Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Sweet Summer Morn ...


"Who made the mountains,
who made the trees
Who made the rivers flow to the sea
And who sends the rain when the earth is dry
Somebody bigger than you and I ..."

  ~ "Somebody Bigger Than You And I"
               ~ Written by Johnny Lange, Hy Heath & Sonny Burke

     ~ Recorded by the great Elvis Presley
                                             ~ 1967 
                                                                                                                 

God's handiwork creates a sweet and perfect summer morning at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

The serenity is palpable as an adorable beagle splashes near the ford of the Jordan Creek, the only other sound the chirping of birds.

This image paints why this is one of my very favorite places to be and to photograph, and epitomizes the words of my most favorite Gospel hymn, the beautiful "Somebody Bigger Than You and I," recorded by the great Elvis Presley in 1967. 

Thursday, August 6, 2015

The Winter's Dance Video ...



Stevie Wonder's beautiful and melancholy "All In Love Is Fair" sets
the mood for this reflection of winter showcased by my original photos.
My greatest joy as a photographer is harmonizing my favorite original
photos to music to create a lingering snapshot of the season. Enjoy!
Also on my YouTube channel at

  https://youtu.be/YeqEKF4HqVU

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Blue Moonshine ...



"Blue moon, blue moon, blue moon,
keep shining bright.
Blue moon, keep on shining bright,
You're gonna bring me back my baby tonight,
Blue moon, keep shining bright.

I said blue moon of Kentucky
keep on shining ..." 
                 ~ "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
             recorded by the great Elvis Presley
                                 ~ 1954

An artistic view of "Blue Moonshine" illuminating the summer sky over Cedar Creek Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania during the
Blue Moon of July 31, 2015.

A Blue Moon is defined as any time there is a second full moon in a calendar month, according to NASA. The next will occur January 2, 2018.

"Blue Moon of Kentucky" is the official Bluegrass song of Kentucky, written by Bill Monroe, "The Father of Bluegrass," in 1946.

The great Elvis Presley - an artist who occurs "once in a blue moon," - recorded
his fantastic rockabilly version in 1954.

                                        

                                           

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Lady In Waiting ...


"What the heart once owned and had, 
it shall never lose."
                                   ~ Henry Ward Beecher
                                                         ~ 1813-1887

Beautiful North American female cardinal waits for her true love - a
North American male cardinal fluttering nearby - to return to her side
a few weeks before Valentine's Day at Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Solvitur Ambulando: It Is Solved By Walking ...



The Latin phrase "Solvitur Ambulando" ~ "It Is Solved By Walking," seems
to capture the essence of the sight of a man walking during a winter sunset
at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Here, he is alone with his thoughts, hopes and dreams in the beautiful, peaceful quiet
that follows a snowfall.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) wrote in "Country Life" in 1857,
"It is the best of humanity, I think, that goes out to walk."

Monday, July 20, 2015

Pop Go The Roses ...




"We try acting grown up but as a rule
We're all little children fresh from school ...
Keep them handy, flowers and candy
Roses and lollipops and lollipops and roses."

                                      ~ "Lollipops and Roses"
                                                                  ~composed by Tony Velona
                                                                       ~ recorded by Jack Jones
                                                                                             ~ 1962 

Yellow roses in the Allentown Rose Gardens bloom under
a bright rainbow Whirlypop lollipop in Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania in an Alice In Wonderland type way
on a summer day in this whimsical abstract inspired by the song
"Lollipops and Roses." Because aren't we all kids at heart?

Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Last Teardrop ...


"And I know you think that I'll be ...
Crying you a river that winds and winds and winds
Oh but baby I'm down to my last teardrop this time."
                                                   ~ "Down To My Last Teardrop"
                                                                ~ Written by Paul Davis 
                                                                       ~ Recorded by Tanya Tucker
                                                                                                 ~ 1991

The last teardrop of a summer rain lingers on a beautiful
tiger lily on a June evening at 
Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

The Dance ...



"Ballet in the air ...
twin butterflies
until, twice white
they meet, they
mate."
                        ~ Matsuo Basho
                                      ~ 1644-1694
                                                    ~ Japanese Haiku

Mating white butterflies seem to do a delicate dance
alighted on a leaf along the Ironton Rail Trail,
Whitehall, Pennsylvania on a June evening.

Monday, July 13, 2015

First Mate ...


"People let me tell you 'bout my best friend ..."


                                         ~ "Best Friend"
                                           ~by Harry Nilsson
                                               ~ "Theme Song of The Courtship of Eddie's Father"
                                                                                      ~ 1969-1972

A man and his furry first mate set out in a small kayak
on a perfect summer day at Leaser Lake, 
in the shadow of the northern Blue Mountain Ridge,
New Tripoli, Pennsylvania. 
The sight of this man and his adorable dog - both in life jackets - 
brings to life the words of that iconic song, "Best Friend."

Leaser Lake's namesake is Frederick Leaser, who in September 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.


 

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Confetti Sky ...



"America ! America ! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
... America ....!"

                                                         ~"America The Beautiful"
                                                                 ~ 1910
                                                                ~ Lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates,
                                                                    Music composed by Samuel A. Ward

Festive fireworks festoon the summer sky like confetti
as if to say, "Bravo, America!" during the 2015 Fourth of July
Fireworks set off from J. Birney Crum Stadium,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

How wonderful it would be to have fireworks - and the fire of patriotism -
in our hearts every day!

As the fireworks ended I heard a little boy say "Bravo!"
I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Red Hots ...


"May the sun in his course visit no land more free,
more happy, more lovely than this our own country!"
                                                   ~ Daniel Webster
                                                                       ~ 1782-1852

Red hot fireworks paint the sweet fire of patriotism
in the summer sky during the 2015 Fourth of July
Fireworks set off from J. Birney Crum Stadium,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

How wonderful it would be to have fireworks - and the fire
of patriotism - in our hearts every day!

As the fireworks ended I heard a little boy say
"Bravo!" I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Bedazzling Freedom ...



"It is the love of country that has lighted and that keeps glowing
the holy fire of patriotism."
                                                   ~ J. Horace McFarland
                                                                               ~1859-1948

A burst of patriotic beauty fills the night sky
during the 2015 Fourth of July Fireworks set off from
J. Birney Crum Stadium, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

How wonderful it would be to have fireworks - and the
fire of patriotism - in our hearts every day! 

As the fireworks ended, I heard a little boy say "Bravo!"
I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Monday, June 29, 2015

Babe In The Woods ...


"In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous."
                   ~ Aristotle
                   ~ 385-322 B.C.

There are few sights sweeter than a young and innocent white-spotted fawn, such as this beautiful white-tailed deer fawn pausing from grazing in
the park on a June evening.

I've been blessed to photograph this
fawn's mama doe - who was closeby - and her fawns for more than three years and it's a true joy to me personally and as a photographer. 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Sunset Dreams In The Mist ...


"Suddenly a mist fell from my eyes
and I knew the way I had to take."
                               ~ Edvard Grieg
                                             ~ 1843-1907

The evening mist rises from the pond
as if to kiss the sunset sky on a steamy spring evening at 
Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Friday, June 19, 2015

Autumntide ...



Autumn is a beautiful season tinged with a sweet saddness, just as
the song "Softly, As I Leave You" performed by the legendary
Bobby Darin, which sets the mood showcased by my original photos.
My greatest joy as a photographer is harmonizing my favorite original
photos to music to create a lingering snapshot of the season. Enjoy!

Also on my YouTube channel at  
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=54&v=0OatqfUU4d0

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Shouldering The October Sky ...


"Quiet thoughts come floating down
And settle softly to the ground
Like golden autumn leaves around my feet
I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories ..."

                                                ~ "Memories"
                                                            ~ Recorded by the great
                                                                                 Elvis Presley
                                                                                          ~ 1968

A peaceful silence whispers of quiet thoughts and sweet memories 
at a place where the trees seem to shoulder the October sky
at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. 



                                                               

Monday, June 15, 2015

Color Tide ...


"First the tide rushes in
Plants a kiss on the shore ...
So I rush to your side
Like the incoming tide ..."
                              
                                     ~ "Ebb Tide"
                                                      ~ Carl Sigman, lyricist
                                                      ~ Robert Maxwell, composer
                                                                              ~ 1953

The morning sun sweeps and swirls the colors of
October like a dream in a crest of the
Little Lehigh Creek, Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Heron Of An Autumn Morn ...


"All good things are wild and free."
               ~ Henry David Thoreau
                              ~ 1817-1862

Great Blue Heron peers with a hunter's gaze perched in the sunshine and shadows of an autumn morning on the banks of the Little Lehigh Creek, Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Trimmed In Twilight ...


"Sweet memories of ... twilights trimmed in purple haze
And laughing eyes and simple ways
And quiet nights and gentle days with you
Memories, pressed between the pages of
my mind ..."

                       ~ "Memories"
                   ~ recorded by the great Elvis Presley
                                                                                                                    ~ 1968

Twilight trims the spring sky over Easton, Pennsylvania as viewed from across the Delaware River in Phillipsburg, New Jersey next to the historic Northampton Street Bridge, commonly called The Free Bridge.

The bridge that spans the states was completed in 1896 and survived massive flooding from Hurricane Diane in 1955. 

It underwent a thorough restoration in 1990 and is one of my very favorite places to photograph.

                                         

                

Monday, June 8, 2015

Love Flows Sweetly ...



"Sweet spring full of sweet days and roses,
a box where sweets compacted lie."
                                             ~ George Herbert
                                                             ~ 1593-1633

Sweet mallard ducklings swim close to their mama
as a June sunset kisses them with light on the pond
at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Spring At Geiger's Covered Bridge ...




"On the first warm day in May
I hope you'll come a-callin' ...
We'll climb the hill ...
where all is still ..."
                                    ~ "The First Warm Day In May"
                                                   ~ recorded by Rosemary Clooney
                                                                            ~ 1952

A sun dappled afternoon at Geiger's Covered Bridge is the perfect
place to spend the first warm day in May. This is one of my very favorite
places to be and to photograph. There's a simple beauty and tranquility here 
in the stillness and I love to capture that essence in my photography. 

Geiger's is an historic wooden covered bridge in North Whitehall Township,
Pennsylvania. It is a 112-foot-long Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1860.
It has vertical plank siding and an entry portal of stepped square planks.
It crosses the Jordan Creek and was listed on the National Register 
of Historic Places in 1980. It can be accessed from The Covered Bridge Trail
of Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Love Is All Around ...


"Love is all around me and so the feeling grows
It's written on the wind, it's everywhere I go ..."
                                 ~ "Love Is All Around"
                                          ~ Recorded by The Trogs, 1967

Adorable Canadian Geese goslings form a fuzzy ball of love
as they cuddle in the light of a May sunset at 
Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Spring By Heart ...


"It is spring again. The earth is like a child
that knows poems by heart."
                                            ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
                                                                ~ 1875-1926

A boy and his dad flying a colorful kite
in a sunkissed May breeze looks like
spring by heart at Trexler Memorial Park,
Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Starry Spring Dream ...



"Life is art, paint your dreams."
                                       ~ Author Unknown

An artistic, starry eyed view of water trickling over rocks on a beautiful spring day at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. 

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Freedom By The Morning Light ...


"This land will remain
the land of the free
Only so long as it is
the home of the brave."
                          ~ Elmer Davis
                                        ~ 1890-1958

May is the month we celebrate Armed Forces Day & Memorial Day, the perfect time to express deep gratitude to our nation's veterans. By your bravery and courage we remain the land of the free!

Here Old Glory waves proudly on a bright and breezy April morning at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Blossoming In The City ...


"Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit."
                                                       ~ Khalil Gibran
                                                                       ~ 1883-1931

Kwanzan Cherry Trees line the city with beauty in May
on North Ott Street near Cedar Creek Parkway,
Allentown, Pennsylvania.

There are 46 Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees in the vicinity.
The original trees date to the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Sittin' On Top Of The World ...



"Such a feelin's comin' over me
There is wonder in most everything I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream...

I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world."

                                         ~ "Top Of The World"
                                                ~ recorded by The Carpenters
                                                                          ~ 1972

Take a seat on top of the world
and soak in the autumn vista
on a beautiful October day at
Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. 

                                   
 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Moon Over Tiffany's ...



"Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way

Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting, round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me."
                                                                  ~ "Moon River"
                                                         ~composed by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer
                                                                     ~ "Breakfast At Tiffany's"
                                                                                                     ~ 1961

In this artistic, stardust moment, the full moon of May 3, 2015
rises over "Breakfast At Tiffany's" on the marquee of
The Nineteenth Street Theatre, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 
The Nineteenth Street/Civic Theatre is an historic community center that hosts
theatre, arts education and film. It is the oldest cinema in Allentown, opening
September 17, 1928. In July 1957, the property was purchased by Allentown's
Civic Little Theatre. It is located in the heart of the quaint 
West End Theatre District.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Magnolia By Morning ...


"Despite the forecast, live like it's spring."
                                        ~ Lilly Pulitzer
                                                  ~ 1931-2013

The sunlight of an April morning whispers softly as a dream around the magnolia tree at my favorite spot at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Monday, April 27, 2015

In The Fire Of Spring ...


"May this tenderness cling
When the fire of spring
Is a memory
May you still be my own
When a hundred years have flown ...
Love me tonight."
                                    ~ "Love Me Tonight"
       ~words & music by Don Robertson
         from the film "Fun In Acapulco"
         ~ recorded by the great
                           Elvis Presley, 1963

A beautiful blossom and breaking bud are in tandem in the fire of spring as the April sun sets on my favorite magnolia tree at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.