Day 275 - Downtown Frederick

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

***Scroll down to see my offer for Red Cross donations.***

Tabletop bouquet

Geranium Gate

Meetings, meetings, meetings.  I have a lot of them these days, due to my involvement in Easels in Frederick.  The big event will be here soon, and today was the last "full committee" meeting before 30 juried artists arrive to paint Frederick.  I walked along various streets today before returning to the library for my meeting. 

Anyway, the meeting was downtown, and I had some other obligations there as well, so I parked my car in one of the parking decks and walked up and down streets until it was time for the meeting.

Window Watcher

What a beautiful day it was, too.  Last week's heat has moved east, leaving us with low humidity, temps in the 70's, and blue skies.  Lots of people were out walking this afternoon in Frederick, and not just those who were at work.  There were tourists, locals, and even a couple of homeless souls, of which Frederick has a few.

Inviting Doorway

Speaking of the homeless, I walked by a park where I saw a middle-aged man lying in the grass with his back to me, not moving.  His position indicated to me that he had not merely fallen unconscious in the park, but he looked like he was taking a nap on his side, under the shade of one of the trees.  He did not have any belongings with him, like a bag or a backpack, so I don't think he was one of the homeless who sometimes frequent the parks.  He was dressed in casual clothes - a shirt and shorts with sneakers -- not business attire.

Stained paper in a window

As I walked past, I debated with myself whether or not to approach him to find out if he was OK.  He could have fallen, I reasoned, and was lying there as a result of a heart attack or a stroke.  I realized that if I were in need of medical attention, I would be dismayed if people just walked by me and left me lying in the park.  He was not moaning or crying, so I waited a bit to see if he moved, and he did move his legs at one point, so I knew he was alive.  Whew!  I was relieved.   Perhaps I did the wrong thing, but I left him to his nap.  At least, that is how I justified it to myself.  If he had given any other indications that he was in need of medical attention, I would have approached him and asked if he was OK.  No one else was around at the time.  It was a tough call, and I hope I made the right one.

So, the bottom line is this.  If you see a woman with white hair and a camera around her neck lying in the grass in a park here in Maryland, please approach her and ask her if she is okay.  It  will probably be me, and I wouldn't be taking a nap in the shade.

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:

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 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)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so