Coquille Lighthouse

he area around the present-day town of Bandon was inhabited by the Coquille Indians, before white settlers started to arrive in 1850. The town site was settled in 1853 and was first called Averill. After the arrival of several immigrants from Bandon, Ireland in 1873, the town’s name was changed to Bandon in 1874.

Adjacent to the town, the Coquille River empties into the Pacific Ocean. The river extends inland a great distance, and was a natural link to the virgin stands of timber in the area. The bar at the mouth of the river, formed by the interaction of the river and ocean, was a major obstacle for the ships entering the river. At times, only a few feet of water would cover the bar, but still vessels attempted to navigate the river in hopes of reaping the rewards that lay upstream. In 1880, Congress passed a bill providing for the construction of a jetty on the south side of the river’s entrance. The jetty created a clear channel in the river, prompting a rapid rise in the number of ships entering the river.

A Coquille River Lighthouse was the next logical step for improving navigation at the river’s mouth. The lighthouse would act as both a coastal light and a harbor light. A bill authorizing its construction was passed in 1891, but it would be four years before land was purchased, plans were solidified, and the construction crew arrived on site.

In 1939, the Coast Guard took responsibility for the lighthouse and decided it was no longer needed. An automated beacon was placed at the end of the south jetty, the dwelling was disassembled, and the lighthouse was abandoned. The Bandon Lighthouse stood neglected for twenty-four years, until Bullards Beach State Park was created on the north side of the river. The grounds of the original 11-acre light station were included in the park, and the park assumed responsibility for the lighthouse.

This was a beautiful lighthouse despite the damage caused by the neglect and years, and now you can enjoy this beauty yourself, if you just follow the link. Coquille Lighthouse

Chicago Skyline 4

Breathtaking buildings cast monstrous shadows on the pavement and a body of water threatens from the east. Abandoned stockyards echo not-so-ancient screams and stench and factories guzzle smoke into the starless, inked sky. A saxophone dribbles against the walls of an empty L station--the rails shudder and shake as phantoms travel. Ghost signs haunt buildings. The faded stencils of forgotten companies tell us we'll never know the whole truth. We feel like jazz and we taste bourbon. That dark underbelly will forever exist beneath the streets of our city. Chicago will always compete as one the most dangerous places in the country.

The infamous history of this beautiful city has always fascinated me since I'm suppose to be related to one of it's better known historical figures. Chicago was a perfect place to build a criminal empire. It was a rowdy, pugnacious, hard-drinking town that was open to anyone with enough money to buy it. In the words of one of her top journalists, "She was vibrant and violent, stimulating and ruthless, intolerant of smugness, impatient with those either physically or intellectually timid." It was a bloody and brutal city where tens of millions of cows, hogs and sheep were slaughtered by men wading through blood on the killing floor. It was strictly a commercial town with no appetite for snobbery or "old money."

Political corruption was a tradition in that vast prairie city, creating an atmosphere of two-fisted lawlessness in which crime flourished. The city became known for its wealth and sexual promiscuity. When Al Capone came to the city in 1920, the flesh trade was becoming the province of organized crime. The kingpin of this business was "Big Jim" Colosimo along with his wife and partner, Victoria Moresco, a highly successful madam. Together their brothels were earning an estimated $50,000 per month.

It was into this vast criminal enterprise that Torrio brought twenty-two-year-old Al Capone from his honest bookkeeping job in Baltimore. The money and opportunity for advancement was an order of magnitude greater, but the disgrace of managing brothels bothered Al. It was 1921 and Capone had turned his back on respectability forever. With his business acumen, soon Al became Torrio's partner instead of his employee. Al took over as manager of the Four Deuces, Torrio's headquarters in the Levee area. The Four Deuces was a speakeasy, gambling joint and whorehouse all in one. Soon his brother Ralph would come to join him in Torrio's business.

At this time, Al became associated with a man that would be his friend for life, Jack Guzik. Incredibly enough, Guzik's large Jewish Orthodox family made their living through prostitution. Closer in lifestyle to Torrio, Guzik was a devoted family man who acted like an older brother to Al. Once again, Capone showed his ability to step outside the Italian community as he had in marrying his Irish wife. Now his closest friend was Jewish. Capone's lack of prejudice and ability to create alliances outside of the Italian gangster community would be invaluable in creating his destiny.

Al was doing quite well financially and bought a house for his family in a respectable neighborhood. To this modest home at 7244 Prairie Avenue, he brought not only Mae and Sonny, but his mother and other siblings. Al posed to his neighbors as a dealer in second-hand furniture and went out of his way to maintain a facade of respectability. Bergreen was convinced that the house on Prairie Avenue, Mae and Sonny represented Capone's striving for redemption. "Although he preyed on other people's weaknesses for a living, his reputation and standing in the community mattered deeply to him. The deeper he went into racketeering and all its associated sins, the more he idealized his family, as though they, in their innocence, were living proof that he was not the monster that the newspapers later insisted he was."

But the beauty of this city can transcend the notoriety of it's past, and this photograph is one example of the true beauty that Chicago possesses. Chicago Skyline 4

Pyschidelic Peace Symbol

The peace symbol has taken many forms, and this one is way out there man. Hearkening back to a time when a generation was anit-establishment, and wanted a better world to live in. Taken back to a bygone time when people tuned in, turned on, and dropped out. The heyday of the '60's is remembered in this stunning visual design. The unpopular war, counter culture, and protests were a daily ideal that the flower children embraced and lived. San Francisco became a heady center of peace and love, and this peace symbol was one of many cultural aspects of the times. Get hip man, and remember with this far out design. Pyschidelic Peace Symbol

Cute Rabbit

A sweet cuddily bunny rabbit that will melt your heart with it's cuteness. For the bunny lover or collector in your life or on your shopping list. This cute rabbit just wants someone to love and make happy, won't that be you?

Just in time for Easter, this cute rabbit and many more adorable designs can be found if you follow the link. Easter and spring are about renewal, what better way to celebrate that than with the colorful designs on these fine products.

Battle Dragons

The battle rages on forever between these two magical dragons. Their sphere of protection can't be unprotected, or dragon magic would be lost forever. And that is magic that should never be lost, for it's the strongest magic there ever was.

Dragons are creatures that will exist forever as long as one believes in fantasies, dreams, and magic. These enchanted creatures are powerful allies and can keep us from slipping into the darkness of evil. If you know of a dragon lover who can never have enough magic on their side then these Battle Dragons are the perfect gift for that magical person.