April On The Delaware ...

"Roaring dreams take place in a 
perfectly silent mind.
Now that we know this,
throw the raft away."
                     ~ Jack Kerouac
                           ~ 1922-1969  

Whether your mind is harkening back to bygone Aprils or racing with hopes for the future, April on the Delaware River is a beautiful place to dream.

Whether you’re cruising in a speedboat or fishing – with your dog as first mate – on a small craft shaded by a green umbrella, sailing the river that straddles New Jersey and Pennsylvania offers a glorious vista.

It’s also a spectacular view from the Riverton-Belvidere Toll Supported Bridge, my vantage point when capturing this shot on a day teeming with the best of spring’s sun and warmth.

The bridge, which opened in 1904, links Belvidere, New Jersey and Riverton, Pennsylvania.

Belvidere, one of my very favorite places, is a charming Victorian town located on the banks of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers.

 

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.

    

The Christmas Wish ...

"For it is good to be children sometimes,

and never better than at Christmas,

when its mighty Founder was a child Himself."

                                            ~ Charles Dickens

                                                                 ~ 1812-1870

                                                                     ~"A Christmas Carol"

                                                          ~published December 19, 1843

Remember thinking about your Christmas wish list for Santa Claus?

This little girl's expression in this candid shot suggests she's doing just that as she rides

the Christmas Train - not to the North Pole, but through the rolling

Pennsylvania countryside.

Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves also

boarded the festive train in early December on the 

WK&S (Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern, Inc.) Railroad, Kempton, Pennsylvania.

The Hawk Mountain Line takes a scenic ride of six-and-a-half miles, on track

of the old Reading  Railroad, running along the Ontelaunee Creek, through

the farms and woods of Berks and Lehigh Counties.

 

 

Raining Retro ...

"There's a certain nostalgia and romance in a place you left."
                                   ~ author David Guterson, born 1956

Diners ... a favorite of locals and weary travelers, sharing their
joys and sorrows over a steaming cup of coffee. Diners are
a comforting haven, a slice of nostalgia to go with that slice
of cherry pie, especially on a rainy evening.

Here, the Hamilton Family Restaurant (known as the "Ham Fam"),
a '50s era landmark in the West End of Allentown, Pennsylvania, beams
it's retro neon welcome during a rainy September twilight. 

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 Sign Red No Skating ...

"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."
             ~ Emily Dickinson
                    ~1830-1886

Waxing nostalgic on a quiet winter's day
by the pond at Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.