Tears On The Dogwood ...

Legend Of The Dogwood Tree

At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree. So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus’ cross.

To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood. While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in his compassion said, “Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross – two long and two short petals.

“In the center of the outer edge of each petal will be the print of nails. In the center of the flower, stained with blood, will be a crown of thorns so that all who see it will remember.”

Raindrops cascade like teardrops on blossoms of a beautiful pink dogwood tree on a May evening in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

 

New York Freedom ...

“We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter, and we will not fail. Peace and Freedom will prevail.”

           ~ George W. Bush

                 ~ born 1946

  ~ 43^rd President of the United States of America

                      ~ 2001-2009

Splashes of morning light on a perfect April day shine on One World Trade Center – The Freedom Tower – and the new Oculus sculpture that tops the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in Lower Manhattan, New York City, near the Memorial Pools.

One World Trade Center is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex. With 104 floors, it is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth tallest in the world. It opened November 3, 2014.

The Oculus sculpture – bringing to mind the bold, rising wings of freedom – is the creation of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Baby And Mama On The Range ...

“The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will …”

              ~ Theodore Roosevelt

                 ~ 1858-1919

             ~ Naturalist & Conservationist

          ~26^th President of the

                  United States of America

                        ~ 1901-1909

What a sweet baby bison, and the first I’ve ever photographed!

I captured this beautiful female American Bison calf with her mother on a late August evening three months after her birth at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, where bison live as a herd on the hillsides of the 1,100-acre preserve’s Central Range.

When the late General Harry C. Trexler established the preserve in the early 1900s, he did it to save the American bison, elk and white-tailed deer from extinction and assure the species’ survival.

A conservationist along the lines of Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, General Trexler understood the importance of nature and preserving wildlife in its natural habitat.

A successful businessman who amassed a fortune in the timber and cement industries and founded the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, General Trexler began purchasing small farms in the low hills of Lehigh County in 1906. By 1913, he had transported eight bison and 20 Virginia white-tailed deer to the preserve. The elk followed soon after.

When General Trexler died in 1933, he bequeathed the property to the residents of Lehigh County. Today, the Trexler Nature Preserve is open to the public for passive recreation and nature watching.

The American Bison was designated the first national mammal of the United States on May 9, 2016. The majestic bison joins the bald eagle as a national symbol.