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Articles and Essays

Some that have been published elsewhere, some to be found only here.

 

LighthouseThe Apostle Islands and the Chequamegon Region

The Michigan Island Mystery
The most notorious Apostle Islands mystery: was the islands' first lighthouse really built on the wrong island? And if so, why?

More Michigan Island Mysteries
True stories of good and evil, heartbreak and joy.... but no ghosts!

To Save The Devils Island Lens
How three determined citizens rescued a historic treasure.

Surprise! You Are The Proud Owner...
How the National Park Service found out about some extra lighthouses it didn't know it owned.

Oak Island Inferno, 1943
The fire that nearly burned an entire island.

Sand Island: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
A discovery in an antique store opens a window into womens' history on the Apostle Islands.

Lighthouses of the Apostle Islands
Tales from "the nation's finest collection of historic lighthouses."

"A Poor Imitation of a Fourth"
Celebrating Independence Day At The Lighthouses- Or Not

"The Most Stupendous Of God's Works"
From Madeline Island to Yosemite Valley: the many journeys of Florantha Thompson Sproat.

The Nation’s Largest Collection Of Lighthouse Bloopers
When a specialized web site gets it all wrong about a place you know well, or "Don't believe everything you read about lighthouses on the Internet."

 

The Oak Island Pirates: A Study In Fakelore
A careful examination of a myth that won't go away.

Someone's Been Here Before
Wherever you pitch your tent or beach your kayak in the Apostle Islands, someone's been there before.

Basswood Island: The Apostles' Emerald Isle
Searching for- and finding- the islands' Irish heritage.

The Day The Ships Went Down
Two ships, twelve lives... lost on the Apostle Islands' deadliest day.

Sand Island Lighthouse

Ghosts of the Apostle Islands
Seeking traces of those who have gone before.

Big Ole: Xtreme Boatman of the Apostle Islands
Paul Bunyan wasn't the only larger-than-life character in the north country... but Big Ole was real.

Sad Christmas On Basswood Island
On Christmas Eve, 1893, a young mother lost her life in a blizzard on the ice of Lake Superior.

Early History of Washburn's Memorial Park
Historic Site Designation : the story of a community treasure.

The Outer Island Saga

A work in progress: the story of the Apostle Islands' most remote-- and most troubled-- lighthouse.

O.K. Hall's First Day At Work

A Lighthouse On The Outermost Island

This Land Is Your Land, That Land Is My Land

Major Weitzel Fires Back

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

A Very Bad Coast

Doing It Right This Time?

To be continued....

Outer Island Lighthouse

 

 

Ranger StationNational Park Issues

For A Fallen Sister
In memory of Ranger Margaret Anderson

Rangers And Strangers On A Plane
A minor occupational hazard.

To The Sea Caves, At All Costs
Listen to the ranger? What a novel idea!

PEER Strikes Out
A group makes an outlandish charge, and brings discredit to the entire environmental movement.

Cultural Resources In Wilderness: Still At Risk?
The keynote speaker at an NPS conference says there's no real need to protect the historic resources in the Wilderness portions of the Apostles Islands. He's wrong, of course, but what does it portend that the agency asked him to speak?

 

NewfieNewfoundland Dogs

The Thanksgiving Puppies
The true story of a mother dog, her puppies, and a battle to save them.

Dispatches From Dog Hill
Tales of life with lovable giants.

You Don't Want a Newfoundland Dog!
Things you need to know before making your decision.

You Do Want a Newfoundland Dog!
Starting your search for the right puppy... and the right breeder.

Nelson

 

GlobeAround the World and the World Around

Stalking the Wild Tourist in Deepest Siberia
Memories of my first visit to Lake Baikal, 1991.

The Chip In The Rim
A visit to an English church offers a moving surprise.

The Saddest Place
A foggy morning in a haunted spot.

A Winter's Tale of Fire Island
Answering the oft-heard question, "What's it like here after everyone leaves?"

Old Hossfoot
What's not to like about horseshoe crabs? Seriously.

 

ThoughtsMusings and Memories

If The Trojan War Had Been A Ball Game
Just what it says.

 

 

 

 

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