My Daily Photo Walk: 2013

Monday, September 2, 2013

Day 365 - A Celebration Walk in Downtown Frederick

(Click any photo to enlarge it.)

This bud's for you!

What a great last day's walk it was. Surrounded by family and friends, my walk today started off with a meeting in front of LaPaz Restaurant, where I handed out maps with various themes marked with colored dots. Off we went on whatever way each chose to walk downtown; some decided to photograph the beautiful water lilies and lotus now in bloom on Carroll Creek; others went to find iron dogs; some walked the history route; my friend Karen and I went to find the Clustered Spires. I regret that I did not think to get a group shot of everyone.

A different view of Evangelical Lutheran

The day was hot and humid, but everyone returned to the restaurant at 11:30 for a lunch and a slide presentation of some of my favorite shots from this year. I spoke to the assembled group, telling them how this year long project began as "all about me," but that it quickly morphed into "all about my readers."

As comments and feedback started coming in from readers, I realized the impact that my daily walks were having on others, as well as on me. Readers who had moved away from Maryland were recognizing the places I was sharing, and they would write to tell me of their memories. A dear friend who lives three hours away from me said that checking on my walks was the highlight of her day, since we only see each other a few times a year. Another reader who was housebound for most of the winter told me she enjoyed "going out" virtually with me on my walks. One man in my camera club told me he has now added to his trip list at least 30 places he needs to visit, thanks to my walks.

Peace be with you!

Compromise on a brick wall.

I fell in love with where I live, and with my beautiful state of Maryland. There is so much to see and to do, if one only takes the time to do it. I became an advocate for small towns, many of which are struggling economically. I always tried to put a positive spin on the places I visited, even though it might have been sad to see the decline in some of the old towns. But regardless where I walked, there was always something interesting to photograph.

There IS a fifth dog, and I found it!
Thank you, Sherry, for chatting
at the fence with the owner.
I came to see what you were
up to and found the dog!

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with me today. I look forward to seeing your photos, and we will be sharing them at this site: Frederick Day 365. Give my friends a few days to get their photos posted; some may not be as speedy as I am. I have streamlined a process that I will be sharing in my future book.

It's with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat that I am closing out this blog. My blogging routine is taking a brief hiatus. It will be resurrected in a new blog, "Life Through My Lens." I'll be sharing more than photo walks, but there will be a fair number of those, too. As one reader told me, he'll miss my "musings and edifications." Don't worry, Doug...I still have plenty of musings and edifications to share. Once a teacher, always a teacher. Once a photo blogger, always a photo blogger.

Thanks for coming along on my journey. The best is yet to come.

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Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com

Follow me on Twitter: @camscamerashots

Email: cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Day 364 - Black Hills Regional Park

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Stripey Guy

Backlit Thistle

Monarchs have been in short supply this year. On my walks I have seen hundreds of yellow and black swallowtails, but until today, only two monarchs. There has been a decline in their population this year, and experts speculate that it is due to changing weather patterns and over development, which deprives monarchs of the only plant upon which they lay their eggs: the common milkweed. Another theory is that the planting of GMO corn in the Midwest has led to greater use of herbicides, which also kills milkweed. Either way, the beautiful orange butterfly is in trouble.

Tagged Monarch at Black Hills

Colorful Kayaks

I drove today to Black Hills Regional Park in Montgomery County, because they were having a monarch butterfly weekend. Inside the visitor center they had plastic "environments" for butterflies, in which a number of monarchs had emerged from their chrysalises. They released about thirty of them yesterday, after tagging their wings with little stickers that can be used to track how far they have flown if they are found. I was lucky enough to get one clear enough to read. More information can be found at Monarch Watch.

One More Day!

After leaving the butterfly garden, I walked along a portion of the lake. The park was packed with people on this holiday weekend. It was hot and sunny, and under any available shade people had set up picnics. Families were playing ball, fishing, or going for a walk. Lots of people were renting kayaks and rowboats to use out on the lake.

Dragonfly in the Visitor Center

After I left the park, I headed straight for Damascus to get a Jimmie Cone. I can blame this completely on a group of young people who walked through the butterfly garden while I was there. They were debating the merits of Jimmie Cones versus soft serve from McDonalds. One of the young men said there was no difference. Ah, but there is. If I remember correctly, most soft serve ice cream is low in butterfat, but Jimmie Cone has one of the highest butterfat contents around. It's that butterfat that gives Jimmie Cones a luscious "mouth feel." I can affirm that it is good.

Tomorrow is the big day. I'm ready. Bring it on!

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Forward me by email any receipt for an online donation made to the Red Cross for disaster relief, and I will send you a 5x7 print of your choice from any of my daily photo walks or from my website. Offer good until September 2, 2013.

Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
Follow me on Twitter: @camscamerashots
Email: cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Day 363 - Wining Down the Days

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Almost ready for harvest

The Tasting Room

Oops! Did I leave the "d" out of the title of today's entry? I think not! As I sip my glass of Viognier from Black Ankle, I am both "wining" and "winding" down the days. Ah, but I certainly am not doing any whining.

On this nice Sunday afternoon, I decided to once again visit my favorite winery, Black Ankle. I have walked there in the winter and in the spring, but today I needed to pick up my wine allotment anyway, so I knocked on my neighbor's door and asked Mary Alice to come with me.

Wearing Fall Colors

Sisters with Mom

This was Mary Alice's first visit to Black Ankle. She lived on the Shore for many years, on the other side of Salisbury from me, but we did not know each other until she moved here a year ago. We walked down the lane to the barn area where the barrels of wines are stored, saying hello to the fellows at the drinking trough. Next we walked up the hills among the vines, admiring how fat and purple the grapes are looking.

Hangin' with the guys.

We continued our walk around the vines, then back down to the tasting room, where we admired the stucco walls, the stone fireplace, the grapevine/resin countertops, and the racks of bottles. A hostess led us to an outside tasting room, where we tasted four wines today. Mary Alice is partial to the reds; I love them all.

The original farm; barrels age in the center barn.

It was a pleasant afternoon walk at Black Ankle, and I was happy to introduce Mary Alice to not only my favorite local wines, but to one my favorite places to walk, regardless of the season.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so

Friday, August 30, 2013

Day 362 - Maryland State Fair

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Tail Grooming

The Midway

My friend Gary suggested about a week ago that we go for a photo walk at the Maryland State Fair. Ever since he said that, the song from the musical "State Fair" has been running through my head: "Our State Fair is a great state fair...it's the best state fair in the state." Today I met Gary and his wife Karen to check it out.

I had never been to the state fair before, for a variety of reasons. First of all, it is held after school has started. Second, I lived three hours away from it until recently. So, capping off my year of photo walking by doing a walk at the state fair sounded like a great idea.

Sewing Competition

Olivia Reid

We entered the fairgrounds near the Cow Palace. Heifer judging was going on inside, and it was great to see how the handlers walked the cattle, paraded them, and then lined them up and held them still for judging. After the winners were determined, the Frederick County Dairy Princess, Olivia Reid, delivered the ribbons.

Next we strolled a portion of the Midway, walking past every type of fair food imaginable, including fried everything, past some of the rides, and then into the 4-H building. Here we looked at the photography entries (no, I did not enter), quilts, baskets, paintings, sewing, and more. There were some beautifully made items.

They round the corner!

White Tiger

We left that building, and continued along the midway, passing by more food, rides, and some pig races. We entered the building that housed the honey bees, vegetables, hay, sheep's roving, plants, and more. It was fascinating to hear the beekeeper talk about the roles of the queen bee, the workers, and the drones. The phrase "busy as a bee" is not an exaggeration.

The last building we entered was the commercial building, with displays from cell phone companies, cookware companies, mattress dealers, replacement windows, and so on. There was one entire room billed as the "largest bulk/penny candy store" in the world. It smelled heavenly.

Chain Saw Master

Artery Cloggers

Next we returned to the Cow Palace where we got ice cream and sat to watch some cows being milked. It was amazing to watch a cow with a gigantic udder get hooked up, and in 20 minutes walk away looking relieved and leaving behind about four gallons of milk.

We had a good walk at the state fair. I'm glad I finally got to visit it. And I can heartily agree that our state fair is the best state fair in the state.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Day 361 - Preparing in Frederick

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Please join me on the last day, September 2, for a celebration photo walk! Registration details are here.

Feeding the Fish

Lily with Bubbles

The days of my year of photo walking are coming to a close very quickly. I've been working on the four themed walks for Monday's photo walk downtown, and I realized I did not know the exact location of two of Frederick's cast iron dogs.

One of the dogs is very famous. It is modeled after Dr. Tyler's dog "Guess," and it sits on the front stoop of the house he built in 1814. Dr. John Tyler was one of the first eye specialists in America. Before the battle of Antietam, in 1862, the dog was stolen, supposedly to be melted down for bullets. The soldiers never got around to it, because the dog was found on the battlefield and returned to the house to keep watch over it. Today, the iron dog "tweets" facts for the Historical Society of Frederick County.

Weinberg Walk of Fame

Not in Europe -- right here!

I found three more dogs. One is is front of the building on S. Market that now houses the Frederick Arts Council. It is large and curly-haired. Another is at the corner of W. 3rd and Bentz; it is usually adorned with beads. A fourth is near the corner of W. Church and Bentz, a little bulldog. I have messages out to two friends to find out if there is a fifth.

Cool sticker on a pole

I decided not to include these canine photos today, because they are one of my themed walks for Monday. Hopefully, those who choose to find these dogs on their walk will share their photos of them later.

Reflection in the Creek

I walked all over downtown, running errands, dropping off the lunch count to the restaurant, etc. As I was walking along Carroll Creek, I got a little nostalgic, thinking about how much I am going to miss this. But then I realized -- I can do this whenever I want! It's not like I'm moving away. I could even continue it every day for another 365 days!

Fun with a Flower

Then common sense and reason returned, I smiled, and I finished my walk. Whew! That was close...

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Day 360 - Sykesville, MD

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Please join me on the last day, September 2, for a celebration photo walk! Registration details are here.

St. Paul's Methodist

Gives new meaning to
"house over garage."

Sykesville is a place I have walked before, but tonight I wanted to go to dinner there before a camera club meeting nearby. Norma and I parked at Baldwin Station on Main Street, and we walked north on Main Street until we ran out of sidewalk, then came back down Main Street, turned on Church Street, and then returned back to Baldwin Station via Norwood Avenue.

Ladder to nowhere

It was about 5:20 when we arrived, so most of the small shops along Main Street were closed. There are some gift shops, an antique shop, a clothing shop, a dog grooming business, and a business specializing in robotics.

Addams Family?

The town is still an active railroad town, and as I wrote before, it is like a smaller version of Ellicott City. The Patapsco River runs south of Main Street; then there is the railroad tracks; then there is an historic train station, and then shops line Main Street, many built into repurposed old granite homes and hotels.

The St. Paul's Methodist Church is a beautiful building, always a pleasure to photograph. Baldwin Station is now a restaurant, with outdoor seating options lining the track.

Caboose Steps, Going Down

It was a great little town to visit, but we had to walk, eat, and run.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Day 359 - New Market, the "back" roads

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Please join me on the last day, September 2, for a celebration photo walk! Registration details are here.

79 Degrees

Fire Siren

Not New Market again, you say? When I get in a crunch mode for time, as I am today, I fall back on what is easy. But to give it a twist, I decided to walk the "back" roads.

Paralleling Main Street is a road that starts on the east side of the fire hall and ends about a quarter mile away, with Main Street on the left and the busy roar of traffic going by on I-70 to the right. This road is appropriately named South Alley. Along it are some homes, deep back yards of homes facing Main Street, and the New Market Grange Hall.

Lichen the crab apple!

Left Hanging

I turned left on Federal Street and walked north, crossing Main Street, and then turned left onto the appropriately named North Alley. Along it I passed a Verizon building, the New Market Methodist Church (1821), two cemeteries, backyards of homes facing Main Street, and a pond near the side yard of the elementary school that was covered in duck weed.

Come on in!

I had walked North Alley before, but never South. Which brings me to a good point when walking old, familiar towns. Go down the side streets. Look for the back alleys. They may not present the best "faces" to visitors, but they can make for some very interesting photo opportunities.

Sinking into the graveyard

Enjoy your day -- I'm off to the shower!

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Day 357 - Hancock, MD

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Please join me on the last day, September 2, for a celebration photo walk! Registration details are here.

Little Apple Lover

It's been a fantastic day. First of all, I got up, went out to get the paper, and the story of my photo walking year was on the front page of Travel section of the Frederick News-Post. Hurray!

Rail trail on far left; canal
on immediate left;
tow path on right;
Potomac River on far right
out of frame

Having this whole beautiful day to myself, I hopped in the Hummingbird Feeder with the top down and headed west. My destination was Hancock, MD.

Hancock bills itself as a rail trail and canal town, and it is justified in doing so. Located at the point where Rt. 68 splits off from Rt. 70, the town is actually on the old National Road, which you know I have been following for much of this year. Hancock is also at the narrowest point of Maryland, with Pennsylvania just a few miles to the north, and West Virginia just a stone's throw across the Potomac River, which parallels the main street of the town.

Wayne and Ray keep town watch

There are lots of things that line up in parallels in Hancock. To the south, there is the Potomac River. A few steps away is the C&O Canal towpath, which is now a national park from Cumberland to Washington, DC. Next to the towpath is the canal, and then there is the Western Maryland Rail Trail, a paved path over the old railroad line. Next is Main Street, and then W. High Street located on the hillside above the town, and finally the Rt. 70/40 combo.

I sure hope so...

This canal town is also a bike town. In fact, I saw more bikers here than any other types of people, including local residents. Later, when I drove west out of town to find one of the last remaining National Road tollhouses, I saw that most of the local residents were at the park west of town, playing beach volleyball or baseball, picnicking, or using the pool.

As I walked the streets of town, I occasionally found myself behind Ray and Wayne. They must be regular town walkers, because they stopped to talk to nearly everyone who was outside or emerging from the local downtown restaurant, Weaver's. As I passed by Weaver's, two couples emerged from having had their Sunday dinner. One woman said, "Lord, I shouldn't have eaten all that. I try to watch my weight when I eat out." The other woman said, "Oh, I watch my weight. I watch it go up, and up, and up!"

I love this wrought iron

And look at this beauty!

I walked down to the bike shop located by the rail trail, where lots of people were either loading or unloading bikes on the back of their vehicles. I vowed then and there to do more biking on the local trails and tow paths in the coming year. (I might even bring along my camera!)

I noticed some beautiful wrought iron fences and gates in this town. They were quite elaborate, and would cost a fortune to duplicate today.

What if I'm on a bike?

Most of the businesses were closed on this fine day, and unfortunately, many of them permanently. The economy has taken a toll on Hancock.

Hancock Toll House

Next time you are whizzing by Hancock in your car on Rt. 70, or rolling by on your bicycle along either the rail trail or the tow path, take a few minutes to stop and explore the town. Stop in for lunch at Weaver's, and take home a pie. According to their website, they bake over 500 a week. I can't vouch for them personally, but judging from the number of people I saw emerging with bakery boxes in hand, they must be good.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

walk every day
the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
post a photo every day
use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
no weather excuses
walk only where it is safe to do so