Sunset Over Savannah ...

“Georgia, Georgia

The whole day through

Just an old sweet song

Keeps Georgia on my mind …”

      ~ “Georgia on My Mind”

     ~1930 song written by Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell and first recorded that year by Hoagy Carmichael. It has often been associated with Ray Charles a native of Georgia who recorded it for his 1960 album “The Genius Hits the Road.” In 1979, the State of Georgia designated Ray Charles’ version the official state song.

A beautiful late October sunset colors the southern sky over Savannah, Georgia ~ one of my very favorite cities ~ as viewed from my window seat on Delta Airlines. I snapped the view with my cell phone before landing at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Savannah and added background texture by Jai Johnson for artistic effect.

 

Doe In The Summer Wind ...

“The summer wind came blowin’ in …

It lingered there so warm and fair to

walk with me …”

         ~ “Summer Wind”

          ~best known for 1966 recording

                  by Frank Sinatra

The summer wind blows and billows around a sweet white-tailed deer doe on a beautiful late June evening in summer, my most favorite of seasons, then lingers there so warm and fair to walk with her at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania in this high-contrast monochrome shot.

 

And The Sun Dipped Over The Hill ...

“I climb mountains so I can see where the sun sleeps.”

                 ~ author unknown

A red hot sunset is the star of a late August evening in summer, my most favorite of seasons, as it dips behind the rolling hills surrounding the rooftop observation area of Trexler Environmental Center.

Located in the Central Range of Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, the center is at one of the preserve’s highest elevations and one of the spots that offer spectacular views at the 1,100 acre preserve.

Solar panels provide a significant portion of the energy needs of the building.

When the late General Harry Clay Trexler (1854-1933) 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.