Black and White lighthouse in Black and White

I've always loved lighthouses that are painted black and white. Sadly, the PIgeon Point Lighthouse has deteriorated and shows quite a bit of rust. The hope of one day seeing this light restored inspired me to convert this black and white image of a black and white lighthouse, Pigeon Point Light on the Northern California coast.

Weathered

These boats are workhorses. I wonder how long they've been in use. Certainly, their scars could tell stories of adventure. Tigre Delta, Argentina

To Preserve

On a boat in the Tigre Delta, Argentina, South America

Weather the Storm

Fog and High Surf move in on the seal and the Race Rocks Lighthouse, British Columbia, Canada

Flowers Adorn the Pathway to El Faro Lighthouse, Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Maine

Bristol, Maine

Reflections of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, ME

Located in Bristol, Maine. This was shot from the rocks near the ocean, looking back northward.

Brockton Point Lighthouse on an August afternoon

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Red Kayaks on a Grey Day

Bright on grey, just for the fun of it.

No One’s Ever Really Gone

My grandfather loved lighthouses and must have inspired my love of them.  He was a kind fellow, sturdy and strong. He never knew a stranger. And he’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it, even if you didn’t want it.  Whenever the world seems cold, I remember his kind eyes and I know that my life has touched by a beacon of warmth.   I had been putting the finishing touches on this photo, grateful that I had this moment on the beach to connect time and reflection to camera, but I hadn’t yet connected a title.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, naming photos is task that often causes me to stall.  I mean, this one has to be something worthy of my Grandfather, after all! The answer came as I was watching two of my heroes on screen, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.  In one of the final scenes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Luke says to Leia, “No one’s ever really gone.”  Words of an otherworldly sage. And it spoke to me. As I sat there watching the Princess I’ve looked up to since I was a kid react to her brother’s comforting words, the truth in the statement hit me!   I continue to be blessed by the joy that my grandfather brought while he was on his planet. I can still hear his voice in my head… and I still live by words he taught me. Everyone who is a part of our lives lives on through us. We are the anchor that olds those memories together. I admit, I’ve watched both CoCo and The Lion King recently.  I know the sentiment is oh-so-very-Disney and oh-so-simple, but it rings of truth. And while I don’t think by Grandfather would agree with most Jedi teachings, I do believe he’d agree that those words are true... “No One’s Ever Really Gone” This image captured on Folly Beach, S.C., June 2017

Strength

Early afternoon storm over Charleston Harbor in mid-June. Shot taken from the waterfront at Charlotte Street, looking over the Cooper River and the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, towards Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

A Place to Chill

Lawn chairs in the sand under the boardwalk, early morning in July, Garden City, South Carolina.

Sunset Lollipop

The sunset literally looked like a lollipop over the ocean. I’d never before seen a vertical sunset shot, so I encouraged myself to think outside of the horizontal and be bold. I imagine it’s a honey-chipotle flavored lollipop.

Pigeon Point Light

Pigeon Point Lighthouse up close, showing rust and disrepair.

Guiding Light

Light is a beacon that resonates reassurance and serenity. Light is spiritual, a link to the eternal. We're all looking for that light to guide us home, where ever that home may be. "Guiding Light" was also the soap I used to watch with my grandmother in the afternoons after school. I loved that show. I loved my Grandmother dearly. Sadly, they're both gone now. She was such a strong force in my life-- fiery, fierce, funny and an amazing hugger. You never met a person with a heart as big or a laugh as hearty as hers. She was a light. She was my light and her guidance still lives on. Thanks, G'muv.

Pacific Afternoon

Sitting in the wildflowers along California's rocky coast on a hazy day, with Pigeon Point Lighthouse and a boat in the distance.

Pigeon Point Light Station

California Highway 1 between Pescadero and Santa Cruz, August 2007

Garden City Pier in Early Morning Light

Standing on the beach, with the pier to my left, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean at 7am in July.

Night Creeps In

Sunset at Folly Beach, looking back towards Charleston, S.C. Dramatic driftwood rises from the sand, calling the night on. Captured in June.

Moss Covered Tin Roof

It was one of those afternoons in Monterey Bay where you could just feel the salt in the air. Then I saw this roof and it made my inner B-52 happy. (No rust.)

Foggy Winter Twilight in Moss Landing

Low tide. Low Clouds. Low Angle. On a winter’s day. Moss Landing, California

Pigeon Point Lighthouse from the south

California Highway 1 between Pescadero and Santa Cruz, August 2007

Sunlit Portland Head Light

Lighthouse, Cape Elizabeth, Maine