A Birthday Outing

This spring has been unusually cold and wet, but we still have a couple of nice weather days each week. We had one of those last Sunday and we took advantage of it by celebrating Ward's birthday with a visit to a park in our area.  We went to the Monocacy National Battlefield, the site of an important Civil War battle. The Union lost this battle, but were able to hold off the Confederate Troops long enough that the Union could shore up their troops in Washington, D.C., and keep control there. 

The park has both a driving tour and walking trails among different key battle sites as well as hiking trails, just because. The park was not crowded and we were alone most of the time, so we could actually relax and not worry about proper social distancing. Here's a few photo's from our day.

Our first stop was the Gambrill Mill. It was built in 1830 and was in use for over 60 years.
 It was used as a field hospital during the war. Today it holds park offices.

Next to the mill was a pond. 

Up the hill from the mill was Edgewood built by Mr. Gambill in 1872. Because financial downturns,
he sold it 25 years later. In the meantime, many elegant parties were held here.
Today it is a historic preservation center for the National Parks.

The tree in the foreground was original to the house and helped frame the main entrance.

We drove to the Worthington Farm to find our trail head for the hike.

A major portion of the trail was along the Monocacy River. 

All of the new growth was an incredible shade of green. No photo enhancement here.

There were numerous wildflowers in bloom.

We saw evidence that the river had flooded recently.

At the end of the hike, we explored the outside of the Worthington Farm House. The house was built in 1851
and sold to Mr. Worthington in 1862. This was a key location for the battle and the Confederate officers
 used the second story to observe the action. Look closely to the left of the house at the cannon. Apparently,
every time it fired the rooster crowed. After the battle, the house and grounds were used as a hospital.

We enjoyed driving through farm country on the way home. 

At home, after taking care of our muddy shoes, Ward went to his shop to do some woodworking, while I baked him a spice cake for his birthday. I agree with Ward that it was a great way to celebrate his birthday.

Until next time...