During the Williamson County Fair and Rodeo this week, kids and families have traveled from all over Texas to show their sheep and goats during the Chisholm Trail Showdown, conducted by the Chisholm Trail Dorpers Association.   These photos are from Thursday’s Breeding Sheep Show, held in the show barn at the Williamson County Expo Center.   This isn’t to be confused with the upcoming county livestock show, also held here.  While I continue to cover that one, organizers have made photo coverage more challenging.   This low-key event, however,  was wonderful.   Presented here are a few moments from Thursday.

The annual Williamson County Fair and Rodeo got off to a good start on Wednesday afternoon and evening at Taylor’s Williamson County Expo Center.   There’s a lot going on there.   This post just hits the highlights, including a colorful midway shining under a Waxing Gibbous moon.   I throughly enjoyed the the Texan Petting Zoo.  The stick horse event was a treat, too.  One little girl was a bit scared of Wilco Willie, the fair’s new mascot.   “She’s afraid of the clown,” her dad told me, but she was one of the top entrants.    It turns out the role of Wilco Willie is played by a young fellow I know, pictured taking a rest from the rather warm outfit.      The young man singing and playing really played and sung his heart out.  The fair continues, as well as a full rodeo on Friday and Saturday nights.

A few feathered friends recently seen on my morning walks in Taylor.   I have a busy afternoon and evening, wanted to get something posted before venturing out.

Granger’s West Davilla Street is pictured tonight after a dousing of rain made the cobblestone brick street sparkle.  This East Williamson County community just north of Taylor, is adorned with character, but this street, West Davilla Street, is an exceptional bit of small-town Texas culture.  That Oliver tractor is mighty fine, too.

Clouds and rain are a welcome sight in our area of Central Texas, where extreme drought is still present.   These three photographs were taken this afternoon and evening, both in Williamson and Travis  Counties.   The row of grain elevators near Coupland was actually the last photo taken tonight, but they’re  great subjects.   Earlier in the afternoon, I saw two Texas Longhorns taking advantage of a shelter to get out of a pouring rain.   I’m glad the owners thought to offer that to them.   Finally, there’s New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Northeast Travis County, a few miles northeast of Manor.   I do look for reasons to photograph that church.   The rain is a blessing!

A photo taken during Sunday evening wanderings, this scene near Thrall, Texas.   So many times I’ve seen a collection of clouds that never produce rain.   This time, however, precipitation came our way.    When stepping outside at 6:30 this morning, a gentle rain ushered in a pleasant day.    It stopped a bit after sunrise, but more is expected throughout the week.  I’m thankful.

Is there a theme connecting the photos in tonight’s post?   Maybe. 

It may come as a surprise to some folks, but many of the photographs I take are ones  done just for the joy of seeing them, not for financial gain.  Take today, for instance.   I had a couple of paying assignments that should have been enough to satisfy the urge to click a shutter, but more personal therapy was needed.   So I got up well before sunrise today to wander a bit prior to  the actual assignments.   The first photo, taken just after sunrise, was this odd stuffed animal I’ve seen before,  attached to a post near a field.  When passing it in the evening, the light was awful, but it was dandy just after 7:30 a.m. today.   From a distance I thought the critter was a bear, but closer inspection seems to indicate it’s a three-toed sloth.   Zoologists, weigh in if you know!   It’s an oddity that begged to be recorded.   A few minutes later, I pulled over near Jonah to observe an elegant  white horse soaking up morning rays.   The rest of the day was spent with assignment work.   Tiring of sitting in front of the computer late this afternoon, I ventured outside, seeing the skies filled with clouds.  The windmill photo is near sunset.   Dawn to dusk, friends. Let’s hope those clouds eventually give us rain.    We continue to be very drought-stricken here.   The forecast calls for rain chances increasing Sunday, even more on Monday.   Bring it on, please.

The San Gabriel River has taken a beating during the drought, but it was looking rather nice Thursday evening when I spent time at Georgetown’s San Gabriel Park.   It seems I’d forgotten that Great Egrets enjoy it, too.   They gather in trees high above the water, caressing the air as they glide into a space.   And yes, there’s even a moon photograph included.  Plus a gathering of ducks.   I enjoy bodies of water in all forms, but a good river can’t be surpassed.  The San Gabriel is elegant, not too muddy, not too wide.    It’s the very essence of serenity.

Land is finite.   We’re not making anymore.   I think about that when rambling through the countryside.   Tonight’s photograph is a swath of land in Southeast Williamson County, Texas.   I love this view, one recorded a number of times.    I can’t speak for others, but it’s places like this that are in peril as development takes hold.   That development will have an impact for generations.