we see Ric in the water, MaryAnn Moore at the helm and Terry Pepper connecting the buoy to the chain mooring. Note the whitecaps out in the water between the island and the north shore.

Mike Finn and Jim Koch sift soil to remove any artifacts and to prepare it for use in the garden.

As the day wound down and we managed to cross just about all of our tasks from "the list," most of the guys ended up helping out with garden p[reparation.

The marine weather forecast predicted that the water would begin flattening-out after 6:00 PM on Sunday, and they were spot on. Here we see our crew loading both of the Zodiacs ready for the trip back to the mainland. For safety reasons, we made two round trips in each of the boats.

AMARANTH, the first of out two Zodiacs departs the dock headed for the mainland.

Once we got out of the lee of the island, the waves picked up a little, and everyone got a free shower before we made it to the mainland. The buoy in the background marks the mooring we hooked up earlier that day.

Back on te mainland, AMARANTH and MARIGOLD are loaded back on the trailer, and ready to be put back in storage for a week. A HUGE Thank You to the entire crew for helping out on this somewhat challenging weekend! Our volunteers are AWESOME!

2015 Opening Weekend - Day One

The boats and gear are all on the beach, and we are getting ready to head out. St. Helena Island can be seen two miles offshore to the right.

Preparing to launch AMARANTH, one of our two fourteen-foot Zodiacs.

AMARANTH in the water. Time to get the motor.

Getting ready to lower the motor and fire it up.

Because of all the gear we brought to the island for opening, we had to make a total of five round trips.

AMARANTH makes her second trip to the island with a couple of freighters and the Mackinac Bridge in the background.

Both AMARANTH and MARIGOLD are tied up to the dock and we are bringing up the final load of supplies.

After unloading all our gear, some time at the fire pit was called for to remove the chill from our bones.

The roll-out dock, which we pulled from the water at the end of the 2014 season, called us mockingly - reminding us that we would likely need to get wet once again as we returned it to its summer position in the lake.

But before we tackled the dock, some lunch was in order. Clearly, Marie Koch and Mary Pepper found something to brighten their day while preparing pulled pork sandwiches and salad for the crew!

One two three PUSH. The dock makes a begrudging return to the lake.As the only one with a dry suit, Ric Mixter volunteered to push the outer end.

The dock is in and leveled, and the crew pauses to give tribute to the V-Dock Company which manufactured the roll-out dock system. Left to Right - Ric Mixter, Bob Brunais, Steve Sheridan, Mike Finn, Jim Koch and Terry Pepper.

The weather finally cleared as the sun started to set, and we had the makings of a beautiful - but chilly - evening.

Some of the crew returned to the fire pit to warm up before turning in at the end of a productive day.

August activities

Friday August 1 - The day started out foggy at St. Helena Island.. A perfect morning to burn the limbs and brush removed from the woods over the past few days.

Friday August 1 - As the skies cleared and the moisture dissipated at St. Helena Island, Carrie began painting the summer kitchen sofit and fascia she scraped and sanded yesterday. Looks great Carrie!

Saturday August 2 - Expecting a group of CITO (Cache in - Trash Out" geocachers to arrive on the island today, our volunteers laid out the guest book, some flowers and a batch of St. Helena mints to welcome them to the island.

Saturday August 2 - The geocachers arrived at the new dock, pulled their kayaks out of the water and began unpacking - ready for the hunt.

Saturday August 2 - One of the geocachers in the group at St. Helena Island hailed from Quebec, and kindly grabbed the broom and took on dock cleaning chores for the day .

Saturday August 2 -With all the caches located, today's group of ten geocachers pause in front of the St. Helena Island assistant keepers dwelling for a photo opportunity before heading for their boats for the trip back to their departure point on Little Traverse Nature Conservancy property on the north shore.

Saturday August 2 - The geocachers prepare to leave St. Helena Island for the two mile trip back to the north shore with their bags filled with beach trash picked up while searching for island caches. Thanks for stopping by and for your help in keeping our island beautiful.

Sunday August 3 - As always, principal keeper MaryAnn is up to something today at our St. Helena Island light station. This hole plays an integral part in her latest project. Do you have any idea what she may be up to?

Sunday August 3 - Our shave hook makes a great place to remove the mark from the cedar post - and doubles as a workbench.

Sunday August 3 - MaryAnn attaches the gracefully curved cedar railing.

Sunday August 3 - The final product. Great job - it will certainly make middle of the night "relief: trips much safer!. Never one to rest on her laurels, MaryAnn is already improving her handiwork by installing some interim supports for the handrail.

Monday August 4 - A shout out to everyone who has served or is serving on this 224 anniversary of the Coast Guard's founding.Thank you for your service.

Monday August 4 - Today was an absolutely perfect day for an eastbound Shepler's lighthouse cruise, as shown as we passed the Cheboygan Crib on our way back into Lake Huron. Thursday evening at 8:00 PM our Executive Director Terry Pepper will be narrating a special evening eastbound cruise during which we will enter the Cheboygan River as darkness falls, using the range lights to find our way. Come up and join us!

Tuesday August 5 - Another picture perfect day in the Straits of Mackinac for a Westbound Shepler's lighthouse cruise. Even our Executive Director Terry Pepper grabbed his camera to grab a quick snap of the Brig Niagara passing beneath the Mackinac Bridge.

Tuesday August 5 - As part of this afternoon's westbound Shepler's Lighthouse Cruise, we dropped of seven people who will be participating in our Fiddler's Workshop on St. Helena Island for the next four days. It didn't take long for the folks to grab their instruments and begin seasoning the clean island air with music. Here Deb and Shawn lay down some tunes at the picnic table by the lighthouse tower.

Wednesday August 6 - Dan Siebold was busy in the boathouse at St. Helena Island this morning leading the first official session of our four day Fiddler's Workshop.

Wednesday August 6 - While making a round through county waters in the Straits today, the Sheriff and undersheriff of Mackinac County pulled their boat into our dock at St. Helena Island to pay us a visit. After touring the light station and chatting with our volunteers, they cast off their lines and continued on their patrol. It is comforting to know that our new dock provides easy access to the island for such emergency help when needed.

Thursday August 7 - While our numerous emails and telephone calls to Congress and the President on order to convince them to recognize August 7 as National Lighthouse Day in perpetuity fell on deaf ears, today is irrefutably the 225th anniversary of federal responsibility for our nation;s aids to navigation, so make a donation to your favorite lighthouse today.

Thursday August 7 - Libby found cool and beautiful place to practice out of the midday sun today during our Fiddler's Workshop at our St. Helena Island light station.

Thursday August 7 - We came across the APPLEDORE locked in the beautiful calm sea as we departed Bois Blanc Island on tonight's Shepler's evening Eastbound Lighthouse Cruise.

Thursday August 7 - Rounding Fourteen Foot Shoal light as we made our way towards the Cheboygan River during yesterday evening's Shepler's evening Eastbound lighthouse cruise.

Thursday August 7 - Meanwhile, the folks participating in our Fiddler's workshop on St. Helena Island enjoyed a beach fire jam session. S'mores anyone?

Saturday August 9 - Its was a beautiful, hot afternoon on St. Helena Island, and our new roll-out proved to be an awesome place to take a refreshing dip in Lake Michigan

Saturday August 9 - The fun at St. Helena continued

Sunday August 10 - Towards the end of last year's season at the St. Helena Island light station , we sunk a cedar post to a depth of six feet inland from the dock to serve as an anchor point from which to pull the rolling dock from the water.

Sunday August 8 - This 3,000 lb. capacity "Superwinch" was attached to the cedar post using a nylon "tree saver" strap, and connected to the inner end of the dock by way of a number of nylon tow straps.

Sunday August 8 - Connected to a 12 volt deep cycle marine battery, the small winch's extremely low gear ration had no problem breaking the dock's wheels free of the bottom, and easing it up on shore.

Sunday August 10 - Here the dock is almost free of the water, and needs to be pulled around 20 feet further to come up against the post. With an extremely low gear ratio, the progress was slow, but the winch never faltered.

Sunday August 10 - In order to pull the dock up against the post, we had to relocate the winch higher up the post and attach it to a pair of inner legs.

Sunday August 10 - After pulling the dock all the way up onto land, we secured it to the post with a heavy duty ratchet strap. Four 2-foot long screw anchors were then augured into the rocky ground on each side of the dock and firmly secured to cleats on the uprights. The dock made it through last winter secured in this fashion, and we hope it will be waiting for us next season!

Monday August 11 - This morning, Zoe and Eli pose beside a rusting steel artifact that has been lying on the beach at the northeast corner of St. Helena Island since we first came here in the 1980's. We have no idea as to what it might be. Does anyone have any educated guesses or certain identification?

Monday August 11 - While on their beach walk around the island this morning, our St. Helena Island volunteers arrived at a unique portion of beach where all the stones are smooth and flat, and took the opportunity to see who could make a stone skip the most times when properly thrown into the lake.

Tuesday August 12 - Zoe took the opportunity to fill the St. Helena Island lighthouse with music on the old parlor pump organ this afternoon. Like everything else on the island, the pump organ came to the island by inflatable boat - as seen in the inset photo at the bottom right.

Wednesday August 13 - Although we are approaching closure of the St. Helena Island light station, volunteers Dick, Eli, Zoey and Taylor were still hard at work this morning picking up damage from the July, 2103 wind storm which ravaged the island, felling many trees. Great job folks!

Wednesday August 13 - For their last night on the island, Marilyn led Zoe, Eli and Taylor in a storytelling marathon in the kitchen of the St. Helena Island lighthouse.

Wednesday August 13 - Zoey and Taylor take a break for light station chores to solve the problems of the world this afternoon on their last full day on St. Helena Island.

Thursday August 14 - There's no hiding from the fact that the 2014 season at St. Helena Island is almost over when 34 of the 36 life jackets are hanging on the rack in our office.

Friday August 22 - Jamie, her son Taylor and her Mom Jackie are serving as volunteer keepers at the Cheboygan River Front Range light this weekend. Jamie and Taylor have served at St. Helena for the past few years, and this is their first time at Cheboygan. They arrived yesterday afternoon and spent the day spiffing things up for the weekend. 

Friday August 22 - Taylor mowing around the old Sugar Island range light tower.

Friday August 22 - Taylor whacking weeds around the storage building

Friday August 22 - Floor rugs taking a ride in the laundromat.

Friday August 22 - Taylor and Jackie busy washing floor mats and curtains.