Is it because I grew up in the desert? My imagination has always harbored a fascination for islands and lighthouses. I think whatever is far away from our everyday world acquires a certain mystique. And in my desert world, when temperatures soared into the 90s or even reached the100s in September, I loved escaping to stories with sea-swept islands and lighthouses. One of my favorites now is Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery. Is Captain Jim's Lighthouse Real? When I re

It starts with a low rumble. As the noise grows louder, I shade my eyes with a cupped hand and look up at the blue sky. Overhead, the roar approaches and its source comes into view—half plane and half boat. Since I grew up on the California desert, floatplanes are still a surprise for me to see. These amphibious planes often fly to the San Juan Islands near my home now in the Pacific Northwest. And whenever I see floatplanes, I think of a storied name in lighthouse history: C

When L. M. Montgomery published Anne's House of Dreams in 1917, she was far from home. Like all her books, Anne's House of Dreams is infused with the author's love for a small island. A place of winding red roads and a wealth of lighthouses, Prince Edward Island is described so lyrically in Montgomery's writing that I feel her deep connection and love of place along with her. When she wrote this entry in her journal on June 1, 1909, she had no way of knowing she'd be leaving

Who hasn’t dreamed of reading in a lighthouse tower? With the world looking so different right now, lighthouses are a reminder of what abides and endures—faith, generosity, illumination and caring. It's a poignant theme for National Library Week this year. And, it sounds wonderful to climb the stairs to read in a lighthouse tower—a place surrounded by the freedom of sky and ocean. A way to enjoy traveling to a different place. With most library doors closed, the updated NLW

I first heard about Bookcrossing.com from my Scottish reading friend, Allison M. She writes in her blog about releasing three books "into the wild" on her holiday to Poland recently. I had never heard of Bookcrossing before, but love the way Allison describes it. It seems like such a serendipitous way to share books and follow the new path they take. I learned that Bookcrossing allows readers to register any book they please and then leave it on a park bench, a café table or

Driving down the highway, I'm always intrigued when a moving house rolls by me. Propped on the back of a trailer-truck, with a sign proclaiming "oversized load," the home being transported looks large and somehow vulnerable at the same time. As I travel along behind the house, watching for a safe opening to pass, I wonder— What special meaning does the house have to the person moving it? Why couldn't they bear to leave it behind? I've never found out the answers to those ques

It always surprised Grace Darling to emerge from the shelter of a walled garden to a world exploding with gray light. She looked up at the vast open sky and took a deep breath of cool salt air. A high wind fought with her now as she pushed closed the little door in the garden wall, latching it with a firm hand. She hauled a crate of late-season vegetables to her boat and pushed off into the sea. Grace leaned into the oars as she crossed the rough ocean to her lighthouse home

A lone figure walked along the beach after a fierce storm. With her long skirt twisting in the steady wind, she put up a hand to keep her elegant hat in place. Her gaze turned downward as she searched the beach for treasure brought in by the "northwester." She bent to pick up an object, and it glistened in the sunshine. Hermenia held up a beautiful glass float to add to her collection. In the late 1800s, Hermenia Zauner often combed the beach on an isolated island off the Wa

Every time you visit a lighthouse, whether in person or online during these times, there are a wealth of stories to discover. And when you open the pages of a book with a lighthouse theme, you'll find the beautiful sentinels of the sea acting as another character in the book. Here is a sampling of five of my own favorite tales featuring lighthouses: 1. Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery Readers of my past blogs know I often think of L. M. Montgomery when making a list

Dawn streaked the sky with gold and lavender as Assistant Lightkeeper Bel Sinclair opened the tower door. After finishing her watch at the lighthouse, Bel drew the folds of a cloak tighter around her shoulders. The first hint of autumn nipped along the edges of a new day. A little weary after the demands of the watch, she still felt too restless for sleep. She headed to the lighthouse quarters and went up the narrow stairs. A traveling lighthouse library waited for her on the

Would you pay money to spend a vacation washing windows, mowing the lawn, weeding, polishing brass and painting objects high above the ground? Your answer might just be "yes." "What's the attraction?" writes Elinor DeWire in Sojourn at the Lighthouse. "It's the chance to experience something unique, something as close to being a genuine lighthouse keeper as you can find in the modern world." Sojourn at the Lighthouse is Elinor's story of her week as a volunteer lightkeeper at