Nurturing Nature ...

Sweet white-tailed deer doe nurses her fawn, now a button buck, on an October evening in the park. Of all the deer photos I've snapped, this is the first time I've witnessed nursing.

I've been blessed to photograph this doe and her fawns for two and a half years, and it's a joy to me personally and as a photographer !

Mist Of The Autumn Morn ...

"I saw old autumn in
the misty morn
stand, shadowless like silence,
listening to silence."
                     ~ Thomas Hood
                                  ~ 1799-1845

There is something so very special about the early morning, the
serenity, the quiet beauty. This feeling of a fresh new day is palpable
as the mist rises just after sunrise on a beautiful, chilly October
morning at Wehr's Dam, Orefield, Pennsylvania.

The historic dam, awash with the waters of the Jordan Creek, was built in 1904 
and is the perfect complement  next to Wehr's Covered Bridge, built in 1841. 

Let Love Shine ...

"Bless the beasts and the children ...
give them love, let it shine 
all around them."
          ~ "Bless The Beasts and The Children"
                                   ~ 1971

I feel so blessed personally and as a photographer
to have witnessed this tender, precious moment as
this beautiful white-tailed deer doe nuzzles her sweet fawn on an October afternoon on the Saucon Rail Trail, Hellertown, Pennsylvania. 

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. 

Nostalgic Harvest ...

The sun-dappled porch of Wanamaker's General Store, 
Kempton, Pennsylvania says "Wilkum" (welcome) to
customers on an October afternoon.

The quaint Wanamaker's is an authentic, family owned
general store nestled in the heart of 
Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Wanamaker's has been welcoming friends, neighbors
and passersby since the late 1800's. 

The classic Pennsylvania Dutch Wilkum Home hex sign is
often seen on porches and other entry ways, extending a warm
and friendly welcome.

Tenderly ...

Beautiful white-tailed deer doe shares a tender moment
with her button buck on an October evening in the park.
I've been blessed to photograph this doe and her fawns
for two and a half years, and it's truly a joy to me
personally and as a photographer!

Red-Tailed Morning ...

Regal Red-Tailed Hawk surveys the landscape from a high perch on an October morning at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. This bird of prey is the most common hawk in North America.

X's & O's ...

"Life without love is like
a tree without blossoms or fruit."
                            ~ Khalil Gibran
                        ~   1883-1931

I saw these X's and O's - symbols of hugs and kisses - etched on a tree on an autumn afternoon at
Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 
just in time for Sweetest Day! 

Little Red Fox ...

"If you tame me, it would be as if 
the sun came to shine on my life."
                  ~ "The Little Prince"
                                ~ 1943
             Antoine de Saint-Exupery
                            ~ 1900-1944  
                          
Beautiful red fox pup peers out from behind the high grass on an October evening at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Red October ...

"All good things are wild and free."
                      ~ Henry David Thoreau
                                           ~ 1817-1862

A wild, free and beautiful red fox pup
peers out into an October evening
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.

On The Delaware ...

"Wrinkles should merely indicate
where smiles have been."
                               ~ Mark Twain
                                                ~ 1835-1910

When I saw this man fishing on 
the Delaware River in Phillipsburg, New Jersey
on an early September evening, I wondered from his
expression what thoughts and memories were
crossing his mind. The man was fishing near
the historic Northampton Street Bridge,
commonly called The Free Bridge, which spans the 
Delaware River between Phillipsburg, New Jersey
and Easton, Pennsylvania. The Free Bridge was completed in 1896 
and survived the damage from massive flooding from
Hurricane Diane in 1955. It undersent a thorough
restoration in 1990. 

Mr. Chips ...

This adorable chipmunk poses on a sunny September day at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

Perched At Wehr's Dam ...

This Great Blue Heron may well be contemplating how fast the summer flew by while perched at the historic Wehr's Dam on a late September afternoon.

The dam, built in 1904, is next to Wehr's Covered Bridge, which dates back to 1841, at Covered Bridge Park, Orefield, Pennsylvania.

A Hint Of Shangri-La ...

"Your kisses take me to
Shangri-la ...
A land of bluebirds and fountains ...
For anywhere you are is Shangri-La."
                                    ~ "Shangri-La"
                                           ~ Carl Sigman, Matty Malneck and Robert Maxwell
                                                                   1946 
            


With the Jordan Creek gently flowing under a sparkling 
September sun, it seems like Shangri-La on a late summer
afternoon at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.
The historic Schlicher Covered Bridge is in the background.
It is a wooden, 108-foot-long Burr Truss Bridge constructed in 1882.
It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It recently reopened
after needed restorations.

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.

The Summer Wanes ...

"The summer knows ...
one last caress
it's time to dress for fall ..."
      ~ "The Summer Knows,"
           Theme from "Summer of '42"
                ~ Michael Legrand, 1971

Bright pails, a melancholy mood ...
A few autumn leaves scatter around pails
left behind by children catching tadpoles
in the Jordan Creek at Trexler Nature Preserve,
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.
On this September afternoon it reminded me
the waning summer will soon give way to fall.

Bridging Twilight ...

"Twilight drops her curtain down and pins it with a star."
            ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery
                   ~ 1874-1942                                                              
Twilight begins to steal across the waning summer sky like a painter of dreams 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, and is one of my very favorite places to photograph.
 

Sweet Dreams Of Youth ...

 

"Dream no small dreams ..."
                                     ~ Victor Hugo
                                                          ~ 1802-1885

This sweet white-tailed deer fawn will grow to be
a proud buck one day. But on this August evening
grazing in the park he had only to dream of what will be.

I've been blessed to photograph this fawn's mother doe
and her fawns for more than two years, and it's a true joy
for me personally and as a photographer. 

A Country Red ...

  

 

"In summer, the song sings itself."
                                      ~ William Carlos Williams
                                                    1883-1963

Geiger's Covered Bridge paints a pop of red 
to the country landscape in North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
 on a picturesque summer day.

The bridge is an historic wooden covered bridge. 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.

 

A Simple Peace ...

"I found the poems in the field
and only wrote them down."
                             ~ John Clare
                                          ~ 1793-1864

The words of the English poet John Clare came to life
to me when I photographed this scene just before sunset. It
was a waning summer evening just off the Ironton Rail Trail, 
Whitehall, Pennsylvania, with the chirp of crickets and the 
soft coo of a mourning dove the only sounds filling the air ...
a simple peace and a beautiful reminder to me of why
I love nature photography. 

A Fair Night ...

This little tyke in a stroller has the best seat in the house
to navigate the crowded midway one evening this week at 
the 162nd Great Allentown Fair, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Neon Spin ...

"Colors must fit together as pieces in a puzzle
or cogs in a wheel."
                                       ~ Hans Hofmann
                                                       1880-1966

The ferris wheel lights up a summer night with spinning neon this week
at the 162nd Great Allentown Fair, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

The Eyes Of Love ...

Beautiful white-tailed deer doe casts a watchful, loving
eye on her fawn. Someday this sweet fawn will be
a proud buck, but on this late summer evening in
the park he was happy grazing with his mother.

I've been blessed to photograph this doe and
her fawns for more than two years, and it's a 
real joy!

A Summer Place ...

"There's a summer place ..."
           ~ "Theme From A Summer Place"
                                      ~   1959                                          

You can almost hear the strains of "Theme From A Summer Place" on a perfect August evening at Manassas Guth Covered Bridge, South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.

The historic wooden bridge that crosses the Jordan Creek was constructed in 1858 and rebuilt in 1882. It is a 108-foot long Burr Truss bridge with vertical siding. It was placed on the  National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

Fawn In The Waning Summer ...

This beautiful white-tailed deer fawn will one day 
be a proud buck, but now he enjoys a waning
summer evening in the park.
I've been blessed to photography this fawn's 
mama doe and her fawns for more than two years, 
and it's a joy!

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. 

Ford Every Stream ...

"Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream ...
Till you find your dream."
                  ~ "Climb Every Mountain"
                                       ~ "The Sound of Music"
                                                 ~ Rodgers & Hammerstein, 1959

Even the family dog seems to enjoy the summer morning ride to 
Ford the Jordan Creek at Trexler Nature Preserve,
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.  
For more than 50 years kids and kids at heart have
enjoyed driving through the creek. 

What, No Tadpoles?

The simple joys that make a child's summer magical are 
captured as this girl tries to catch tadpoles in the Jordan Creek on a summer afternoon
at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.