Another bright sunny day at Point Cabrillo lighthouse stationed in Caspar California. as I’m opening my eyes for the first time. I leap out of bed as if I were trying out for the Olympics sprint team. I holler over across the room for my sister to wake up, she yells back at me to go back to sleep. Typical though as she’s never been a morning person.
I head over to look out my bedroom window to see what might be going outside, the lighthouse is still intact and the ocean is still as beautiful as always and of course all is well, until I spot one of the Cattle that had slipped in through the white fencing that nicely gated the Cottage we lived in.
I loved that kind of stuff, so I race downstairs screaming happily, Mom Dad!! there’s a Cow in the yard again, so Dad coaxes the lazy but good-natured animal out of the yard and back to the pasture.
There were Sheep as well as Cattle. I loved to just go and watch the animals while outside playing, my Mother always knew where to find me, I was never too far away. These creatures were so peaceful, friendly and happy.
I suppose that’s why I am not comfortable eating meat to this day, they, after all, were my Friends, I even named a few, you can easily become attached to such creatures while playing on a daily basis near them.
I see my Dad motioning for me to help him put the Flag up, as I had chores to do but I loved them at the same time. Off I’d go to help my Dad, Not knowing at the time these would be one of my fondest memories, Dad is gone now “Ronald Edward Freels, Retired Coast Guard” but he left me with so much.
Certainly, he taught me every inch of that flag could never touch the ground, I might have only been three foot tall at the time but I tried my hardest to keep that flag off the ground. The one time I accidentally dropped it, Dad had to burn it, I was disappointed in myself but he said it’s ok Sherry Girl patting my head. So Dad leaves me for a moment and reappears with another Flag and this time it goes smoothly now everyone’s happy.
So now it’s the lens house, I follow my Dad to the top of the stairs and he gives me a soft cloth to shine that big Fresnel lens that will guide everyone who passes by leading them to safety, all the while my Dad explaining how important my job was. That being said I felt very important doing my job.
I call to this day that big beautiful Fresnel lens my big Diamond. it isn’t any wonder I love everything that sparkles and shines.
So off Dad goes to do his paperwork and tells me to go play for awhile, I then begin to leave but not before I ask Dad if we can go down to the tide pools after he’s finished, he agrees and I happily go on my way.
So as the day goes by and it’s now close to Sundown we’re back at the lighthouse taking that big beautiful flag down for the evening. I pause and say look, Dad, the sun is going into the Ocean he laughs a bit and says well Pumpkin it’s going to China, satisfied he might be right we go about our nightly business and take the Flag down. Not much is left now of that big flag pole I’m sure the weather took its toll on it but the seal remains.
