How did you become a G.Lightfoot fan?

[brink]

Thanks Gwen. You should be a tour guide you make it all sound so tempting I may do a trip this year. I love being around the water, though I have never ben much of a swimmer. I went on a cruise a couple years ago and was so nervous the first two days I finally told myself that we were so far out that even the best swimmers wouldn't make it. Sounds like a real calming thought doesn't it? But it worked for me, I relaxed enjoyed the trip and want to go again. I caught your mention of Lighthouses, I sure like those. There is one between Silver Bay and Two Harbours that is also called Split Rock lighthouse. I have not been lucky enough to find one that allows people to tour. I am hoping that when I get older and semi retire that the program for summer lighthouse sitters will still be going on and I could do that for the National Parks.

[Steve DeRosa]

LOVE pasties!!! I think I'll make some for dinner this week!!! Yum!

[Oma]

LOVE pasties!!! I think I'll make some for dinner this week!!! Yum!

[BrightSide]

Gwen et al.:

Being from Maryland, I tend to think of "our" Bay, the Chesapeake, when I hear Gord's nautical songs. Our estuary is not so fearsome as the northern waters, though. MD has a lot of variety in a small area--we have mountains (near West Va.), farmland, etc.--but the Bay dominates, and we tend to be very proprietary about it (which really POs the Virginians).

Your mention of how Ontario Canadians feel about trying to take care of the great bodies of water around them reminds me of the (seemingly doomed) efforts that are ongoing to try to "Save the Bay." There are many small victories, but the war probably will be lost. The main factor is farm runoff (nitrogen fertilizer)--even the tremendous pollution from development, etc., on the shores of the Bay can't hold a candle to that (the bulk of it comes from the Susquehanna River, which flows through Pennsylvania). And these things won't change in time to save the Bay's ecosystem. It probably will be "dead," at least as far as shellfish and other such indicators go, sometime (soon) in this new century.

[MaryEllen]

Gwen et al.:

Being from Maryland, I tend to think of "our" Bay, the Chesapeake, when I hear Gord's nautical songs. Our estuary is not so fearsome as the northern waters, though. MD has a lot of variety in a small area--we have mountains (near West Va.), farmland, etc.--but the Bay dominates, and we tend to be very proprietary about it (which really POs the Virginians).

Your mention of how Ontario Canadians feel about trying to take care of the great bodies of water around them reminds me of the (seemingly doomed) efforts that are ongoing to try to "Save the Bay." There are many small victories, but the war probably will be lost. The main factor is farm runoff (nitrogen fertilizer)--even the tremendous pollution from development, etc., on the shores of the Bay can't hold a candle to that (the bulk of it comes from the Susquehanna River, which flows through Pennsylvania). And these things won't change in time to save the Bay's ecosystem. It probably will be "dead," at least as far as shellfish and other such indicators go, sometime (soon) in this new century.

[Janice]

quote:Originally posted by brink:
I caught your mention of Lighthouses, I sure like those. There is one between Silver Bay and Two Harbours that is also called Split Rock lighthouse. I have not been lucky enough to find one that allows people to tour.

Brink, I know it has no bearing to the areas Lightfoot wrote about, but there is a very cool lighthouse in San Diego - The Old Point Loma Lighthouse. It's no longer in use, but has been refurbished and furnished as it would have been back in the late 1800's when it was active. You can go inside and look around - it's pretty cool. From the grounds you can see the Pacific ocean to the west, islands belonging to Mexico to the south and, finally, the San Diego Bay and the city skyline to the east. It's a beautiful spot and one I take all my out-of-town guests to visit. If you want to tour a lighthouse, there's a place to go

[Tyler]

Just what I'm looking for, I will try that one. Maybe after ski season starts here again and I need to get away from the tourists and become one myself.

[brink]

Just what I'm looking for, I will try that one. Maybe after ski season starts here again and I need to get away from the tourists and become one myself.

[fowlesjohn]

Hello, Actually Brink that is exactly what I am becoming, a tour guide and conference guide for Lake Erie and so I have to make notes about all of these places and memorize things that are pretty inconsequential, but, fun facts. Next year will be the first conference for Lake Erie that I will get to coordinate, so this year is the fast and furious rush to get it all together for a good time for the whole group (80 people, I think). This June 15th is a tour that visits almost every popular light on the south side of Lake Erie...I need to take lot's of notes (and I'm already nervous about next year). While we are at Marblehead, on June 15th, early in the morning (they are opening the light earlier than normal for our group) we climb the light, I am expecting a spectacular site.Marblehead is open 1 weekend per month for tourists and tours. For other lights they usually have a schedule of when the light is open for tours and if you find out it is not open to climb it probably means it is in pretty bad repair, therefore you should look for a group that might be trying to remodel and rebuild the light and volunteer to help. Our group accepts volunteers all the time for the Great Lakes lighthouses. See Great LAkes Lighthouse Keepers Association www.gllka.com and join the group. Our group owns a light out in the straits of Mackinac that is always in need of hands to help, we also have a weekend long "school" that takes you back to what life was life for a lightkeeper, amazing stuff. And there are others groups like ours all over the US, we even have some Canadian members and they are most greatful for us being on the other side of their beloved lakes and helping on our side like we do, we are greatful to them also.
Janice, San Diego is a very beautiful light! Wow, I envy you. Enjoy her and take care of her if you can. Some day I hope I can get there and climb her, for I have heard she is beautiful and a sight worth troublin' yourself to see.
MaryEllen, I sadly understand what you are saying. We have opened Pandoras' box regarding environmental issues and we are hopeless. Our waters cannot endure the plaques of it, our earth cannot endure the plaques from it, and our fragile liveforms will be sacrificed for it. Sad, sad. My oldest son lives in Richmond, Va and every time we visit there, it just breaks my heart what we hear and see. We should grieve, it is terrible. When will we collectively hear the moaning of too late? ever? I wonder. Know that even here on the Lakes we face the same problems, Toledo Harbor is nearly dead, from farm runoff. When we go to Local Environmental Planning Conferences and all the people are there who could possibly help, they seem overwhelmed by it all...sad, sad. We can't let this go on forever. And ever good effort starts at grass roots, so keep moving and voicing the truth, Mary Ellen! I will too, I promise. Gord would not want us to do it anyother way, either. We all know that. All we can do is all we can do.
GSS


[This message has been edited by gwen snyder (edited April 17, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by gwen snyder (edited April 17, 2003).]

[gwen snyder]

Hello, Actually Brink that is exactly what I am becoming, a tour guide and conference guide for Lake Erie and so I have to make notes about all of these places and memorize things that are pretty inconsequential, but, fun facts. Next year will be the first conference for Lake Erie that I will get to coordinate, so this year is the fast and furious rush to get it all together for a good time for the whole group (80 people, I think). This June 15th is a tour that visits almost every popular light on the south side of Lake Erie...I need to take lot's of notes (and I'm already nervous about next year). While we are at Marblehead, on June 15th, early in the morning (they are opening the light earlier than normal for our group) we climb the light, I am expecting a spectacular site.Marblehead is open 1 weekend per month for tourists and tours. For other lights they usually have a schedule of when the light is open for tours and if you find out it is not open to climb it probably means it is in pretty bad repair, therefore you should look for a group that might be trying to remodel and rebuild the light and volunteer to help. Our group accepts volunteers all the time for the Great Lakes lighthouses. See Great LAkes Lighthouse Keepers Association www.gllka.com and join the group. Our group owns a light out in the straits of Mackinac that is always in need of hands to help, we also have a weekend long "school" that takes you back to what life was life for a lightkeeper, amazing stuff. And there are others groups like ours all over the US, we even have some Canadian members and they are most greatful for us being on the other side of their beloved lakes and helping on our side like we do, we are greatful to them also.
Janice, San Diego is a very beautiful light! Wow, I envy you. Enjoy her and take care of her if you can. Some day I hope I can get there and climb her, for I have heard she is beautiful and a sight worth troublin' yourself to see.
MaryEllen, I sadly understand what you are saying. We have opened Pandoras' box regarding environmental issues and we are hopeless. Our waters cannot endure the plaques of it, our earth cannot endure the plaques from it, and our fragile liveforms will be sacrificed for it. Sad, sad. My oldest son lives in Richmond, Va and every time we visit there, it just breaks my heart what we hear and see. We should grieve, it is terrible. When will we collectively hear the moaning of too late? ever? I wonder. Know that even here on the Lakes we face the same problems, Toledo Harbor is nearly dead, from farm runoff. When we go to Local Environmental Planning Conferences and all the people are there who could possibly help, they seem overwhelmed by it all...sad, sad. We can't let this go on forever. And ever good effort starts at grass roots, so keep moving and voicing the truth, Mary Ellen! I will too, I promise. Gord would not want us to do it anyother way, either. We all know that. All we can do is all we can do.
GSS


[This message has been edited by gwen snyder (edited April 17, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by gwen snyder (edited April 17, 2003).]

[fowlesjohn]

Oh yeah and Oma, now there's a girl from Superiors' shores! Pasties, what a treat!
The whitefish is really good and they cook it every way you can possibly imagine. It's good.
GSS
You know Gord must have loved whitefish to spend so much time up there...you gotta love it!

[This message has been edited by gwen snyder (edited April 17, 2003).]

[gwen snyder]

Oh yeah and Oma, now there's a girl from Superiors' shores! Pasties, what a treat!
The whitefish is really good and they cook it every way you can possibly imagine. It's good.
GSS
You know Gord must have loved whitefish to spend so much time up there...you gotta love it!

[This message has been edited by gwen snyder (edited April 17, 2003).]