A Tale of Two Lighthouse Guardians
By Sue Clark on Jul 8, 2007 in Lighthouse Keeper Jobs 
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The Oakland Press, Oakland County, Michigan has a nice story online about Dave and Debbie Parker, Pontiac, who will be vacationing at Big Sable Lighthouse in Ludington State Park for two weeks. It’s a working vacation, in which you have to apply long before you plan to go, complete an application with resume, be interviewed and receive training. Three couples go at the same time, once you’re accepted, and duties range from climbing to the top of the 100 foot tower for tours, running the gift shop to cleaning the outhouse. The couple, who are in their mid-sixties have been in “training” for their vacation, going up and down the stairs at their house, as it’s 130 steps to the tower. Someone is required to be at the top whenever there are visitors.
“We’ll be there 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day and have a day and a half off in the two weeks,” David Parker said. “You sort out the jobs. Certain people like to do certain things.”
One of the male volunteers has already excused himself from one of the jobs.
“He is so tall, he has asked to not be the person at the top of the tower because the railings are so low, he’s afraid he might topple over,” Debbie Parker said.
The lighthouse is run by the Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association and is still an active aid to navigation.
And for a tale of a different sort of lighthouse guardian, check out this post, A Strange Guardian of the Light, on my companion site, Spectral Keepers of the Lights.
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