Thomas Kinkade's recurring theme of lighthouses is a reminder of simpler times: of sailing ships and oil lamps and the men and women whom day after day faithfully tended the coastal lights that guided mariners.

It was a sad day of loss and nostalgia when the keeper extinguished the lamp for the last time. Boarding up the lighthouse, he moved his family and belongings often to another light station. Lighthouses do not endure through space and time. Eroding coastlines, battering waves eventually cause enormous wear and tear on these structures.

In the 21st century there is much more than a lonely lighthouse to aid mariners. The modern Coast Guard consists of helicopters, small boats, cutters, aids to navigation, marine safety inspections and much more.

Celestial navigation is now historical. GPS ~~ Global Positioning by Satellite is the method used today. However, Celestial Navigation is taught in all Mercantile Marine Academies and Lighthouses are a dear symbol to all sailors. Not some dinosaur monument but a signficant symbol that could save nautical lives.