I am writing about something that I do not usually write about. That is me. Well, what I am doing and where we are going.

I, Keith R Wahl, and the photographer for Made From RI Gallery have launched a campaign on "Buy Me A Coffee". It's a support site for a project. Here we only ask for a cup of coffee or two in building and telling you some amazing stories.

The concept is to lead up to a book of photographs and essays about Shoreline and Waterfront life. There are unique stories that need telling. Stories about how people work, play and live on the shore.

Arthur At Black PointArthur at Black Point. Tropical Storm Arthur is the first named storm of 2020 Hurricane Season; though hundreds of miles offshore, it brings its drama to the shores of Narragansett, Rhode Island.

Why me? Because I have spent a lifetime on the waterfront. It has been my workplace, my recreation, my escape. My vocation and my avocation. I have quahogged. I have lobstered. I have restored wooden boats and sailed them. I became a marine surveyor. I became a captain. My hands are still calloused from line handling. The shore and waterfront are the core threads binding my life.

K and M In Galilee 4A stern dragger arrives in the Port of Galilee. The morning shows patchy (seen over the opposite shore in Jerusalem). At this moment, the fog has partially lifted, the morning sun glinting on the doors of the vessel.

Yes, despite the waterfront, I went on to achieve various degrees in the sciences (Physics). I have worked and credentialled in information technology. Yet, somehow, these informed and drew me back to the shore. These gave me a deeper appreciation and understanding of life on the shore.

Now is my time to tell these stories. But it is more than telling my stories, it is telling the stories of the amazing places we visit. It is telling the stories of hard-working and wonderful, if eclectic, people along the shore.

Coming About In BristolA cruising sloop coming about in a stiff southwesterly breeze in Bristol Harbor, Bristol, Rhode Island

In the coming months, as we progress this project, you will find me on boats and ferries. I will be spending early mornings and evenings at shoreline rights of way. I will be walking beaches for their rich visual bounty. I will be strolling boatyards and shipyards. I will assume my position as a "cultured wharf rat" in working areas where ships land. I will be the "educated beach bum" in telling why the shore means so much to us all.

Along the way, we will keep you informed of our progress and plans. We will be setting up some specials. But for now, we only ask that you "Buy Me A Coffee" to launch the effort. Sit down and I will spin a yarn over a cup of coffee... I will meet you again tomorrow and I promise another... bring a friend. We can be found here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KeithRWahl

Anna C - Sunset ForwardSunset shot through the Block Island Ferry M/V Anna C passing on the evening run.

© Keith R Wahl, Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Keith R Wahl and Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.