Friend of the sailors.

“I'm a lonely lighthouse, not a ship out in the night. I'm watching the sea.

She's come halfway round the world to see the light and to stay away from me.”

I have never really been one who spent a lot of time on the water. I do remember a time when I was a kid and we went on the Mississippi River for an overnight trip to Hannibal, MO; I was miserable. The boat was really not suited for the number of people on board, and when you went to the bathroom, you had to stand with your head poking out of the top. How is that for a memory?

The owner of the boat was a grey-haired man named Billy. Over the years, long after we returned, I would see him out and about in St. Louis. He wore the same cap, and either he was born looking old or he just never aged. I am sure he is long gone by now, but it would not surprise me if he is “upstairs” walkin’ the streets of heaven.

One thing I learned that weekend was—-rivers actually have various height levels, and when you travel along the river, and need to raise or lower your boat, you go into a “lock.” When I first heard about this, I was only about 10, I thought they were kidding—they weren’t. This surprise only added to the story of poking my head out of the top while going.

 

Where I grew up we really didn’t have a large body of water like a big lake or ocean, we had rivers.  About all I knew about a river was they could have swift currents and there was a huge dance party boat on the Mississippi called the “Admiral”—-it was located off the shore right across from Illinois. The best part about the boat was the ability to drink on board; I assume it was because Illinois was a “19 state” as we called it and we were on open water. My first time on the boat was memorable; I had never drank and let’s just say I could not claim that when we left to go home. I was plastered. 

When I first arrived in Chicago and walked to Lake Michigan, I saw my first light house. It was  majestic and located about 1 mile or so off the coast. I actually met someone years later who lived in the lighthouse with his wife--they were both in the business I was in. Sorry to say, and it must be the confinement of living in tall structure with wind, rain and other element…they didn’t live happily ever after.

The photo above was taken in Michigan. I had never seen a lighthouse up close, and when I heard you could go up in it, I said, “I am all in.” Of course, I paid to be all in! What I like most about this photo are the clouds…I am sure the ships that sail by felt differently, especially as the clouds turn into fog and well you get the rest.

Thanks for stopping by.