Nazareth, PA

All you bird watchers out there! (Or even if you're not and want to be outdoors.) Jacobsburg State Park in Bushkill Township, just a few miles outside of Nazareth, has something just for you.

On Saturday, February 28th, 2009, starting at 8AM, the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center in Bushkill Township is holding its first Bushkill Watershed Winter Bird Count. Anyone interested can volunteer their time to help get a snapshot of birds wintering in the watershed.

Afterwards, all will gather for food, tally the birds and discuss future projects, plus meet fellow volunteers.

This event will kick off the "Friends of Jacobsburg" volunteer program and will also spotlight the Two Rivers Birding and Natural History Trail.

All volunteering should come dressed for the weather, bring lunch, warm beverages and binoculars.

This event is sponsored by the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources/Lehigh Valley Greenways and Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center.

You may register with Rick Wiltraut if interested at rwiltraut@state.pa.us Registration is required.

Sounds like it will be fun if you enjoy nature.

I went out for a walk at lunch time without a jacket and was quite comfortable. I was not cold at all. Plus, I have the windows open in my house. It feels great! And this is the middle of winter.

Those of you that know me are probably saying at this point "How can that be? She does not live in Florida or Hawaii. She lives in the northeastern part of the country, namely Pennsylvania."

Today is February 11th and it is 69 degrees in Nazareth, PA. Yes, you heard right. 69 degrees in the middle of February. That is highly unusual for central eastern Pennsylvania for this time of year. Normally the high temperature outside is in the 30's in February.

Just this past weekend I went for a short hike in Jacobsburg State Park and the trails were ice and snow covered. (I forgot to take my camera with me for photos.) The Bushkill Creek, which runs through Jacobsburg, even had a layer of ice on it. The scenery was absolutely beautiful.

I now have spring fever with this nice warm weather. If the footing were better, I would probably be out riding my horse now. We still have patches of snow and ice and where it has melted is nothing but wet and mud. Definitely not good for riding.

Unfortunately this is short lived. A cold front is coming in tonight. Tomorrow it will be in the high 40's and windy, then back down into the 30's for highs.

I am certainly ready for spring now. Can't wait to get back into the hiking and horseback riding the trails.

The Indian Tower is located on the outskirts of Nazareth, PA.

The Indian Tower sits at the highest point of the original 5,000 acres in Nazareth. The original structure was a pavilion called "the Summer House" built in 1867 by John Jordan, Jr. He later donated $200 to the Moravian Historical Society to replace the pavilion with the present-day tower, which was completed in 1916. The Indian Tower is commonly thought to have been used as a lookout for hostile Indians. In actuality, the Indians had been removed from Pennsylvania long before the tower was built, and it received it's name because of the Indian Graveyard it overlooks. This tower has been used for many purposes over the years: as a Civil Defense Lookout in WWII, as a repeater station for emergency services, and always to rest and reflect.

You can see most of the Lehigh Valley from the Indian Tower.

The reason it is called the Indian Tower is because it is built in the Indian Graveyard. This is the sight of Nazareth's first Moravian graveyard, called "God's Acre", in use from 1744 to 1762. Erroneously thought to be the burial ground of the Indians from the nearby village of Welagamika, there are actually only 4 Indians buried here. Robert Haas created this American marble monument, dedicated by the Moravian Historical Society in 1867, at the same time the original pavilion was constructed. This monument is inscribed with the names of the 67 Moravians, including the 4 Indians, who are buried here.

Here is a view from the Indian Tower of the Indian Graveyard.

On a summer day, at the top of the Indian Tower, the summer breezes keep you nice and cool. A great place to relax. Sometimes I go there to think and get away from the stress. On the 4th of July it is a great place to watch the fireworks all around the valley.