Where The Honeysuckle Blooms ...

“What a pity flowers can utter no sound! A singing rose, a whispering violet, a murmuring honeysuckle – oh what a rare and exquisite miracle would these be!”

               ~ Henry Ward Beecher

                  ~ 1813-1877

 I love the heady perfume of Japanese Honeysuckle in bloom! I captured this shot in the late day sun of May at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

When the day draws to a close, the scent of honeysuckle joins with the natural chorus of spring peepers and the call of the whip-poor-will for spring perfection!

Japanese honeysuckle flowers are edible to humans and appreciated for their sweet-tasting nectar. The flowers can also be a significant source of food for deer, rabbits, hummingbirds, and other wildlife.

Sunset Blue ...

“Summertime is always the best of what might be.”

          ~ Charles Bowden

             ~ journalist

            ~ 1945-2014 

The light of a gorgeous summer sunset illuminates a Great Blue Heron perched atop a spillway at Hopewell Lake on a July evening at French Creek State Park, Elverson, Pennsylvania.

The 7,526 acre park straddles northern Chester County and southern Berks County along French Creek and is located in the Hopewell Big Woods.

Set amidst the old, quaint and picturesque farmland of southeast Pennsylvania, French Creek State Park offers two lakes – Hopewell and Scotts Run – extensive forests and almost 40 miles of hiking trails. Adjacent to the park lies Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site that features a cold-blast furnace restored to its 1830s appearance.

French Creek State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and its Bureau of State Parks as one of “25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks.”

Semper Fi ...

“Some people live their whole lives and wonder if they made a difference. Marines don’t have that problem.”

       ~ Ronald Reagan

        ~ 1911-2004

 ~ 40^th President of the United States of America

           ~ 1981-1989

An image from the United States Marines Graduation Ceremony of Delta Company at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island, South Carolina on the morning of October 28, 2016. Members of the band can be seen reflected in the tuba.

It was a stirring sight to see the ceremony

graduating Marines who will serve and defend the United States of America. Semper Fi!

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an 8,095-acre military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately five miles south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines. But this slice of paradise is nothing like the neighboring resorts of Kiawah or Hilton Head Island.

This is Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, where Marines are made.

Each year, 20,000 young men and women come to the base to endure one of the most rigorous and challenging military training programs in the world. It is a methodical and time-tested 12-week process with one single purpose — to create a hardened Marine prepared for combat. 

Made famous in the Stanley Kubrick film “Full Metal Jacket,” Parris Island has become an iconic symbol of America’s elite fighting force. Tens of thousands of people visit the base annually, lured by the mystique of the legendary Leatherneck.

Although access is limited, the public is welcome to take a self-guided tour of the 3,000-acre training center, play golf on the Legends of Parris Island, watch recruits train in non-restricted areas and visit the Parris Island Museum.

But it’s the Friday graduations — held 40 of 52 weeks each year — that draw most visitors to the island. Family and friends of graduating Marines are extended a special invitation to attend the formal ceremony and parade and participate in Family Day, held the Thursday before graduation.

Semper Fidelis is a Latin phrase that means “always faithful” or “always loyal.” It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, always in upper case and usually shortened to Semper Fi.