Morning On The Delaware ...

 “Let us cross over the river, and rest in the shade of the trees.”

   ~ Stonewall Jackson

   ~ 1824 ~ 1863

The last words of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, who served as a Confederate general (1861-1863) during the Civil War, and became arguably the best-known Confederate commander after General Robert E. Lee. Jackson played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the Eastern Theater of the war until his death, and had an important part in winning many significant battles.

 

The serenity of a beautiful mid-October morning reflects in the Delaware River, showcasing autumn’s splendor in this shot I captured overlooking the river that straddles New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

This view was from the Riverton-Belvidere Toll Supported Bridge, my vantage point on this picture perfect morning.

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

A Delaware River Town, Belvidere, one of my very favorite places, was established April 7, 1845 and is a charming Victorian town located on the banks of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers. The town’s name means “beautiful to see” in Italian.

Riverton is part of Pennsylvania’s Slate Belt.

October Road ...

“…Let the sun run down right behind the hill,

I know how to stand there still till the moon rise up

right behind the pine, oh, Lord, October road …

Sweet call of the countryside …”

              ~ “October Road”

       ~ written & recorded by James Taylor

                 ~ 2002

With the warmth of summer lingering in the air, the light of a looming early October sunset follows a Jeep through the rolling hillsides on Game Preserve Road on a beautiful autumn evening at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

 

Stand Tall ...

“… I know that things are different than they were in Daddy’s days

But I still believe what makes a man really hasn’t changed

You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything

You’ve got to be your own man, not a puppet on a string

Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name

You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything …”

           ~ “You’ve Got to Stand for Something”

     ~ co-written & recorded by American country music singer Aaron Tippin, 1990

         ~ also recorded by Charley Pride, 1992

A groundhog stands tall and takes in the beauty of spring on a late May evening at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

 

Apple Of The Yearling's Eye ...

“Happily we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures.”

              ~ Henry David Thoreau

                 ~ 1817 ~ 1862

A beautiful white-tailed deer yearling ~ who has recently lost the velvet on his antlers ~ eyes the apple I tossed him, which he then enjoyed eating under the evening sun on a warm late September day at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.