Winterset ...

"One day I will find the right words,
and they will be simple."
                                   ~ Jack Kerouac
                                          ~ 1922-1969

A simple and serene sunset splendor
shimmers across a frozen Leaser Lake
in the shadow of the northern
Blue Mountain Ridge, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania.

I shot this high contrast monochrome capture
in early February, as a quiet beauty
filled the chilly air. 

The lake's namesake is Frederick Leaser, who in Sept 1777 with his farm team hauled The Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown where it was concealed in Zion Reformed Church. His homestead is located one mile north of the lake.

   

A Winter's Dusk ...

"In every winter's heart
there is a quivering spring,
And behind the veil of each
night there is a smiling dawn."
                             ~ Kahlil Gibran
                                         ~ 1883-1931 

A winter's dusk paints itself around the
Springhouse at Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania, one of my very
favorite places to be and to photograph.

I captured this high contrast monochrome shot 
a few days after the historic January 
Blizzard of 2016. In a winter shorn of snow until
the blizzard, the storm plonked 31 inches of snow
on Allentown in a 24 hour period.

This log cabin was part of Springhouse, the summer home of General Harry C. Trexler (1854-1933), an American industrialist who built a business empire in Allentown. The park is his namesake.

    

Morning Reverie ...

"Flowing water is at once a picture and a music,
which causes to flow at the same time from my brain,
like a limpid and murmuring rivulet, sweet thoughts,
charming reveries, and melancholy remembrances."
                                                ~ Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr
                                                                ~ 1808-1890

The waters of the Monocacy Creek spill like memories between the 
morning sun and shadows dancing on the dam - commonly called 
Monocacy Falls - on a beautiful October day at Monocacy Park,
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in this high contrast monochrome shot.

A Fair To Remember...

"Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it."
                                                  ~ L.M. Montgomery
                                                                        ~ 1874-1942

Sometimes life whirls by so fast it's a bit of a blur,
so it's good to remember the simple joys, like going to the fair
on a sweet summer night.

This high contrast monochrome shot captures the ferris wheel
spinning on the September opening of the 163rd Great Allentown Fair,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Moon Over Tiffany's ...

"Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way

Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting, round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me."
                                                                  ~ "Moon River"
                                                         ~composed by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer
                                                                     ~ "Breakfast At Tiffany's"
                                                                                                     ~ 1961

In this artistic, stardust moment, the full moon of May 3, 2015
rises over "Breakfast At Tiffany's" on the marquee of
The Nineteenth Street Theatre, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 
The Nineteenth Street/Civic Theatre is an historic community center that hosts
theatre, arts education and film. It is the oldest cinema in Allentown, opening
September 17, 1928. In July 1957, the property was purchased by Allentown's
Civic Little Theatre. It is located in the heart of the quaint 
West End Theatre District.

The Art Of Nostalgia ...

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."
                                                  ~ Cesare Pavese
                                                                 ~ 1908-1950

Afternoon shadows of the early spring dance
tranquilly in the April sunlight at Schlicher Covered Bridge,
an historic wooden covered bridge in North Whitehall Township,
Pennsylvania. Schlicher's is a 108-foot-long, Burr Truss bridge 
that crosses the Jordan Creek and was constructed in 1882.
It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It recently reopened
after needed renovations. 

Path To Remembrance...

"When it hurts to look back,
And you are afraid to look forward,
Look beside you ...
I will be there."
                             ~ Anonymous

Sentimental thoughts swirl amidst
a fresh March snowfall on my favorite path
at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

The Frosting ...

"Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art."
              ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
                          ~ 1803-1882

In the shadow of the northern Blue Mountain Ridge, a frosted, frozen
and snow covered Leaser Lake glistens with winter's artistry. 
I really enjoyed being able to actually walk on the lake and take photos!

The lake in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania is named for Frederick Leaser, who in September 1777 with his farm team hauled The Liberty Bell from 
Philadelphia to Allentown where it was concealed in Zion Reformed Church.

His homestead is located one mile north of the lake. 

Sweet Memories ...

"Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind,
Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine ...
Laughing eyes and simple ways
And quiet nights and gentle days with you.
Memories, memories, sweet memories."
                                                                     ~ "Memories" 
                                                                          ~ recorded by the great
                                                                                   Elvis Presley, 1968

                                             

 Geiger's Covered Bridge evokes sweet nostalgia on a summer morning
in North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. The bridge is a 112-foot-long
Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1860. It has vertical plank siding and an
entry portal of stepped square planks. It crosses the Jordan Creek and
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The  bridge can be accessed from The Covered Bridge Trail
at the Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.