In his popular ballad, “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” singer Jimmy Buffett laments, “Mother, mother ocean, after all these years I've found, my occupational hazard being, my occupation’s just not around.”

It’s a sentiment Kathy Varga shares.

Though she has made her living as a licensed practical nurse and a school bus driver, the Curtice woman has always imagined that being a lighthouse keeper would be a pretty cool job.

“If I had lived in another time, that’s what I would have done,” she said. “There’s something about that era that fascinates me – the great service those men and women did for the ship captains and for maritime commerce – especially on the Great Lakes; the loneliness they must have felt.”

“And I’m just drawn to the water,” she said. “It’s so rejuvenating to find a spot and just sit – it’s like the spirit is renewed and all the troubles in the world are washed away.”

And Varga has seen her share of troubles, including a divorce and loss of her job through downsizing. Not one to sit back and feel sorry for herself, she keeps busy donating her time to a number of volunteer activities, including Honor Flight Northwest Ohio, Cancer Connection of Northwest Ohio, Helping Hands of St. Louis and Bethany House, a transitional shelter for battered women and children, among others. She has also hosted six international students studying in the area, and subsequently visited two of the students’ families in Brazil and Germany.

In addition, she is a member of Toastmasters, is active in her church, and likes to travel, making it a point to stop and visit lighthouses on her journeys.

Last year, a friend who is aware of Kathy’s love of the seaside and passion for lighthouses, told her about a temporary lighthouse keeper program offered at Mission Point Lighthouse on Grand Traverse Bay in Old Mission, Mich.

The lighthouse, built in 1870 and decommissioned in 1933, is maintained by Peninsula Township. To help raise funds and to aid in preserving and operating the lighthouse, the township allows temporary keepers to live in the structure.

The keepers pay $150 per week, and during their stay, they work in the lighthouse gift shop, conduct tours and help with simple maintenance tasks. At night, they live in the lighthouse quarters, which includes of a living area, one bedroom, a kitchen, bathroom and a washer and dryer.

Immediately intrigued, Varga contacted Sonja Richards, Mission Point Lighthouse manager. She learned being a temporary lighthouse keeper is a selective process. “You have to fill out a volunteer form, provide references, and write a letter or composition about why you want to be a lighthouse keeper,” Varga said.

There are also many applicants vying for the chance to stay in the lighthouse. “It’s a very popular program,” Richards said. “We generally have a waiting list. I’ve had people from Montana, California – all over the place.”

But Varga was determined. “I almost badgered Sonja – I called, I wrote, I e-mailed. I even sent her a Christmas card,” she said. “When I got a card back, I thought it might be a good sign.”

Then the call came. There was a cancellation, and Varga, along with her friend Linda Ritchie, would be the designated keepers at Old Mission Point Aug. 5 to 12.

“When I got the call I screamed, ‘I’m going to be a lighthouse keeper,’” Varga said. “I couldn’t wait. I started counting the days.”

In advance of her trip, she’ll read up on the lighthouse and regional history, though she’ll undergo an orientation when she arrives. “I want to be prepared, to do a good job representing the lighthouse when interacting with visitors,” she said.

Throughout the week, the women will work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. after which they’ll be free to sightsee or take in the breathtaking view.

In their “off” hours, Varga and Ritchie plan to visit some local wineries, to go to Traverse City and to visit with Varga’s aunt and uncle who don’t live too far from the lighthouse.

“I’m also looking forward to just sitting by the water, and watching the sun rise and set every day,” she said.

After crossing off “lighthouse keeping,” Varga will move on to other items on her “bucket list.” An avid golfer and golf historian, she’d like to visit St. Andrews Links, Scotland, known as “The Home of Golf.” “I’d also like to go back to Brazil and to Germany,” she said.

The temporary lighthouse keeper’s program at Mission Point Lighthouse operates year-round. The lighthouse is open to visitors daily April 1 through Halloween, and weekends Nov. 1 through New Year’s Day. “Though we’re not open Jan. 1 through March 31, we still like to have a presence here,” Richards said. “During that time, the keepers do little jobs like painting or making minor repairs.”

For more information, contact Richards at 231-645-0759 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . More information about the lighthouse is available at www.missionpointlighthouse.com.

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