The Vanishing Winter ...

"Roll forth, my song,
like the rushing river."
                      ~ James Clarence Mangan
                                        ~ 1803-1849

Spring rushes its joyful song on the
Delaware River in Belvidere, New Jersey as
a seagull flies in the distance on a rare and warm February breeze.

Chunks of ice are the only trace of the 
vanishing winter in my abstract view of the
beautiful scene I shot standing on the Jersey side beneath the Riverton-Belvidere Toll Supported Bridge. 

The bridge, which opened in 1904, links
Belvidere, New Jersey and Riverton, Pennsylvania.

Belvidere, one of my very favorite places, is
a charming Victorian town located on the banks
of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers.     

 

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.  

Autumn Cascade ...

"The music of the far-away summer
flutters around the autumn 
seeking its former nest."
                       ~ Rabindranath Tagore
                                ~ 1861-1941

Autumn cascades like a capricious
melody over a small waterfall on the Pequest River on a picturesque Indian Summer day in 
Belvidere, New Jersey.

The Pequest - Native American for "open land," -
tumbles down to Belvidere in a series of falls,
where it meets the mighty Delaware River,
of which it is a tributary.

Belvidere, one of my very favorite places,
is a charming Victorian town on the banks
of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers.         

The Doe From Snowy Creek ...

"It is the sweet, simple things of
life which are the real ones after all."
                        ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
                                ~ 1867-1957

My favorite white-tailed deer doe
spots me on the bank and crosses the 
snowy creek to say hello as sunset draws near
on a winter's day in the park.

I've been blessed to photograph this doe
and her fawns since 2012, and it's a 
true joy to me personally and as a photographer.   

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.

   

January On The Jordan ...

"I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty
page and I could do anything I wanted."
                            ~ Jack Kerouac
                                ~ 1922-1969

The light of approaching sunset dances and glows on the icy waters of the Jordan Creek at
Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, 
Pennsylvania on a gorgeous winter day.

This view of the flowing creek speaks to
me of following your dreams, possibilities,
and the inspiriting words of Jack Kerouac.

I captured this scene 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.     
 

Frosting The Ford ...

"The color of springtime is in the flowers,
The color of winter is in the imagination."
                            ~ Ward Elliot Hour

Winter frosts the ford of the Jordan Creek,
one of my very favorite places to be and to 
photograph, at Trexler Nature Preserve,
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.  

This spot exudes such beauty in every season,
and when I'm there it echoes to me
Psalm 46:10 ~ "Be still, and know that 
I am God."

I shot this frosty scene near sunset 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.  

 

 

A Winter's Dusk ...

"In every winter's heart
there is a quivering spring,
And behind the veil of each
night there is a smiling dawn."
                             ~ Kahlil Gibran
                                         ~ 1883-1931 

A winter's dusk paints itself around the
Springhouse at Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania, one of my very
favorite places to be and to photograph.

I captured this high contrast monochrome shot 
a few days after the historic January 
Blizzard of 2016. In a winter shorn of snow until
the blizzard, the storm plonked 31 inches of snow
on Allentown in a 24 hour period.

This 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.