Monday, September 9, 2019

Young Doe Of Summer ...



“Dream no small dreams.”
  ~ Victor Hugo
   ~ 1802-1885
A sweet young white-tailed deer doe pauses to pose for a snapshot before running off into a beautiful early August evening at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.


Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Proud American ...


“If tomorrow all the things were gone
I worked for all my life
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife

I’d thank my lucky stars
To be living here today
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can’t take that away

And I’m proud to be an American
Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I’d gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea

From Detroit down to Houston
And New York to L.A.
Where’s the pride in every American heart
And it’s time we stand and say

That I’m proud to be an American
Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I’d gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

And I’m proud to be an American
Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I’d gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.”
  ~ “God Bless the U.S.A.”
  ~written & recorded by country music artist 
Lee Greenwood
     ~ 1984

“God Bless the U.S.A.” is an American patriotic song played at the 1984 Republican National Convention with President Ronald Reagan & First Lady Nancy Reagan in attendance, but gained greater prominence during the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991.

The popularity of the song rose sharply after the September 11, 2001 attacks and during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

A majestic American Bald Eagle is proudly perched in the shadow of the Kittatinny Ridge, also called Blue Mountain, in the late day summer sunlight along the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail) at Lehigh Gap, Slatington, Pennsylvania in the waning days of August.


The bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United States. The bald eagle appears on our nation’s seal. In the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation in the contiguous United States. Populations have since recovered and the species was removed from the U.S. government’s list of endangered species on July 12, 1995 and transferred to the list of threatened species. It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the lower 48 states on June 28, 2007.

The Lehigh Gap is a crossroads where the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s trails connect two historic trails – the Appalachian Trail and the D&L Trail.

The Appalachian Trail, a foot path, follows the ridge on both sides of the Lehigh Gap, running 1,245 miles south to Georgia and 930 miles north to Maine. Running from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, the D&L Trail passes through the Lehigh and Delaware rivers and their canals in Pennsylvania.