Day 290 - Best Farm

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

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

Thistle, with Visitor Center in distance

Soybeans and Farm Lane

I will admit that one of the reasons I went to Best Farm today is that I hoped to spot one of the Easels in Frederick juried artists there.  Unless someone painted early this morning and had already left, or someone was going to come by later and take advantage of evening light, there were no artists while I was at Best Farm.

The Farmhouse

Best Farm is part of the Monocacy National Battlefields.  I have walked it at least twice before, but today I concentrated on the outer fields, looking for a distant perspective on the farm buildings, as well as giving me a good distance for just walking off the excess energy I seem to have this week.

The Secondary House

The fields around the farm were newly planted in soybeans, right on top of the old corn stubble from last year's crop.  I encountered a deer bounding across one of the fields, too.

The barn within the barn

A park service worker was there with a small grader, taking care of water-filled ruts and potholes in the gravel lane.  Other than him, there were no other visitors while I was there.

Cannon Reflection

The house and secondary house and barns, a Civil War cannon, and a beautiful tree that hangs over the gravel lane all make this location great for photographers and painters alike.  During the Civil War, the farm was almost continuously occupied by troops from either side, because of its proximity to the Monocacy River.  This is also where a copy of General Robert E. Lee's Special Orders 191 was found, now known as "The Lost Order." New historical plaques have been added to the parking area of the farm, describing the role of Best Farm in the Civil War.

I hope some of the Easels in Frederick artists consider Best Farm for one of their paintings.  They will not be disappointed if they do.

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