Long As I'm Singin' My Song ...

 

“As long as I’m singin’

Then the world’s all right

And everything’s swingin’

Long as I’m singin’ my song

 

Ummmm…makin’ music

Is more to me than a pleasure

‘cause me and music

We go together like notes in a measure

 

Long as I’m singin’

Then the world’s all right

And everything’s swingin’

Long as I’m singin’ my…

 

Long as I’m singin’ my …

Long as I’m singin’ my song.”

          ~ “As Long As I’m Singing”

       ~ written & recorded by the wonderful

                       Bobby Darin

                         ~ 1964

A beautiful red male North American Cardinal sings his song from a very high perch on an April evening along the Ironton Rail Trail, which loops more than nine miles through Whitehall Township, the Borough of Coplay and North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.

The cardinal is one of the most recognizable and beloved songbirds in North America, known for its vibrant red plumage and distinctive crest. They are known for being territorial songbirds, with males often singing from high perches to mark their territory.

This cardinal is likely singing to attract a mate, which is one of its primary reasons for vocalizing.

The Ironton Railroad was a shortline railroad in Lehigh County. Originally built in 1861 to haul iron ore and limestone to blast furnaces along the Lehigh River, traffic later shifted to carrying Portland Cement when local iron mining declined in the early 20^th century. Much of the railroad had already been abandoned when it became part of Conrail in 1976, and the last of its trackage was removed in 1984.

 

In 1996, Whitehall Township purchased 9.2 miles of the right-of-way from Conrail, transforming it into the Ironton Rail Trail.

 

Ridin' With The Bluebells ...

 “There is a silent eloquence in every wild bluebell

That fills my softened heart with bliss

That words could never tell…”

          ~ Anne Bronte

             ~ 1820 ~ 1849

         ~ “The Bluebell”

          ~ poem published in 1846 which highlights the emotional impact of nature, where the flower evokes nostalgic, bittersweet memories of childhood and happier times

 

A little girl rides her bicycle in the light of a soft spring morning amidst the beguiling bluebells blooming in early April near the banks of the Swabia Creek at Lock Ridge Park and Furnace Museum, Alburtis, Pennsylvania in this candid image.

The blooming of the multitude of Lock Ridge bluebells – also called grape hyacinth – is a clarion call of spring in the Lehigh Valley, drawing many people to photograph and glimpse their beauty in the span of the few weeks they bloom.

Lock Ridge Park is a park built around an historic iron ore blast furnace just outside Alburtis. The park preserves portions of the former Lock Ridge Iron Works, which dates back to 1868. The 59-acre park was opened in August 1976.

 

Cube & Thread's Pop Of Red ...

 “The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.”

                     ~ Alberto Giacometti

                             ~ 1901 ~ 1966

                           ~Swiss sculptor

The Cube And Thread brings a bold pop of red to Cedar Creek Parkway, Allentown, Pennsylvania on a beautiful late May afternoon.

The public sculpture was created by artist Paul Sisko in 1977 and gifted to the city by the late philanthropists Phil (1915 ~ 1997) and Muriel (died 2004) Berman. Phil Berman was the retired owner of the iconic Hess’s Department Store, which he acquired in 1968 and had been headquartered in Allentown.

The Bermans were American art collectors, philanthropists and the founders of the Berman Art Museum at Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Phil’s alma mater.   Phil was the chairman of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Muriel was an honorary member of the board. They endowed many Jewish charities including Hadassah as well as funding the “Philip and Muriel Berman Sculpture Park” in Allentown.

The sculpture is an 11’ x 13.5 ‘ steel and stainless steel piece featuring a large cube with a screw-like element extending from one side. It was restored in 2025 by the Heritage Conservation Collective of Philly. Initially painted red, the sculpture had become rusted and decayed. The restoration involved refinishing the piece and bringing it back to its original vibrancy.

The Merry Month Of May ...

“Childhood memories are like fireflies – small, fleeting, but they light up the darkest nights.”

           ~ often attributed to Rabindranath Tagore

                             ~ 1861 ~ 1941

A trio of young girls make happy childhood memories searching for tadpoles in the waters of the Jordan Creek that are about to spill over Wehr’s Dam, built in 1904, on a beautiful late May afternoon at Covered Bridge Park, Orefield, Pennsylvania.

          

To See A Mockingbird ...

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy …”

      ~ “To Kill a Mockingbird”

        ~ Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee

              ~ 1960

A Northern Mockingbird ~ the first I’ve ever photographed ~ keeps an eye on spring perched in the grass enjoying a late March afternoon at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

According to All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Northern Mockingbirds continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life.