Tonight’s offering begins in Noack, at Christ Lutheran Church, continuing at grain elevators just west of there. The third photo, a grain elevator tucked into the countryside, has a Taylor address. As does the last photo, a barn photographed this evening, just east of Taylor. I’ve taken photos of this barn several times, but didn’t like anything until tonight. One can afford to be selective where we live. 
Making photos at dawn is a much-beloved activity, but doing so conflicts with morning feeding time for our sweet and hungry dog, Star. Generally, she likes to wake up, stretch and knock on our bedroom door a little ahead of sunrise. Last night, I suggested she could knock a little earlier if she liked. Sure enough, at 6:10 this morning, there came the knock. She’s a big girl who makes her presence known. She gobbled up her kibble, then went in the backyard for potty time and a brief romp. By the time she was done, I still had 25 minutes before sunrise. So off I rambled. The photos are presented in the order taken, beginning with a subtle image of the San Gabriel River, about 15 minutes before sunrise. I like to present these things as time progressions. The photos (I think) explain themselves. The last one, taken about 20 minutes after sunrise, is a recently-harvested cornfield, once again allowing a view of the old hand shack that’s rested there for years. It’s covered with summer’s growth right. A hand shack, as I’ve been told by area farmers, was once used for day laborers who helped work harvests. This one is only shelter for rodents, bugs and snakes these days, but it’s there. 
From a recent evening, east of Granger. Pictorials, nothing more. 
The rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park is enchanting. At times I consider apologizing for multiple posts from there, but watching these birds soothes my soul. Even when the aroma around there can be challenging. The rookery is here all year long, but the nesting egrets will make a mass exodus by late-September, if not sooner. I’ll still stop by after they leave, but it’s prime season right now. You’ll even find some cormorants in this post. Like ducks and geese, they’re here all year long. 
These were made this week when a friend took me to an area way off the beaten path in the Wuthrich Hill area. While most of what I photograph can be seen from the road, these cannot. On the windmill photo, I included a black-and-white version, too. A slightly-different photo, but pretty close. I need to do more b/w. 
6-year-old Puddin’ is kind of shy, but I managed to grab a frame or two before he moseyed away from the camera. Puddin’s daddy is a farmer in East Williamson County. They’re currently finishing up 800 acres in the Wuthrich Hill area. Granted, I’ve done a corn harvest post before, but Puddin’ prompted another one. Note that in our area, the corn crop is used for livestock feed grain, but visually speaking, corn is corn. And we grow a lot of it on the Blackland Prairie. 
Granger is one of those little Texas towns I enjoy visiting, just ten miles north of our Taylor home. I think the population is somewhere around 1500, but maybe a few more. These are some recent photos taken during strolls along West Davilla Street, on the west side of the tracks. If you look closely at the first photo, that is indeed a Christmas tree shining behind the glass. Nothing wrong with that. 
A photo from Monday evening as I headed for home after wandering around Granger. Note the mileage on the odometer of my 2006 Honda Accord. I drive quite a lot while looking for photos. 
This stretch of road was one of the first sites that intrigued me while on a bike ride in 2009, the year we returned to Texas. After 29 years in Atlanta’s congestion, this was a breath of sweet air. I still love it in 2020. This photo was made last night as corn harvest continued in Wuthrich Hill. As more people move to our area from the city, I hope they are mindful of slow-moving farm equipment. They were here long before you arrived. Be nice. Be respectful. 
Just this one tonight, friends, a full moon over the cemetery at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Wuthrich Hill, Texas. 