A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....06-11-03....Lighthouses

dansangel

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

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We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear

There is something inherently romantic about lighthouses. Whether it is the folk tales that often accompany the lighthouse or just the majestic beauty of the tower standing watch over the ocean's sailors, the appeal that these silent giants have is widespread and deep. There are many organizations throughout the United States that have taken on the task of preserving and protecting these beautiful monuments so that generations to come may enjoy them.



.45MAN and I decided several years back that we would pick the destination of our yearly vacations based on whether or not a lighthouse was nearby that we could visit. In October of 2000, we embarked on the first of what was to become an annual event by selecting Savannah, GA as our vacation spot. Nearby is the Tybee Island Lighthouse.

Lighthouse at Tybee Island, GA

From The Tybee Lighthouse Website:

"Ordered by General James Oglethorpe, Governor of the 13th colony, in 1732, the Tybee Island Light Station has been guiding mariners safe entrance into the Savannah River for over 270 years. The Tybee Island Light Station is one of America's most intact having all of its historic support buildings on its five-acre site. Rebuilt several times the current lightstation displays its 1916 day mark with 178 stairs and a First Order Fresnel lens (nine feet tall)."



The following year, October 2001, we decided on Beaufort, S.C. as our vacation destination. We stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast called "The Rhett House" in the historic area of Beaufort. Nearby is the home of another wonderful, non-working yet completely preserved lighthouse known as The Hunting Island Lighthouse.

Lighthouse at Hunting Island, SC

From The Hunting Island Lighthouse Website:

"The historic Hunting Island lighthouse was originally constructed in 1859 and rebuilt in 1875 after is was destroyed during the Civil War. This is the only lighthouse in the state of South Carolina open to the public. From the top platform, for those who are adventurous enough to climb the spiral staircase, one can get a birds eye view of the Atlantic Ocean, the park and surrounding marshes from about 132 feet above the ground. The park collects a 50¢ fee to climb the 167 steps in the lighthouse, but the view is definitely worth it. The Hunting Island lighthouse provided safe passage for ships until it was deactivated in June of 1933."



Finally, in October of last year, we were privileged to visit St. Simons Island. It's beauty and serenity was so wonderful that we hope to be able to visit again. The St. Simons Lighthouse proved to be the smallest of those we have visited, but what it lacked in height, it made up in elegance.

Lighthouse at St. Simons Island, GA

dansangel shooting a picture of .45MAN shooting a picture
(via telephoto lens) of dansangel atop the lighthouse!

Front view of Lighthouse at St. Simons Island, GA

From The St. Simons Lighthouse Website:

"The first St. Simons Lighthouse was constructed in 1807 by James Gould on Couper's Point. The present lighthouse was reconstructed in 1872 on the same site to replace the original which was destroyed by retreating Confederate forces in 1862. The U.S. Government ordered the construction of a second lighthouse that was placed west of the first. The 104-foot tower, which has a 129 step cast iron spiral staircase and an adjacent keeper's house, were designed by one of Georgia's most noted architects, Charles Cluskey."



So many lighthouses, so little time! What will this year bring for a lighthouse visit? That decision hasn't been made yet, but there are many possibilities. It's comforting to know that so many of these grand structures still exist, some even still in use, for us and others like us to enjoy.

If you wish to learn more about lighthouses, the following Website is a gateway to the many sites available on the Internet offering photos and descriptions:

The Lighthouse Depot Explorer

Enjoy!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 06-09-03 Military Monday 06-10-03 FReeper Pets - Smokie and Sylvie

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
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God Bless Our Military

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Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

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We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LadyX....................grandson LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty The Mayor................niece fawn796..................nephew

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover...........nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort...........2 daughters Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn.............2 sons kneezles...........son MozartLover...........son homeschool mama......nephew

[dansangel]

[dansangel]

Come join us today at the Finest - Happy Humpday to all!

[.45MAN]

Good morning to all and have a great day......

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Angel.

[dansangel]

Good morning, ((((((Aeronaut)))))

Have a wonderful day! :-)

[dansangel]

[Pippin]

Good Morning earybirds!

.45man and dansy, have you ever visited the lighthouses in Maryland?

we have some beautiful ones here, especially on the Eastern Shore.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Pippin.

[Pippin]

How're you doing this morning?

[dansangel]

((((((Pippin)))))))

No, we haven't had the pleasure of going up the east coast to visit lighthouses...yet. When we run out of "local" ones (NC, SC, GA and FL) we plan on doing just that. Also, there are some wonderful lighthouses on the Great Lakes and in Hawaii (nothing like a good excuse to go there!)

Have a great day! :-)

[Aeronaut]

How're you doing this morning?

Just great. I hope you are, too.

[GailA]

Good Morning ALL

Coffee's on

[dansangel]

Good Morning, (((((((Gail))))))

What's this I hear about bumps and bruises? I sure hope you're feeling better!

Hugs and scratchies to (((((Rocky))))), too!

[Lee'sGhost]

What a wonderful quest. I highly recommend spending a week in NC to visit all of our lighthouses. But be sure to spend two or three days at Ocracoke.

Speaking of lighthouses, now might be a good time for a vanity tease. Here's the first page or so from my novel, Aphrodite's Whisper. (Remember this, Billie?)

Chapter One
Friday, December 11, 1903
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

Ethan Roberts walked southward through the frigid, pelting rain. Without even the dim light of stars to thin the blackness he had to rely upon the sound of the crashing breakers to guide him.

Veering too far to the left would soon put him waist deep in roiling surf. Too far to the right and he would have to struggle through the powdery sand of the inner beach that made walking almost impossible. A storm lantern would have easily thrown out enough light to reveal the hard-packed sand that lay between the two, but its glow would have destroyed his night vision, turning his night patrol for stranded ships into a pointless stroll on the beach.

The tempered cold of the Outer Banks had given way to the brutal arctic winds of a nor’easter, its freezing rain turning the five miles of watch-walk into a wet, miserable test of endurance. His feet throbbed numbly with cold, and fearing the frostbite that would follow if he did not make it back to shelter soon, he quickened his pace. At twenty-eight, he was old enough to know how dangerous the cold could be, but too young to admit it might defeat him. He would do his job to its completion, as was expected, the weather be damned. But there was nothing in the regulations that said he couldn’t hurry it up a bit.

At least the wind blew from behind now, pushing him toward his destination. Although his swept-back storm hat with its large brim diverted most of the water down the back of his slicker, the spray whipped around his head to soak his bearded face. Wiping the moisture from his eyes with the back of his hand, he shuddered from the cold and wondered how long it would be before the rain turned to sleet.

The Hatteras Lighthouse was only a quarter-mile away now. Every seven and a half seconds its bright beam cut through the black swirling rain, beckoning him back to the lifesaving station nestled safely behind the flashing sentinel. Within the station a glowing wood stove called to him, urging him to hurry. Once inside he would use its warmth to thaw his aching flesh, then seek refuge from the ruthless chill under the wool blankets of his bunk. By that time another lifesaver would be walking the shoreline looking for ships that might have run aground – while he would be dry, warm and asleep.

Several miles out on the ocean a streak of red bolted from the water then disappeared into the thick, angry clouds above. A moment later Ethan saw the burst of a flare, its white light stabbing holes through the stormy blackness. His thoughts of warmth and sleep evaporated as quickly as the glowing ball drifted down toward the sea. Somewhere out on the Diamond Shoals a ship was in distress! The lives of its crew depended upon how quickly the seven men of the Hatteras Station traversed the waters to where the flare was launched. Sprinting the last hundred yards, Ethan ran inside the station shouting the alarm to wake the others. Quickly returning outside he set off a Costone signal at the crest of the dune line. The ground flare’s brilliant light would let the hapless sailors on the shoals know that help was on the way. The race had begun.

Rousing from their sleep the other six men of the station threw on their storm gear and scampered to the station’s holding bay where their surfboat waited on its cart. As one, they pushed the cart through the soft sand and into the surf until its wheels were half submerged beneath the cold December waters. When the boat floated free of the cart, they boarded her as quickly as the raging surf allowed.

[mountaineer]

Good morning! We just returned from a family vacation to the Outer Banks, where my little nieces just love visiting lighthouses (this time, Corolla, which has a beautiful lighthouse keeper's house).

[dansangel]

Sounds like a romantic thriller you've got cookin' there (((((((Lee'sGhost)))))))

Thank-you for sharing that!

[dansangel]

(((((((mountaineer))))))

Don't lighthouses lend themselves as a great theme for a vacation? .45MAN and I really enjoy making them the basis of our vacations.

Glad your nieces enjoyed them, as well. It can be really educational - especially in a time where everything is computerized and digitized.

[deadhead]

This is the Montauk Lighthouse. Have a nice day all.

[ladtx]

The Port Isabel Lighthouse in Texas.

[martin_fierro]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

St Augustine, FL	Pigeon Point, CA	Pt. Reyes, CA	Alcatraz, CA

Some lighthouses that Mrs. Fierro and I have visited

Lighthouses are cool, aren't they? They're all basically the same, yet historically different.

We LOVE to check 'em out and have a growing refrigerator magnet collection of each as proof (Mr. & Mrs. Excitement, I know)! <|:)~

[[[[[[[[dansGEARHEADangel]]]]]]]]