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.

09 October 2014

A Maine Beauty - West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse is located at Lubec, ME. This candy-striped lighthouse stands on the easternmost mainland point in the U.S. West Quoddy Head forms the western entrance to Cobscook Bay and the St. Croix River.

A rubble masonry tower was originally constructed here in 1808. At 49-feet high, it was as tall as any tower built in Maine  prior to 1850 (except the one at Portland Head). West Quoddy Head Light received one of the nation's first fog bells in 1820. By then, the lighthouse had fallen into such a state of disrepair it was rebuilt in 1853. Unfortunately, improper mortar was used in the job. This was not an uncommon occurrence in early lighthouse construction, and the tower was soon in as bad a shape as ever. This second tower was torn down.

In 1858 this present tower replaced the old and the structure was constructed of cast-iron and overlaid with brick. The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse was automated in 1988. A computerized mechanism operates the flashing white light which beams from 83-feet above the water.

This lighthouse sits atop a 90-foot cliff and from this promontory you can see the islands of Grand Manan and Campobello, NB, Canada when it's not foggy. The Grand Manan Island is 16-miles long and had a population of 3,000 when it was swapped for Moose Island on which the Eastport Lighthouse was built. Daniel Webster and Lord Ashburton were credited for that swap.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, the light station at Quoddy Head was part of Quoddy Head State Park. The park was open to the public.

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