A Lighthouse without a keeper...
Now, THAT'S what I call lonely...

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the loneliest of all creatures in the universe"...(A 1977 song by the Canadian Group, "Klaatu"...)

You've heard about the proverbial lonely life of a lighthouse keeper, all by himself, his only company being the huge lens he operates for ships to see from afar. Well, how about taking that loneliness a step further? Near where I live on the Oregon Coast, sits a lonely little lighthouse, on a rock off the mainland all by its lonesome self. It's boarded up, having been decommissioned last year. For quite a few years before that, no one was there because automation equipment had been installed, and when that happened, the keeper of the lighthouse wasn't needed anymore. So it was lonely before it got decommissioned. And now it's been stripped of its reason for existing. So there it sits, on a rock, 50 or so feet above the ocean, enduring the fury that the turbulent ocean throws its way. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the Cape Arago lighthouse...

There is no public access to this lighthouse; from where this picture was taken, is about as close to it as you can get, unless you want to risk life and limb getting to it. You see, the bridge that links it to the mainland is gated and locked, and it's on government property. In fact, the place this picture was taken from is also ultra-private property. Those who write about Oregon lighthouses have decried the fact that this one's so hard to get to. It's a lonely place, all right. I wonder if there's an appliance in there the Maytag Repairman can fix...



Here's another view; this picture was taken at a point to the south and east; the location is just so utterly desolate, yet it's starkly beautiful. I didn't take these pictures; I think they're from www.webshots.com. I remember thinking that it's a shame this lonely little lighthouse will probably never be turned into a public attraction. From what I've read, the elements have been so harsh over the years, that this is actually the third lighthouse built on this location. In previous years, when I'd been at this location, the lighthouse's beacon flashed on and off in its own peculiar pattern; ships were aware of the light-flash pattern, and could tell which lighthouse they were seeing; that way they knew where they were in regards to the coast. So now, it just sits there, its only regular visitors being seagulls, pelicans and cormorants. But it sits there majestically anyway, empty shell of a lighthouse that it is. But it wasn't always that way...


Long ago, there was activity surrounding the little lighthouse. As you can see, there were actually residences on this forbidding rock; this was back when one of the previous lighthouses sat there. I've read that the merciless ocean winds actually blew the earlier lighthouses apart; the one that's there now is fortified with steel beams encased in concrete. In short, the present-day shell of a lighthouse will probably be there forever. And, across the narrow channel that separates this lighthouse from the mainland, is located a Native American cemetery, with tombstones looking out over the ocean. I was extremely surprised to find an Indian cemetery there, complete with a miniature totem on the grounds. And I thot, what a beautiful place to spend eternity, with the fierce breezes whipping the ocean a good 50 to 75 feet below.

There is just 'something' about this stark, severe, forbidding and pristine ocean beauty that really captivates me. I can just sit at locations like this for hours, gazing, contemplating, and just 'being'. It makes me think that perhaps, even though this world can be a tumultuous place, we were meant to take time and enjoy the beauty of this planet. "For all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world", quoth the Desiderata. Take care. Strive to be happy.
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I hope you enjoyed looking at this post half as much as I did putting it together. Many times my mind has been altered in a positive way whenever I've immersed myself in the environment. Sometimes it's nice just to get out there and BREATHE.