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.

21 March 2013

Rhode Island - Rose Island Lighthouse

The Rose Island Lighthouse was built in 1870. It sets on a tiny knob of land, a mere 17 acres. Rose Island lies almost underneath the span of the Newport Bridge, CT, which is to the right of the lighthouse, just out of the picture. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1971 and declared surplus in early 1980.

In 1985 the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation acquired the badly vandalized lighthouse and began restoration. They opened it to the public in 1992 and it later became what is now a quirky and rustic bed and breakfast Inn. It's not a spot that appears in many guidebooks, because without restaurants or shops or even running water, there's not much to do here except, relax and look at the water, bird-watch, fly kites and swim in the bay. Because the island is a protected bird-nesting area, it is off-limits to humans from spring until mid July. Except for the off-limit period, you could get to Rose Island by taking the little red Jamestown or Newport Ferry.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, this light was an active private aid to navigation. Due to its distance off-shore, the haze, and no sunshine, I used a 500mm lens to get this picture.

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