Wood Islands Lighthouse

After our homeschool field trip on the Confederation ferry, we went to visit the Wood Islands Lighthouse. 

The lighthouse was built in 1876 by Donald Duncan MacMillan. There are eleven rooms with historical displays to see. I wish I had more time to read about everything. We will need to come back again! 

We went to the very top where the big lantern is. What a view! 

Not much room at the top to take a photo of the big light, but there it is: 

Back to the ground floor, I really liked the kitchen. There were vintage kitchen tools everywhere: 

One of the rooms is all about lighthouses. It has a wall size map of PEI with the locations of all the lighthouses. 

A book of poetry caught Celeste's attention and she read aloud the poem aloud called "The Lighthouse Keeper Wonders" by Edgar Guest. 

The Lighthouse Keeper Wonders

by Edgar Guest

The light I have tended for 40 years

is now to be run by a set of gears. 

The Keeper said, And it isn't nice

to be put ashore by a mere device. 

Now, fair or foul the wind that blow

or smooth or rough the sea below,

It is all the same. The ships at night

will run to an automatic light. 

The clock and gear which truly turn

are timed and set so the light shall burn. 

But did ever an automatic thing 

set plants about an early Spring?

And did ever a bit of wire and gear

a cry for help in darkness hear?

Or welcome callers and show them through

the lighthouse rooms as I used to do?

'Tis not in malice these things I say

All men must bow to the newer way. 

But it's strange for a lighthouse man like me

after forty years on shore to be. 

And I wonder now - will the grass stay green?

Will the brass stay bright and the windows clean?

And will ever that automatic thing 

Plant marigolds in early Spring?

We were able to see the ferry leave again for Nova Scotia while we were on the lighthouse grounds.