Cana Island Light

There's something about standing alone on the shore of Lake Michigan in the middle of the night, miles from the nearest town, that puts your senses on full alert. The "fight or flight" response lurks just beneath the surface as your mind nags you about the distinct possibility of a large animal or person with evil intentions emerging from the trees along the shore.

If you can push those thoughts into the background far enough, what's left is a pure appreciation of the sights and sounds of the moment - the light breeze coming off the lake, the sound of waves breaking on the shore, the points of light far away in the night sky and the lighthouse tower, doing the job it was designed to do more than a century ago.

I stood where horrific wrecks and daring rescues took place in days long past. A place where intense storms pummelled the rocky shoreline. But this night was reserved for the contented sigh of the breeze, the blanket of night pulled snug and a light signaling that all was well.

Click on this post's headline for image EXIF data. Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2008 James Jordan.