Lighthouse Friend

Town Handyman

Pointer's family has been in the area for nearly a century and a half. He's got deep roots. More on that in a moment. In addition to helping us out, he also runs the local snow plow and if there's a tree down covering a road, he'll be the first one there to clear it up.

 

A confirmed bachelor, he's claimed to have dated most of women his age in the county. Mostly because he's an amateur ballroom dancer and enjoys the statewide competitions. Usually with a new partner each season. Additionally Pointer is in charge of the local May Day celebrations (see Cabin Rentals).

Why "Pointer"?

Pointer got his nickname as a kid because he can perform the oddest trick I've ever seen. In every other sense, he's an entirely normal guy, but around dogs, something magical happens. No matter the breed, the personality, or how stubborn, when Pointer points, all the dogs look in that direction.

 

Do that often enough and eventually people will label you for what you are. This uncanny ability has won him more than a few bar bets and he can often go an evening drinking for free.

Really???

Yep. No matter how many times I've seen him perform this stunt, I have to wonder if he's secretly carrying a piece of meat, maybe a treat up his sleeve or some other way to get a dog's attention.

 

I've seen him do it wearing a tee shirt and shorts during summer. He simply looks at the dog(s) for a long moment and then moves his arm in a particular direction. Sure enough, the hounds all face the same way. He can even get them to turn around.

 

Then, he'll smile, pat their heads and move along as if everything was entirely fine.

Family History

Pointer's family migrated from Exeter (England) where they had worked the copper mines. They were hoping to continue the family business in virgin lands. While there are some scattered deposits, it isn't worth while mining it, the copper quality here is very low.

 

Instead, like so many, they became farmers and many of the Muellers signed on to errect Shoreline 104, the first of the three lighthouses.

 

The Mueller's were one of the few families that avoided getting involved in the feud that led to the burning of Shoreline 104. The night it happened, they stayed close while the sides had it out. Pointer claims it was one his clan that escaped the chaos on horseback and alerted the state militia.

Holmesian Scholar

Aside from his other talents, Pointer is an avid Sherlock Holmes reader. And is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars. He's less strict about canon and prefers to enjoy the various incarnations of the Great Detective, better or worse.

 

In fact, this is our fast friendship began. A chance meeting at the Quarter Moon Bar, where I heard him talking about "The Musgrave Ritual", a little drunk with another person far less interested. When I chimed in that it was one of the few Holmes stories without Watson, he immediately took a shine to me.

 

Which also led to our favorite topic of discussion (or argument, if you will). This involves the Basil Rathbone movie Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, a favorite of both of us. It's a sticky point, but the argument is about how right or wrong Holmes is in solving the mystery, and some of the unanswered questions within the movie.

 

Pointer is fine with the solution Holmes provides in the movie. I'm less sure and happy to discuss the inconsistencies. However, we get very annimated over the clues LaStrade uncovers concerning the butler's shoes. For Pointer, it's unthinkable that Holmes would be wrong (about such a flimsy explanation).

 

To settle the matter, the Herrington Public Library allow us to have a public viewing of the movie followed by a debate. Needless to say, the few attendees became bored and suggested a draw. We shook hands and agreed Robert Downy Jr. was unwatchable as Holmes.