In The Early Morning Mist ...

"...There are pale yellow mornings, when the mist burns slowly into day,
the air stings like autumn ..."
                     ~ Robert Hass
                       ~ born 1941
   ~ Poet Laureate of the United States
                              ~    1995-1997


The mist rises poetically soon after sunrise on a brisk and beautiful October morning near the ford of the Jordan Creek, one of my very favorite places to be and to photograph, at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. 

The Autumn Painter ...

"Autumn paints in colors that summer has never seen."
                                                                        ~ Author Unknown

Brushstroke by brushstroke, a painter captures on canvas
the glorious autumn beauty God has painted this October
at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

I took this candid shot of the artist and her easel
nestled in a picturesque spot between the ford of the 
Jordan Creek and the pedestrian bridge at the preserve. 

The Fire Of September ...

"... Deep in December it's nice to remember
The fire of September that made us mellow
Deep in December our hearts should remember
And follow, follow, follow."
                                             ~ "Try To Remember"
                                                ~ from the 1960 musical
                                                            "The Fantasticks"

The fire of September suffuses across the waning summer sky,
painting a gorgeous sunset at Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.
 

Pop Go The Roses ...

"We try acting grown up but as a rule
We're all little children fresh from school ...
Keep them handy, flowers and candy
Roses and lollipops and lollipops and roses."

                                      ~ "Lollipops and Roses"
                                                                  ~composed by Tony Velona
                                                                       ~ recorded by Jack Jones
                                                                                             ~ 1962 

Yellow roses in the Allentown Rose Gardens bloom under
a bright rainbow Whirlypop lollipop in Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania in an Alice In Wonderland type way
on a summer day in this whimsical abstract inspired by the song
"Lollipops and Roses." Because aren't we all kids at heart?

Sunset Dreams In The Mist ...

"Suddenly a mist fell from my eyes
and I knew the way I had to take."
                               ~ Edvard Grieg
                                             ~ 1843-1907

The evening mist rises from the pond
as if to kiss the sunset sky on a steamy spring evening at 
Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Color Tide ...

"First the tide rushes in
Plants a kiss on the shore ...
So I rush to your side
Like the incoming tide ..."
                              
                                     ~ "Ebb Tide"
                                                      ~ Carl Sigman, lyricist
                                                      ~ Robert Maxwell, composer
                                                                              ~ 1953

The morning sun sweeps and swirls the colors of
October like a dream in a crest of the
Little Lehigh Creek, Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Sittin' On Top Of The World ...

"Such a feelin's comin' over me
There is wonder in most everything I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream...

I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world."

                                         ~ "Top Of The World"
                                                ~ recorded by The Carpenters
                                                                          ~ 1972

Take a seat on top of the world
and soak in the autumn vista
on a beautiful October day at
Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. 

                                   
 

Magnolia By Morning ...

"Despite the forecast, live like it's spring."
                                        ~ Lilly Pulitzer
                                                  ~ 1931-2013

The sunlight of an April morning whispers softly as a dream around the magnolia tree at my favorite spot at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

The Winter's Day ...

  "Land really is the best art."
                     ~ Andy Warhol
                            ~ 1928-1987

The day all winters dream to be paints itself around the Springhouse at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Icicles fringe the roof of the log cabin surrounded by a fresh March snowfall, blazing blue skies and bright sunshine.

It's one of my very favorite places to be and to photograph. 

The 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.



 

Maybe It's Maybellene ...

"Maybellene, why can't you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true?
...The Cadillac lookin' like it's sittin' still
And I caught Maybellene at the top of the hill."
                      
                                           ~ "Maybellene"
                                                              ~ 1955

Maybe it's Maybellene casting a flirty glance
as a summer day reflects in the eye of this
Volkswagen Beetle near a trail in 
Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania!

The Chuck Berry song "Maybellene" was adapted from the 
traditional fiddle tune "Ida Red" that tells the story of a 
hot rod race and a broken romance.  It is considered one of
the pioneering rock and roll singles.

The great Elvis Presley sang it live on "Louisiana Hayride" on 
August 20, 1955. 
                             

Bridge Over Frosted Water ...

 

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose,
if there were no winter in our year!"
                                                            ~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson
                                                                                          ~ 1823-1911
                                                                        from "April Days"
                                                                                             ~ 1861

The historic Geiger's Covered Bridge crosses the frosted waters

of the Jordan Creek, painting a scene of quiet beauty 
just before a winter sunset.

Geiger’s Covered Bridge is an historic wooden covered bridge in North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. It 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. It can be accessed from The Covered Bridge Trail of the Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

                       

Soliloquy With A Friend ...

"The language of friendship
is not words but meanings."
                                ~ Henry David Thoreau
                                                  ~ 1817-1862

A man and his dog enjoy friendship, solitude
and the crisp winter air while running on
the Covered Bridge Trail at Trexler Nature Preserve,
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. 

Retro Valentine ...

"Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help
falling in love with you."
           ~ "Can't Help Falling In Love"
                       ~ from Elvis Presley's 1961 movie "Blue Hawaii"

You can almost hear a nearby jukebox playing
the great Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love"
as you and your sweetie share a shake with two straws
in this Retro Valentine. 

Winterlude At Robin Hood Dell ...

"In art, the hand can never execute anything higher
than the heart can imagine."
                                           ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
                                                                1803-1882

Rays of the golden hour before a winter sunset
paint the tranquil, snow tinged waters of
the Little Lehigh Creek at Robin Hood Dell,
Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

A Child's Dream of Winter ...

"When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season,
I'll know I'm growing old."
                                   ~ Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson
                                                                 1912-2007

This brightly colored sled left behind by a child
shines like a beam of happiness after this season's
first significant snowfall on a November evening
at Trexler Memorial Park, Alletown, Pennsylvania,
a reminder to always see the season's first snowfall
with childlike wonder. 

Coloring The Jordan ...

"Keep your love of nature,  for that is the true way
to understand art and more."
                                                         ~ Vincent van Gogh
                                                                              ~ 1853-1890 

Brilliant autumn colors cascade into reflections
in the Jordan Creek as it meanders through
Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania
on a perfect October day. 

Once Upon A Time ...

"Once upon a time, the world was sweeter than we knew ...
But somehow once upon a time never comes again." 
           ~ "Once Upon A Time"
                   ~ Charles Strouse & Lee Adams
             from the 1962 musical "All American"

Harkening back to a simpler, sweeter time,
a beautiful October morning frames the historic beauty
of Rex's Covered Bridge, North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.
Though diminutive in size, it's well traveled in this
picturesque rural area where it crosses the Jordan Creek.

Rex's is a wooden, 150-foot-long Burr Truss bridge
constructed in 1858. It has narrow horizontal siding
and a gable roof. It was listed on the National Register
of Historic Places in 1980. 

Early Morning Postcard ...

"An early morning walk is a blessing
for the whole day."
             ~ Henry David Thoreau
                    ~ 1817-1862

The words of Thoreau seem to fill the air
just after sunrise on a chilly October morning at the historic Wehr's Covered Bridge, Orefield, Pennsylvania.

The Jordan Creek spills over Wehr's Dam, built in 1904, to flow beneath the covered bridge, creating a picturesque autumn postcard. 

Wehr's Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in South Whitehall Township.
It is a three span, 117-foot-long Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1841. It has horizontal siding and a gable roof. It crosses the Jordan Creek and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

Indian Summerset ...

"There is a harmony in autumn,
and a luster in its sky."
                                  ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley
                                                   ~ 1792-1822

I love Indian Summer and its harmony
of warmth and crispness. On this warm
October evening, God paints the sky
with a lustrous sunset at
Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

The Art Of Oktoberfest ...

A colorful and artistic view at this year's Oktoberfest
on Nineteenth Street in the quaint West End Theatre District,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.