Day 50, Tues.May 22, 2018. Botanical Gardens and Light Stations. (Oh, a very high Bridge , too!)

Yes it was a very high bridge over the Albion River in southern Mendocino County.  It has been there since WW2 (1940's) and still has the original timbers , but the steel frame is wearing and the State wants to replace it. Local citizens applied for an Historical Monument  and got the certification, so there will be a delay.

The Albion River Bridge. We drove down from the left end of it, down a very steep embankment through a one lane street with houses on the hillside. We were looking for birds of course . They were not there!

But the feature attraction today was the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden. Spent almost three hours there and covered only 20 % of it. It is 47 acres of walking trails, with 15 different gardens each with a special theme, like these Rhododendrons that were in full bloom this week. Little comment needed.

These are a form of Lily, not Rhododendron

Other parts of the Park had succulents, conifers, magnolias (just budding), Mediterranean, a veggie Garden  and about 10 other specialty gardens spread out all the way to the Pacific Coast. (One mile)

Part of the Heather Garden

Some of the Succulent Garden. Some don't have "prickers".

Another portion of the perennials

Jim got lucky with this Foxglove.

Here is a wild grouping of Foxglove.

Finally we drove to the Cabrillo Point Light Station.It is a 1/2 mile walk, but , California treats their handicapped folks very well, You can drive that 1/2 mile carefully, and park within 200 feet of the Light Station.  We picnicked at a grove about halfway there and visited the lighthouse grounds after that. A school group was just finishing a lesson with naturalist , Sarah, who is hired by the Conservancy , that partners with three agencies to keep this lighthouse (and other lights) in use. Sarah and Dave  gave us some good tips on birds in the area and pointed out two possible nest sites .  Dave has done much research on the birds and indicated that it possible in some places to see how the birds "layer" their nests , that is , each one nests at a higher level than the previous type on a cliff,.IE: close to the water, in the hard rocks, in the conglomerate rocks, and the highest would be in the sand or topsoil level. Here are the Light Station photos.

The lighthouse keeper's home and the Asst. are now used as B and B's and can be rented by the public.

One of the two coves that surround the Light. We saw baby seal there today.

A mother Western Gull on her nest on the rocks.

The Assistant Light House Keepers home.

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The Lantern Room at the top of the Tower houses a 3rd order British-built Fresnel lens by Chance Bros. with a range of 13-15 miles.

Atop the lighthouse spins a third-order Fresnel lens with four panels containing 90 lead glass prisms and WEIGHING 6,800 POUNDS, constructed by Chance Brothers, an English company, and shipped to Point Cabrillo around Cape Horn. The light is only 32 feet (9.8 m) above the ground, but because of the height of the headlands it stands 81 feet (25 m) above sea level.

Originally the lens rotated by means of a clockworks mechanism with a descending weight. A chain with a 65-80 pound weight on the end of it passed through the floor of each level of the Light Tower. The light-keeper would crank up the chain onto a drum every 2 hours. At some point, a portion of the floor and concrete foundation on the ground floor was removed to add an additional 4-5 feet to the chain, gaining (perhaps) an additional ten minutes between winding's. The kerosene fueled wicks were replaced with a bulb hung into the lens when electricity was introduced to the Light Station in 1935. In 1937 the clockworks was replaced with an electric motor.

 

 

The Cabrillo Point Light Station. And the Education center on the right. Many school children gimprove there science information  here.

The light tower. Huge Fresnel Light on it.

Showing what can be done by humans,  to change erosion.

The second of the coves where we saw a Black Oystercatcher.

The posting was a little long today, but I thought the flowers and the light Station were filled with beauty and history.