With Lake Michigan on one side and the warmer water of Green Bay on the other side of the peninsula of Door County, it was interesting that not only were the wildflowers a month or more behind in blooming compared to my woods, the ten miles or so between the two coasts also had a difference in what flowers were in blossoms.
There were flowers there not present in my area and it was a lovely treat to find patches of Yellow Lady’s Slipper orchids still in full bloom.
Yellow Lady’s Slippers
Many of the early lighthouses in the region had several common buildings, including the keeper’s house, the lantern room either in a separate tower or part of the keeper’s house, oil storage building and the privy. This view of the Cana Island Lighthouse has all four. The tower and keeper’s dwelling was built in 1869.
The two hole outhouse was built in 1906 but because of the solid rock only a couple feet below the surface, buckets were used instead of a deep hole. The six-sided oil house was constructed with local stones in 1890 which stored mineral oil and kerosene. In 1934, the light was converted from fuel to an electric bulb.
Cana Island Buildings
The Cana Island Lighthouse is probably the most famous of the Door County lighthouses which sits on a 9 acre island with a 89 foot tall tower. The third order Fresnel lens was first lit on January 28, 1870 in the cream city brick tower. Storms and icy winters deteriorated the bricks so in 1902, a steel cladding was added to protect the tower. This weekend, the tower is open for visitors to climbs and enjoy the view from the cat walk. The light was automated in 1945.
A three hundred foot long natural causeway links the mainland to Cana Island, but the fluctuating level of Lake Michigan can cause it to be flooded, like it is right now. The highest point on the island is less than seven feet above the average lake level so flooding was a problem so an added breakwater running parallel to the shore helped to stop the waves flooding the keeper’s dwelling.
Cana Island Lighthouse
As people enjoy the various lighthouses during the lighthouse festival, things will be different because of the Covid restrictions and therefore you won’t be able climb the stairs up to the top of the Cana Island Lighthouse. There are 102 steps in the circular staircase to the lantern room of the tower which is 89 feet tall. Although built in 1869, there was no railing to help climb those stairs until 1890.
Going Up the Tower
The three day Door County Lighthouse Festival begins tomorrow which hosts tours that reach all of the eleven lighthouses in the county, including ones that are normally closed to the public like this one at Sherwood Point which is used by the Coast Guard for rest.
Sherwood Point Lighthouse’s fourth-order Fresnel lens was first displayed in 1883 and is the only lighthouse in Door County built with red brick instead of the native limestone brick. It was the last manned lighthouse on the Great Lakes when after hundred years service it was automated in 1983.
Sherwood Point Lighthouse
The number of my normal summer birds are way low this year but a few years ago I had this unexcited bird in my yard. It was sighted for many miles as it roamed the countryside.
Roaming Peacock
As the summer begins, so does the haying season and the farm landscape is seeing some large round hay bales as the first crop hay is being harvested.
Big Round Hay Bales
This iris represents the recent hot summer days as it looks like it is burning up.
Hot Sunny Iris
The state free park day will draw people to cooler places on a hot Sunday. The Willow River cascades through a 200 foot deep gorge where one of the lower layers of rock is around 600 million years old.
Willow Falls
On a hot Saturday afternoon with the temperature reaching 95, this beach probably has a lot more visitors even if the Lake Superior water temperature is still in the middle 40s.
Sand Point Beach
