Author Archives: 23642459

At Jonah School

Several good hours on Saturday were spent at the Jonah Community Center for the Jonah and Weir Community Sale, an event to raise funds for the continued restoration of Jonah School, built in 1922.   Posting local events doesn’t always make it to these pages, but I’m a huge fan of historic preservation.  My elementary school, Grim Elementary in Texarkana, Texas, opened in 1913.  A road-widening project led to the demolition of Grim.    Thankfully, Jonah School is still with us. Every Thursday evening at 6:30, free movies are offered in the auditorium.   Not all preservation is worthwhile, but this one is.

Walk Photographs for The Week

Monday through Friday walks generally last two hours or more.   During each one it’s not uncommon to depress the shutter button more than 200 times.  At week’s end, you might guess there’s a bunch of stuff to weed out for these posts.   That said, you might be getting bored with them.   That’s okay, but I’ll still snap them.  Remember, friends, this is therapy.   All photographs, so far, are taken with an inexpensive Olympus camera, much less expensive than many of your phones.

A Return to the Rookery

Drought and harsh weather have taken a toll on the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park.   Thankfully,  some birds are finding refuge here to nurture their families.   You’ll find Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, cormorants, herons, geese and ducks.   Some of them are permanent residents.   This collection was taken on one evening this week, just egrets and cormorants.

This Morning’s Sunrise

Headed a few miles west early today, a sunrise over a pasture in Taylor merited a brief stop.    This was at 7:34a.m. Central Daylight Time.   Sunrises, more so than sunsets, come on quickly, soon getting a fiery bleached-out look.   Thankfully, this was a seldom-used country road.   If you look closely at lower right, you might discern vehicle headlights.   Hopefully, we’ll see those fields adorned with crops soon.   Drought has been hard on Central Texas.

A Hawk in Granger

After a busy couple of days, a little down time was needed tonight.   Tired of gawking at a computer screen all day, I wandered around, seeing a hawk darting from tree to tree near Granger.  Shutter snap.  And kudos to Kim, a Taylor friend who volunteers for a wild animal rehabilitation group in our area.  Kim was disparaged for expressing a political thought  on social media today.    She has every right to do so.

“A Funny Thing Happened”

“A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum” opens tonight on the Springer Stage at the Georgetown Palace.  Just something here from Thursday night’s final dress rehearsal.  Jerry, my 81-year-old friend, was one of the night’s highlights.  Including intermission, the production is almost three hours long, but very entertaining!   More photos on Facebook and Instagram (@andybobsharp).

The Return of Red Poppies

Red Poppies are beginning to be seen in Georgetown, Texas.  So far, I’m not seeing them gathered in large groups, but they’re coming along.   A portion of Wednesday evening was spent snapping photographs of the colorful blooms at Edwards Park, plus the Sunken Gardens at San Gabriel Park.    Our recent  strong wind gusts presented a definite visual challenge, but all was well.    When visiting Georgetown in the next couple of weeks, keep your eyes peeled for these wonderful blooms.  There might even be a some left during Georgetown’s Red Poppy Festival, April 25-April 27th.   If you see poppies, be nice.   Let them prosper.  Don’t step on them.

Spring Crops Begin

Nothing fancy tonight, my friends.   Fields of corn are beginning to rise from the Blackland Prairie soil.   I would’ve expected to see them sooner, but they’re welcome, whenever they come.   This is a from a field a little east of Walburg, Texas, a farmer I know.

A Quiet Prairie Landscape

Something simple, a scene photographed a few times over the years.   This site is often adorned with crops, but for now it’s just a quiet Blackland Prairie landscape, the rich soil a gentle counterpoint to good skies.  A few years ago, this road, County Road 124, was supposed to be widened as the area’s population boomed.  So far, however, it’s a nice two-lane path.   For now.