Placeholder for Monday

If I thought my Saturday was up-and-down with the tree falling, I don't even know how to describe my Sunday except as an absolutely awful day with a few minutes during which we forgot how awful things were. Someone very close to us died very suddenly, leaving young children and a distraught spouse and family, and I don't want to say more because I'm not sure whether all of this person's long-distance relatives know.

Since there wasn't much we could do from here, we went to Frederick County, which has stunning fall leaves in the state parks and was having its annual farm festival. We saw lots of Civil War sites as well as cows, goats, alpacas, chickens, pigs, donkeys, sheep and other animals, plus lots of pumpkins, Halloween decorations, and Middletown's famous scarecrow competition. Here are a few calming photos:


Frederick City Overlook


Gambrill State Park


South Mountain from High Knob


South Mountain Creamery


Caprikorn Goat Farm


Gathland State Park


Jumbo's Pumpkins