Hello everyone!

It's been quite some time since I've posted on the forum (6 years?) and I'm happy to see so many of the "old" folks (no pun intended) are still here. I have visited a time or two over the past few years, but just recently began reading through the threads to see what's been going on. Wow, how things can change in 6 years...

Anyway, I was reading through this particular thread and was inspired to reply because of the wonderful responses thus far.

I'm not really sure what prompted me to start collecting Harbour Lights. None of my family or friends had any relation to lighthouses, so I can't say that my great-great-great grandfather was on a boat that saw a lighthouse once or twice, or something like that. No... I think my obsession started quite young, but I didn't fully realize it until I was in my mid-20s.

I grew up in Richmond, Virginia and every year or two we would take a family vacation to Savannah. Mainly because my father was stationed there while in the Air Force and considers Savannah as much 'home' as Richmond, but also because my parents had an interest in purchasing property in Hilton Head, but liked to stay in Savannah and trek back and forth - in the early days at least. So, every time we visited Savannah, we would take a ride out to Tybee Island. My dad would ramble out old stories and point out landmarks that reminded him of the times he and his Air Force buddies would have a weekend off and ride out to Tybee to enjoy the beach. He would always make sure to remind me of the night they were coming back from Tybee to Hunter AFB on that long stretch of marshland road on US 80, when there had been severe storms and the water was lashing over the roadway, cutting them off from returning to Savannah. The good ole days... for my Dad, at least.

Well, when we would 'all' go down there, Fort Pulaski became one of our favorite stop-offs. Being from Richmond, you grow up being well versed with the Civil War and Fort Pulaski was/is the epitome of civil war forts for several reasons, with the main reason being that Robert E. Lee (a Virginia native) helped with the architectural duties after his graduation from West Point. As many of you may or may not know, Fort Pulaski resides on Cockspur Island, which of course has a 'little' lighthouse we all know and love; "Cockspur Island Lighthouse." But Cockspur lighthouse still isn't the main reason my affection for lighthouses developed. No, it wasn't until my parents took me across the channel, to Tybee Island, to explore where Captain Gilmore had placed his now famous rifled canons that took down Fort Pulaski, did I find an utter and complete admiration for lighthouses.

The first time I saw Tybee lighthouse, it was, to say the least, in shambles. The grounds were overgrown, the outlying buildings and keeper's homes were in a state of despair and the lighthouse itself was so faded that you could barely tell it had a day mark. But I still fell in love. The combination of history, architecture... lore, fascinated me, and still does to this day.

It wasn't until 1996 that I found Harbour Lights. Even before I purchased my first one, not knowing what was available, I hesitated and investigated other makers of lighthouse sculptures, such as Lefton. But after finding a brochure for the "Collectors Society" and finding out what Harbour Lights had to offer, I took the plunge... and never looked back.

I look forward to participating again!

Mark