Toddler Photography at Piscataway Park’s Colonial Farm

Summer 2024. This summer has been a lot of things for our family, but hot is one of the top ways I would describe it. The day we went to Piscataway Park’s Colonial Farm was no different. It was blisteringly hot. We didn’t stay for long as my toddler’s cheeks turned red fairly quickly. Clear skies means direct sun. We even shuffled quickly from 1 spot of shade to the next. My daughter is walking along the fishing pier because it was the best place to seek relief from the heat. The cooler breeze over the Potomac River made for a nice air conditioner. And the men fishing also enjoyed showing their prized catches to her. It was fun to watch the fishermen bait, cast their lines, and wait for the fish to take the bait. While fishing isn’t my thing, cooking is a favorite pastime of mine. We talked about how the fish would go home with the fishermen and they’d make yummy food - perhaps some fried fish filet. 

I sadly didn’t get many pictures of the fishing pier. I spent much of my time ensuring my toddler didn’t accidentally fall into the waters below. She’s learning to swim but I can tell based on her lack of interest in it that being an olympic swimmer isn’t in her future. I just need her to not drown. In the meantime, we explore all different parts of the National Capital Region (NCR), taking in 1 sight after the next. This area is a goldmine of places to see and things to do. I’ve spoken with people who have lived here for decades who haven’t seen everything. I wonder if anyone has.

While we didn’t stay long, we originally wanted to visit Piscataway Park’s Colonial Farm (https://www.accokeek.org/) because they have animals and we thought it would be a treat for our city-living toddler to see farm animals. In our neck of the woods, concrete and sidewalks are usually the views outside the window - if you have one. Indeed, we had moved at some point and my first thought looking outside was “Wow, there are trees!” followed quickly by the sad realization that I don’t remember ever having had trees outside my bedroom window. I now stare out the window in disbelief and great appreciation for the view. An aunt commented recently that she’d like to retire to a place with a view. It’s medicine for the heart and mind.

I saw lots of lovely photography angles at Piscataway Park’s Colonial Farm. The rich golden grass. The lush green trees. The faded brown fencing. The rustic barns. How the shadows danced and played with the sun on the walking paths. It was so nice and apparently some people hold weddings there. In our case, we only walked far enough in to see 1 ox with her calf before we had to turn around due to the heat. The ox was a majestic beast. So calm standing in the shade, spending time with her calf. A lovely pair. The animal was so gentle and stared straight at me - I believe my camera looked odd to her since it covered my face. I touched up all my images but I spent extra care post-processing the one with her looking straight at the camera. 

I hope to return to the farm in the future when the weather is cooler and the sun is a little more gentle - aka when the earth is closer to apogee than perigee in its orbit. Perhaps the animals won’t need to seek as much shelter from the sun and our daughter can engage more with them. Our daughter is also young, so it’ll be nice when she has more stamina as she gets older. It’s hard to stay long in any place as a toddler.