Fire Frost ...

"It is the life of the crystal,
the architect of the flake,
the fire of the frost,
the soul of the sunbeam,
This crisp winter air is full of it."
                       ~ John Burroughs
                                    ~1837-1921
                             ~ "Winter Sunshine"
                                           ~ 1875

The fire of the frost and the soul of the sunbeam
kiss at sunset, painting a fiery frozen beauty
at one of the highest elevations at
Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville,
Pennsylvania.

This is my abstract view of a snowy scene I shot
soon after the historic January Blizzard of 2016.
In a winter shorn of snow until the blizzard,
the storm plonked 31 inches of snow on nearby
Allentown in a 24 hour period.  

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.

   

Flight Into Sunset ...

"Softly the evening came ..."

                                     ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

                                                                 ~ 1807-1882 

 

Canadian Geese fly into a fiery sunset as the evening softly

comes to Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania

on the first day of winter in December 2014.

Memories At Sunset ...

"Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind

Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine

Quiet thoughts come floating down

And settle softly to the ground

Like golden autumn leaves around my feet

I touched them and they burst apart with

sweet memories ..."

                 ~ "Memories"

  ~ recorded by the great Elvis Presley

                                                            ~ 1968 

 

          Swirling shades of an October sunset float around a beautiful white horse walking at the historic Hopewell Farm.

          

           The farm is part of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in southeastern Berks County near Elverson, Pennsylvania, an example of an American 19th century rural “iron plantation.” The buildings include a blast furnace, the ironmaster’s house and auxiliary structures including a blacksmith’s shop, a company store and several worker’s houses.


           Hopewell Furnace was founded in 1771 by ironmaster Mark Bird for whom Birdsboro was named. The site’s most prosperous time was during the 1820–1840 period with a brief boom in production during the American Civil War. In the mid-19th century changes in iron making, including a shift from charcoal to anthracite rendered smaller furnaces like Hopewell obsolete. The site discontinued operations in 1883.

        Today, Hopewell Furnace consists of 14 restored structures in the core historic area, 52 features on the List of Classified Structures, and a total of 848 mostly wooded acres. Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is located in the Hopewell Big Woods and surrounded by French Creek State Park on three sides and the State Game Lands to the south which preserves the lands the furnace utilized for its natural resources.

 

Jersey Autumntide ...

"Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees."

                 ~ author Faith Baldwin

                                 ~ 1893-1978

A beautiful pop of autumn color blazes brightly in the hilly terrain of historic Phillipsburg, New Jersey overlooking The Northampton Street Bridge as viewed from across the Delaware River in Easton, Pennsylvania at a November sunset.

The Northampton Street Bridge - commonly called The Free Bridge - that spans

the states was completed in 1896 and survived massive flooding from Hurricane Diane in 1955. It underwent a thorough restoration in 1990 and is one of my very favorite places to photograph.

 

                                              

 

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.
 

Saturday Night Lights ...

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset
or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands
in the worship of the creator."
                                                       ~ Mahatma Gandhi
                                                                           ~ 1869-1948

A stunning  summer sunset echoes and shimmers on a Saturday evening across
Leaser Lake in the shadow of the northern Blue Mountain Ridge,
New Tripoli, Pennsylvania.

The lake's namesake is 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. 

Wishes On Wings ...

"Hitch your wagon to a star."
                                      ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
                                                        ~ 1803-1882

Star kissed wishes of this sweet mourning dove
dance in the radiance of sunset on a beautiful
April evening at Cedar Creek Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Evening Kiss ...

"April love ...
Every star's a wishing star that shines for you,
April love is all the seven wonders,
One little kiss can tell you this is true."
                                                 
                    ~ "April Love"
~Theme song from the 1957 film "April Love"
              ~ Music by Sammy Fain,
                lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
                    ~ Recorded by Pat Boone

Sunset light kisses this beautiful breaking bud
on my favorite magnolia tree on a beautiful
April evening at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Red-Tail In The Sunset ...

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."                     
                       ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
                                     ~ 1803-1882

Regal red-tailed hawk peers from a high perch, his gaze looming over the landscape in search of prey at an April sunset at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

I'll Remember You ...

"I'll remember you ...
To your arms someday I'll return to stay...
Love me always, promise always
Oooh, you'll remember too,
I'll remember you."
                "I'll Remember You"
                   ~ written by Kui Lee, 1964
            ~ recorded by Elvis Presley, 1966

Flares of a December sunset over a field
in Orefield, Pennsylvania echo in my mind
like the beautiful song "I'll Remember You,"
written by Kui Lee in 1964 and recorded by
the great Elvis Presley in 1966. 

 

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. 

Great Blue Sunset ...

 

Great Blue Heron high in the trees
is awash in the glow of a summer sunset
at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Let The Sun Shine In ...

"This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius ...
Let the sun shine in
Open up your heart and let it
shine on in ..."
                       ~ "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In"
                                           ~ "Hair"
                                                     ~ 1967

When I saw these almost magical sunflares
just before sunset at Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania, I thought of the song
"Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In." I shot this
just a little while before the Supermoon in August. 

Silence Is Golden ...

"Silence is golden, but my eyes still see ..."
                                ~ "Silence Is Golden"
                                          ~ The Four Seasons
                                                                      1964

A man takes in the silent beauty of a summer
golden hour at Leaser Lake, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania. 
The lake's namesake is 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
to the north of the lake. 
 

                                                         

Flare For Life ...

"...A million tommorrows
shall all pass away
Ere I forget all the joy
that is mine today."
                       ~ "Today"
                                ~ Randy Sparks
                                    New Christy Minstrels
                                                             1964

A man paddles through a magical like
sunflare during a summer golden hour
at Leaser Lake, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania.
The lake's namesake is 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 to the north of the lake.

Splendor In The Spring Video ...

Ella Fitzgerald's "My One And Only Love" sets the jazzy backdrop
for the this celebration of the splendor that is spring showcased in 
my original nature photos. My greatest joy as a photographer is
harmonizing my favorite original photos to music to create
a lingering snapshot of the season.

Bridging Sunset ...

"Life is a train of moods like a string of beads; and as we pass through them they prove to be many colored lenses,
which paint the world their own hue, and each shows us only what lies in its own focus."
          ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 
                       ~1803-1882

Sunset hues begin to steal across the summer sky over Easton, Pennsylvania as viewed from across the Delaware River in Phillipsburg, New Jersey next to the historic Northampton Street Bridge, commonly called The Free Bridge.

The bridge that spans the states was completed in 1896 and survived damage from massive flooding from Hurricane Diane in 1955. It underwent a thorough restoration in 1990.

Here We Come ...

"Here we come ... we're the young generation,
and we've got something to say ..."
                          ~ "Theme from The Monkees"
                                                         ~1966

A whimsical view of two adorable white-tailed deer
fawns as they ran out of the thicket to greet a June
sunset just off the Ironton Rail Trail, North Whitehall
Township, Pennsylvania.

Age Of Innocence ...

Sweet and beautiful white-tailed deer fawn poses 
in a field just off the Ironton Rail Trail, North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
at sunset in June.