My lighthouse: Office art ... or life's ambition?

Oh, Change of Venue Friday: What took you so long?

Today’s the day I take a more relaxed look at the world. A day beyond pin-stripes, we might call it.

And the view I’m getting is one from the top of a lighthouse.

Yes, a lighthouse.

Like many people, I’ve always enjoyed seeing those beacons, whether they’re in chilly New England or on the sun-dappled California coast. So impressed am I by their utility, beauty and tendency toward solitude that a cardboard version adorns a high shelf in my office. It was a gift from my family, who appreciates—to an extent—the personality qualities that would admire a life of windswept aloneness.

Adding to the fantasy is the fact that it need not be fantasy: As my wife just pointed out to me, the federal government routinely disposes of lighthouses, making them available to the highest bidder. They dot the nation, so whatever your heart’s desire—drizzly and snowy or balmy and humid—there may be a lighthouse for you.

Below are a few images of what’s been sold recently. And if you’re interested, bookmark here to keep track of what may become your own retirement villa.

Have a great weekend.

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