“Sure I wave the American flag. Do
you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I’m
not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be.”
~ John Wayne
~ 1907-1979
I created “Taste Of An American
Summer” by blending two of my images in an Americana tribute to our great
nation & summer, my most favorite of seasons.
I captured Old Glory billowing in
the breeze on a beautiful mid-July afternoon in 2019 along the Delaware and
Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail) that hugs the Kittatinny
Ridge at Lehigh Gap, Slatington, Pennsylvania. Many flags such as this
patriotically dot the trail, but this is the only time I’ve seen a Pabst Blue
Ribbon beer can there ~ drinking along the trail is not encouraged, but I
thought it made a cool photo. Pabst Blue Ribbon was founded in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin in 1844 & selected as America’s Best in 1893. And the can’s red,
white & blue theme meshes perfectly with the American Flag.
I spotted this cool Buick Skylark, which sported an Antiques Car license
plate, on an early June evening in 2022 at Lehigh Parkway, Allentown,
Pennsylvania. The Buick Skylark is a passenger car formerly produced by Buick.
The model was made in six production runs, during 46 years, over which the car’s
design varied dramatically due to changing technology, tastes, and new
standards implemented over the years. It was named for the species of bird
called skylark. Model years were 1953-1954, 1961-1972 and 1975-1998.
Together, these images paint an
image of an American summer.
In
the shadow of the Kittatinny Ridge, also called Blue Mountain, The Lehigh Gap
in Slatington, Pennsylvania, is a crossroads where the Lehigh Gap Nature
Center’s trails connect two historic trails – the Appalachian Trail and the
D&L Trail.
The
Appalachian Trail, a foot path, follows the ridge on both sides of the Lehigh
Gap, running 1,245 miles south to Georgia and 930 miles north to Maine. Running
from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, the D&L Trail passes through the Lehigh and
Delaware rivers and their canals in Pennsylvania.
I
just love this quote from John Wayne ~ the great, iconic American actor known
as “The Duke” ~ and thought it matched perfectly with the image, especially in
these times.
God
Bless America!
