About Me

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After retirement, for two summers I worked as a tour guide at the Umpqua River Lighthouse in Oregon. This opportunity enabled me to learn more about that lighthouse than any of the others I've seen. Although I have personally visited and photographed over 300 lighthouses in the United States and three Provinces in Canada, the Umpqua River Lighthouse has special meaning for me. That Lighthouse inspired me to write two fictional books with the characters working, living, and enduring the challenges of lighthouse keeping. All pictures posted in this blog were taken by myself, unless noted otherwise.

Book Info.

I hope you will find time to enjoy my books. Preview the book covers below at the right side of page.

Book #1: "The Wickie and the Umpqua Lighthouse." Detail: "The Wickie and the Umpqua Lighthouse" is an 1860's story about the lighthouse keepers and their families at the Umpqua River Lighthouse. It will stir your emotions and warm your heart. Discover the challenges they met but never expected, and their determination to maintain navigational aid to mariners on the Oregon coast. (Wickie is a nickname used by the early lighthouse keepers at the Umpqua River Lighthouse in OR.)

Book #2: "Spirit of The Lighthouse" is a sequel to The Wickie. Detail: Jesse Fayette, assistant keeper at the Umpqua River Lighthouse, finds himself alone to operate and maintain an Oregon lighthouse after the accidental death of his head keeper. After notifying the Lighthouse Board and requesting help, he is surprised but must deal with an acquaintance, Red Saunders, who believes the lighthouse is haunted.

Book #3: "Unexpected Moments" has a different theme than those of Book #1 and #2. Detail: Dan and Megan, as well as their old friends Jim and Anna, experience unexpected moments of hardships and tragedies in Arizona and California. Will they survive these unexpected moments and find any hope for their futures?

All of my books are available on Amazon.

05 January 2012

Wisconsin - Fond Du Lac (Range Front) Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located in the Fond Du Lac Yacht Harbor, Lake Winnebago, Fond Du Lac, WI. Translated it means "end of the lake". This decorative eight-sided light tower is a picturesque landmark well know to Fond Du Lac. The locals know the light as Lakeside Park Lighthouse. The structure replaced an ordinary red light that previously marked the harbor entrance.

The lighthouse was the brainchild of a Fond Du Lac lumberman W.J. Nuss and was built entirely with donated building materials and private funds. The cornerstone was laid in 1933. The white, Cape Cod style tower stands approximately 66 feet tall and measures 12 feet in diameter. The base is composed of stone. Funds to purchase the light to top the tower were raised by the local yacht club. A stairway allows the public to climb to the open walkway atop the tower. The observation platform is 44 feet from the ground, but in the early 1960's the tower was closed to the public as it was deemed unsafe. Then in 1967 it was saved through repairs, and restored in 1993.

Boaters utilize the red light atop the white tower by lining it up with a light behind the boathouses, similarly to a range light system. At the time of my visit in 2002 the light was operational during the boating season, May - Oct.
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