Opening Day came with a bright
glorious sunrise. Jane made a point of
getting up very early and eating a
hearty breakfast of Sliced grapefruit
with manderine orange slices, Honey bran
muffins, peach/grape juice and 2 poached
eggs over salt risen bread. She nibbled
on a muffin as Beethovan's "pastorial"
symphony played softly on the CD player
in the kitchen. She was intently
re-reading her "script" that she had
worked on memorizing. She decided that
no further studying would inprove her
memory and cleared the table.
Pete leaped up and started to dance in place as she got her Jacket, for their morning walk. "Hold your horses, Pete." They headed out the door and Jane took pleasure in the fresh crisp air as Pete ran with reckless abandon on his morning rounds of the property. Jane walked slowly to the gate and removed the lock from the gate. Taking a moment to look over the property, she took great pride in it's appearence. Vibrant roses were in bloom along the fence, pansys,marigolds and impatients thrived in small clusters around the grounds.
At noon, Jane walked up to the gate and unlocked it. She was suprised to see four cars parked in the lot and a small group of people waiting to enter the grounds. A slight wave of "Stage Fright" swept through her and she could feel her stomach tighten up to control the butterflys that were beginning to flutter in there.
"Good afternoon Folks!, Please come in and feel free to stroll the grounds. I will be conducting a tour of the tower at 12:30, and hope to see you all attend." Jane smiled warmly at the group as they entered the gate, then headed for the cottage.
Jane gathered up the flyers she had made up at the library, and stood looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, making sure the Keeper's Uniform looked just right. She absent mindedly made a few adjustments to the jacket, and her hair, before heading out to meet her first group of tourists.Stepping out of the cottage, Jane was surprised once again at the number of new arrivals to the group, strolling the grounds. Inwardly she guessed she was not prepared for this many people so soon. Not having been intrested in lighthouses in the past, she had underestimated just how popular this isolated spot must be. As soon as she stepped out of the cottage and headed towards the tower, the small clusters of people came to gather around her. Taking a deep breath, Jane started her introduction to Eagle's point Lighthouse.
"Well Hello to all of you. My Name is Jane Tolenz and I will be your guide this afternoon. I am newly appointed to caring for this lovely old landmark this summer, and I can say it has been a pleasure and an education. First before we go into the tower, I want to give you all a quick history of this Lighthouse and some other historical information. Please pass this flyer out amoung yourselves." Jane handed a small stack of printed sheets to a young woman in the front row.
"Who here has visited other lighthouses?" Jane asked
Every hand raised in unison, causing Jane to laugh out loud.
"Wow!!! Ok I see I have a knowlegable crowd here today. Who has seen more than 10 lighthouses??
This time , only half of the gathering rose their hands, which still surprise Jane.
"Well this is not leading to where I had planned, How many lighthouses have you seen?" Jane asked, starting with the young lady in front.
Each person in the group called out their answer when Jane pointed to them. Halfway through the group, she pointed to an old man dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a Sweatshirt with the Boston Lighthouse on the front. "Well I would figure 75 at least, But with my memory, could be more."
"75!! That's Great, can anyone Top that number?" Jane asked the crowd "If not, then you sir will have the honor of being the first one up the tower stairs to the lamp room. What is your name sir?"
"Tom Hanks, and no I'm not that fellow who makes those mushy movies with that good looking blonde gal." He said with a sly grin. The crowd and Jane all laughed.
"Well Tom, when we open the tower, you be sure to get up front here. Tell me Mr Hanks, in all your visits to other lighthouses, do they all have guides that give you a history of the lights?" Jane asked.
"Ahhh well most do, but some have just a display, or maybe a self guided museum."
Jane smiled and continued, "I see, and in your travels how much have you seen mentioned about the men & women who manned these places?"
Tom thought for a moment and replied, "Oh theres lots of stories and Books about Lighthouse Keepers. And if I may say so, that US Lighthouse Service uniform you have on is a dandy, real authentic looking"
Jane giggled and said "Why thank you, but the grand state of Michigan is responsible for this. So All of you are pretty familiar with the History of the Keepers of the lights then, Correct?"
The whole croud responded with various agreements.
"Well then, maybe today you will learn something new. I was trying to add something new to this tour, to make it unique. In some research I found a part of the history of these old places hardly mentioned, and that is "Lighthouse Keepers Helpers or apprentice Keepers. How many have heard some of these tales?"
When no one spoke up, Jane continued, "In my reasearch I have found that the Aprentice Keepers have all but been forgotten by history. Most of these keepers in training, went on to replace the Keeper they trained under, or were stationed at other posts. Once they became official Keepers, they were granted a mention in the Official history of the lights. However I have found 5 brave men & women who died in service to the Lighthouse Service, before they became fullfledged Keepers."
Jane took a moment to catch her breath. She could tell she had caught her audiences attention, and continued on, knowing she would have them hooked in just a moment or two. "Today you are visiting the site of probably the most tragic of these forgotten stories. The grounds you have walked and photographed was the site of a young Couples wedding. Randy & Amanda Grey started their lives together here at Eagles point. The Cottage I am staying in this summer, is built on the site of their original home. The spot we are standing on right now, may well be where Randy Grey died one stormy night in November of 1882. His young bride died that night also. Amanda Grey perished struggling to keep the lamp lit in the tower that dark, stormy night. It is unknown how she died, or exactly when, but Eagles Point lighthouse stayed lit longer that night than any other light along the coast. Her efforts may well have saved many lives during that storm. Today is the first time, they have been mentioned during a tour of this tower. Officially, they were apprentice Keepers, and have been forgotten by the Service they gave their lives for. Perhaps that is why local folklore says this place is still Haunted by the spirit of Amanda Grey, the "Lady of the Light".
The crowd clearly was hanging on her every word, and enjoying this tour. Jane opened the tower door, and motioned for Mr Hanks to lead the way into the tower. Blocking the doorway for a moment Jane smiled and said, "I am sure some of you want to know if I have seen the spirit that is said to reside here. In truth I am not sure if I have, I may have heard her once, but one thing I am sure of, is that you will all feel her presence as you enter the tower. Take note of the temperture, quite warm isn't it? At the base of the stairs, you will all feel a chill, that is the spot where they found the tragic heroine's body. No matter how warm the weather is, that spot always sends a chill down your spine."
Stepping aside Jane invited all to enter the tower and continue the tour.
Jane gave the tour 3 times that first day. At the end of each one, she handed out a "Keeper's Log" for all to sign. Over the course of 2 weeks Jane had logged in over 3 hundred visitors. The Log was filled with glowing comments on the tour. She may not become popular with the State, but the public loved her tour. That was not really important to her, she just hoped somehow, Amanda's Spirit was pleased with her efforts......
To be Continued January 15th
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!
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