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.

15 January 2015

A New Jersey Beauty - Barnegat Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located in the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, at the northern tip of Long Beach Island, NJ. The lighthouse is the third to be built on the tip of the island. The first lighthouse was a 40-foot masonry tower constructed in 1834. It had a miserable reputation as a lighthouse, and only stood until 1856 when it became inundated by the sea and toppled into the water Fortunately, the authorities foresaw the oncoming circumstances and they had the lamps removed. The lamps were installed in a temporary wooden tower which was constructed a little further inland.

Construction on the above pictured Barnegat Lighthouse began in 1857 and was completed in 1859. Because of the similarity in size to the Absecon Lighthouse, located to the south, Barnegat was given a different characteristic to help mariners distinguish it from its southerly comrade. A flashing first-order Fresnel lens was installed in Barnegat Light. In 1927 the lens was removed from the lighthouse when the Barnegat Lightship took up station off Barnegat Inlet. The lens was sent to Tompkinsville Lighthouse Depot on Staten Island, New York. Then in 1954, the lens was returned to the town of Barnegat Light and is on exhibit in the Barnegat Light Historical Museum.

At the time of my visit here in May 2001, the lighthouse was owned by the State of New Jersey and normally only open during the summer season.
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