Day 287 - Gambrill Mill at Monocacy Battlefield

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

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

Lady Bug on Lace

This photo is NOT crooked!

I love the walk at Gambrill Mill, not to be confused with Gambrill State Park.  This location is part of the Monocacy Battlefields, along the edge of the Monocacy River.  The last time I was here for a walk, everything was frozen.

American Goldfinch

Today, I walked the boardwalk area along the river, where some fathers and sons were fishing, then followed the split rail fencing through the natural meadows.  The old fencing that is gray and weathered is being replaced by new splits.  In the meadow areas were tons of natural grasses, purple thistle, and Queen Anne's lace.  Bright yellow goldfinches clung in groups to the purple thistle.  My little camera was able to zoom pretty well, but I really need to bring the big lens and camera back sometime to get those bright yellow birds against those purple tufts.

Gold and green and purple majesty

When I left the meadow, I walked to the tree topped ridge behind the Gothic Victorian mansion that is on the property.  There was a nice mowed path between waist high grasses on either side, and I walked it to where it curved back behind the house, then I turned around and came back down the hill.  The front of the house is flanked by huge tulip poplars, which are much taller than the three story house.

Trees along the ridge

See how tall the tulip
poplars are?

I walked down the front lawn of the house to the creek that runs along Rt. 355, then I returned to my car.  The entire time, rain was threatening.  I had left light rain in both New Market and Frederick, so I grabbed my umbrella for this walk, but not one drop fell while I was on the walk.  When I drove back into Frederick, I encountered raindrops again.

It must have been the umbrella, right?

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