October Fire ...

“Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.”
               ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

                     ~ 1803~1882

The fiery sunset of October 2, 2021 sweeps across the vast sky on a beautiful autumn evening at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

 

A Flare For Leaser Lake ...

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine ~ & shadows will fall behind you.”

                         ~ Walt Whitman

                          ~ 1819-1892

The golden hour certainly has a flare for Leaser Lake as kayakers at left blend into the silhouetted beauty and sunflares on the lake in summer, my most favorite of seasons, while a gorgeous late August sunset colors the lake with golden hues in the shadow of the northern Blue Mountain Ridge, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania.

Leaser Lake’s namesake is Frederick Leaser, an American patriot who in September 1777 with his farm team hauled The Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown where it was concealed in Zion Reformed Church for protection during the Revolutionary War. His homestead is located one mile north of the lake.

Leaser Lake was built by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for water-oriented recreation and opened for public use in 1971. Lehigh County leases this area from the state and operates and maintains the park. The land north of the lake was purchased by the county in the early 1970s. It is entirely wooded and is used for nature study and as an addition to the State Game Lands No. 217.

 

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.