In The Cold Spring Rain ...

“…I’ll go walking through

With the rain in my shoes

Searchin’ for you 

In the cold Kentucky rain …”

                    ~ “Kentucky Rain”

              ~ written by Eddie Rabbitt & Dick Heard

     ~ recorded by the great Elvis Presley

                                                ~ 1970

With a cold spring rain falling lightly on a chilly April afternoon, a man soaks in the quiet beauty as he walks in Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania in this artistic interpretation.

In The Pink Of Spring ...

“In the spring, at the end of the day,

you should smell like dirt.”

                           ~ Margaret Atwood

                                        ~ born 1939

I spotted this pink bicycle left near a tree at the Springhouse of Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania as sunset knocked on the door of a picturesque April day. No doubt the bike’s owner was off exploring the beauty of the outdoors … in the pink of spring.

The log cabin close to the bicycle 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.

Pennsylvania German Country ...

“It is not easy to walk alone in the country without musing upon something.”

                         ~ Charles Dickens

                            ~ 1812-1870 

                                  

This picturesque 19^th century barn is the cornerstone of this peaceful, rural winterscape in Egypt, Pennsylvania.

I shot this on the first day of spring, though the remaining snow from a late winter blizzard belied the season.

The barn is part of the historic 1756 Troxell-Steckel Farm Museum.

The Coplay Creek runs through this 31 acre property, which was once part of a 400 acre farm. The centerpiece of the property is a stone farmhouse, built in 1756. A spring house and the barn are also on the property. The farmhouse is an authentic Pennsylvania German farmhouse and offers an example of Lehigh County agricultural history. The Troxell-Steckel house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

It is the region’s only authentically complete Pennsylvania German farm house, resembling its medieval ancestors and giving a captivating glimpse of the area’s farm history.

The Pennsylvania German farmhouse was constructed in 1756 by John Peter Troxell, an immigrant from Germany in search of a better life. When the structure was built, twenty years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, this farm sat on the edge of wilderness. George Washington was only 24 years old, and America was ruled by the King of England. At the time, the house was reported to be the largest residence on the Pennsylvania frontier. The fortress-like masonry walls of this structure are more than two feet thick.

In 1768, John Peter Troxell sold this farm to Peter Steckel, another immigrant from Germany. Pennsylvania Germans were one of the largest immigrant groups in Eastern Pennsylvania. Their traditions enriched American culture.

As someone of Irish-German heritage, I love getting a glimpse into Pennsylvania German history in the area.

This historic site is owned and operated by the Lehigh County Historical Society and is open for seasonal tours and events.

The Troxell-Steckel Farm Museum may also be accessed from the Ironton Rail Trail, which loops more than nine miles through Whitehall Township, the Borough of Coplay and North Whitehall Township.