Keeping enough food in the larder on remote lighthouses was a problem before powerboats and helicopters came into being. Lightkeepers at pla...

In October 2001, Jon and I attended the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival in Alpena, Michigan. This annual event was in its infancy back then....

People often ask: “What makes a person likely to become a successful writer?” A friend of mine wondered about this a few years ...

Tattooing is a very old practice. Sailors of centuries ago learned it from South Pacific Islanders and readily adopted the symbolism of it f...

Who doesn't love stairs? They lead somewhere, sometimes a mysterious place. As a kid I loved to play on the stairs in our old, drafty ho...

Today, June 4th, is the birth date of Constance Scovill Small (1901-2005). She was a great friend and resource for my books and articl...

I love to beachcomb. I never visit the shore that I don't come home with booty, my pockets overflowing or even a plastic bag filled with...