The eleventh of the seventh

Well parts of the super hot weather seems to have dissipated somewhat around here.  Like everyone else I guess I can take the 100 plus temperatures as long as the humidity stays reasonable...you know below 3000%.  The last two nights we have had some much needed storms here in central South Carolina.  Much needed rain without any of the nasty stuff that accompanies summer thunder.  So all is well here on the south side of the sun.

 A few years back, I took on the job of photographing the lighthouses of Florida for two small books which were being published.  The Florida trip filled in one of the states that I had not previously shot, and I needed to complete the images for the two books.  So we hit the road in early in September.  Not an auspicious time to do so because that is part of the hurricane season down there.  Given my luck I figured that I would end up hunkered down in Key West for days while they sorted through the wreckage of a category twelve storm.

Key West lighthouse

I guess that years ago, Key West was the place that people went to get lost. Had I been younger at the time, I probably would have done that.  Just another dumb and irresponsible thing I would have done in my life and would have probably ended up in that island prison Fort Jefferson!

   It certainly is the end of the world as far as the East Coast is concerned.  But the homes and restaurants are great and there are chickens and cats roaming freely all over the place.  No hurricanes or great storms on the ten day trip.  Exhaustion was a critical part of that excursion.  Driving from Maryland to Key West and then back the west coast of Florida to Pensacola and then on to Jacksonville and north to Maryland all in ten days is a chore.  All in ten days!!  Some 30 something lighthouses.

Two of my favorite lighthouses in Florida are probably the result of the weather.  Glorious days with afternoon thunderheads make for just wonderful photo ops.  So no big storms but some really great sky to go with the history of classic lighthouses in outstanding scenic locations.

Both structures are on Gasparilla Island on the west coast between Fort Meyers and Port Charlotte. 

Boca Grande Lighthouse is a simple skeletal tower, but right on the Gulf of Mexico and only seventy yards or so from the beach.  Fairly isolated and in a wonderful setting.

Port Boca Grande Lighthouse is on the point and includes the keeper's house as well as the lighthouse.  Both very well maintained structures.  I even had a chance to fish a bit while we were there.  Boca Grande Pass is right there and teams with sport fish.  I didn't catch anything but had a couple of followers to my jigs that were big enough to tear me up.