About Me

My photo
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.

20 November 2014

A Michigan Beauty - Holland Harbor South Pierhead Lighthouse

The Holland Harbor South Pierhead Lighthouse is located at Holland, MI. The original lighthouse, built in 1872, was a wood structure. Its light was fixed red with a fifth-order Fresnel lens.

This new lighthouse replaced the old in 1907. Its lantern room was equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The tower stands 32-feet tall and sets atop one of the two dwellings. (Roof line of dwellings seen better in picture below.) Originally, the lighthouse was painted a buff color, but in 1956 it was painted red. "Big Red," as it is known by the local people, marks the entrance to Lake Michigan and the Holland Harbor. The light was automated in 1970.

In the summer of 1998, I visited this lighthouse and enjoyed it along with beautiful weather that day. However, if I were to try and visit the lighthouse on this November day that I'm posting this to my blog, I couldn't get there because of the deep snow in most parts of Michigan.

 I've classified this lighthouse as a Michigan Beauty. Would I have done so if the lighthouse was still painted a buff color?  Honestly, I would have to see the buff color to be sure, but the red is beautiful.



Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)