Day 135 - Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary

I'm a sucker for lone trees!

Nesting Box

 (Click on any photo to enlarge)

My friend Gary contacted me, saying that he would be free on Tuesday morning to go on a photo walk.  We agreed to meet at the Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary near Mt. Airy, MD, around 10 a.m.

This sanctuary is similar to the Fred Archibald site that I walked earlier this fall.  It has mowed paths, lots of natural vegetation and grasses, a few trees, wooded sections, and a couple of streams.  The ground underfoot was wet and slippery in places, but we followed the paths, stopping to photograph interesting dried vegetation along the way.  Occasionally we took photos of mossy bird boxes and muddy animal prints (deer and raccoon).

Gary in the Grass

Haunted?

Then we hit pay dirt.  We rounded the top of a hill, and there sat an abandoned farm house and dairy barn.  It was easy to see that the dairy barn had burned at one time.  There were charred door jambs and window frames.  The old milking harnesses for the cattle were still in place.  My favorite part of the barn area was the spooky souls painted on the walls.  I sure was glad to have Gary with me!

Spooky Spectators

Watering Bowl

The house was boarded up, and we obeyed the "No Trespassing" signs, but the back door was ripped open, and we could see inside the kitchen.  That's when I used my flash to capture the cook painted on the wall.  Rest assured, we did not set foot inside!

The property was originally owned by Audrey Carroll, who donated it to the Audubon Society to be protected for future generations, and to allow natural habitats for many species of wildlife.  But the property also provided rich fodder for two photographers today, and we were grateful to have something besides dried weeds for subjects.

These photo walks sometimes take surprising twists and turns, and today was no exception!

The Dairy

Kitchen Wall Art

Hurricane Sandy Relief: Donate to the Red Cross, and I will mail you a 5 x 7 print from any of the photos I have posted on my blog OR any photo on my website.

Forward to me via email a receipt for donating to the Red Cross. Tell me whether the photo is from the blog or the website, and Include its title along with a mailing address. The name on the receipt to the Red Cross must match the name of the mailing recipient. Send the receipt and the photo request to camscamerashots@gmail.com.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use my Nikon P7100 (it is a very convenient size and weight)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so