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.

18 October 2012

Massachusetts - Nobska Lighthouse

The Nobska Lighthouse is located at Falmouth, MA.  Originally spelled "Nobsque," the first lighthouse built here in 1829 was a three-room rubble-stone dwelling with an eight-sided lantern mounted on the roof. It perched on the rocky headland at the entrance to Wood's Hole Harbor. The crude structure was rebuilt in 1849 then entirely replaced in 1876 with the current cylindrical, cast-iron tower and lantern room, which stands 87 feet above the water. Initially the light was painted brown, but it has been white for much of the twentieth century. When the Bureau of Lighthouses came under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939, the active civilian light keepers were allowed to finish their current service, until 1975, before being replaced by Coast Guard personnel.

Nobska Light was automated in 1985. Its light flashes every six seconds and is visible 17 miles out at sea. At the time of my visit here in 2001 this was an active light, and the two-story, wood-framed keeper's dwelling was the family residence of the Commander of Coast Guard Group Wood Hole. It oversees the agency's operations between Plymouth, MA and the Rhode Island, CT border. In 1988 this lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Al,

I love the post!

Wayne

Al said...

Thank you, Wayne. I appreciate your comment. Al

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