These two photos were made less than two miles from our home in Taylor, Texas.  Clearing a field as the sun settles into the western sky.   A county road leading to a friend’s grain elevators, a color image, but almost monochrome.    I’ve been neglecting nearby scenes, but will try to remedy that when possible.   Taylor, like many small Texas communities, is experiencing rapid growth, but I’m thankful good things remain.   At least for now.  

Just a few photos from Halloween night in the Old Town (always capitalized) area of Georgetown, Texas.    I’ll leave it at that, friends.   You don’t need me to tell you how 2020 has been so far.

Tonight’s full moon was a pleasure to behold as I watched it rise above the Blackland Prairie.   Names are given to these events, this one called a Blue Moon.    As you might know, I like the moon in every phase.   We’ve been treated to two full moons in October this year.   2020 hasn’t been a trial in many ways, but there’s still good things to see on this planet.  For what it’s worth, the last photo is my favorite. 

Those who follow these posts may recall one from last December, when Robert and JoAnn Halstrom began their work on the 1904 Granger First United Methodist Church.  Earlier that year, the church closed its doors because of declining membership.   The Halstroms, from Wimberly, purchased it in November.   The work began.   Along came the pandemic.   For months, I saw no activity.   The work now continues.   Robert, a baggage handler for American Airlines, has taken a leave of absence to devote more time to the project.   JoAnn, a rural postal carrier, helps when she can.   Seventeen stained glass windows are being restored, the structure is being leveled.   It will take time.   When the work is finished, the Halstroms are leaving the church’s future open.  It could become their home, or a community center, perhaps a restaurant.   I’m just glad to see this thing go forward.  Preservation is important. 

My wife and I took a drive last weekend toward the Texas Hill Country.   While looking for autumn color, we passed a sign for Longhorn Cavern State Park, in Burnet County.   I had seen some photos of the cavern, prompting us to change our plans.   We joined a group taking a 90-minute tour of the cavern, taking us 120-130 feet underground.   It was fabulous!  These are a few of my “tourist” photos.  I was impressed with a dad who carried his little guy on his shoulders through most of the tour.   “It’s his nap time,” dad explained.   In the mid-1980s, during my time at the Atlanta Journal & Constitution,  I joined a features section writer to join a group of cavers at the Alabama/Tennessee border.   This was a no-frills cave.   The only lights were provided by the carbide lanterns attached to our helmets.   Access was via a ladder leading into the earth.   About an hour into the cave, we came to what our cavers called a “chimney,” two rock walls, about 2-3 feet apart, rising about 100 feet into the cave.   The cavers said it was an easy climb, just put your back against one wall, place your feet on the other one, and shimmy up.   Nope.   The cavers (and the writer) left me there, promising to pick me up later.  About 30 minutes later, my lantern ran out of fuel.  I was engulfed in complete darkness.   I really thought I was going to die there.   Thankfully, the cavers returned, leading me back to daylight.   Longhorn Cavern is nothing like that, thank goodness.

I spent some time at Georgetown’s Berry Springs Park & Preserve Saturday  on a very cool Autumn day.   Included are a few photos from that outing, including a mom and daughter snapping photos of  Charlie (a girl), their beautiful 70-pound Golden Retriever.  The daughter is very strong!  And friends visiting with the park’s resident donkeys, Pedro and Lil’ Bob.   But the best part of this day was a gift in the form of Claude, who was gathering pecans from the the park’s many trees.   Claude, a World War II Army veteran, is 93, but points to January, when he’ll celebrate his 94th.   Claude has the most infectious smile I’ve seen in a while, good enough to include two close portraits.   His hearing is not what it used to be, but we had little trouble communicating.   So far this year, he’s gathered 60 pounds of pecans!   He shared that he lost his wife a few years ago, but has loving  memories of meeting her in New Hampshire way back when.  At that meeting, when  she heard Claude talking to someone, she exclaimed “You’re from Texas!”   Claude turned to the voice and was met with the most beautiful blue-eyed girl he’d ever seen.  She was a Mississippi girl.   They became lifelong soulmates in marriage.   Meeting Claude was a treasure.  I hope he gathers many more pecans.

It’s been a long time since I posted images presented in both color and monochrome version.   The opening photo is a friend’s sweet red barn, an evening shot.   This is one where only color is presented.  Black-and-white just doesn’t work.   The second photo is just presented in monochrome.   When the photo was made, there was almost no color in the sky.  Black-and-white seems right.    The other images are offered two ways.    With those, I could with either and be satisfied.    Just a thought experiment, friends.

Apologies to Elton John, but  “butterflies are free to fly,” lyrics from his 1975 song “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”  (Captain Fantastic) came to mind as I observed these beautiful winged creatures at Taylor’s  butterfly garden this week.   The garden captured my attention during a morning walk this week.  Naturally, I returned for a few photos.   The last photos, the silhouettes, are of a very focused butterfly intent on her task.   I watched her for 25 minutes, until the day’s light faded away.  And then there was the moonrise.

Finally, the pumpkins arrived this afternoon at Taylor’s First United Methodist Church.   The 2000-plus delights were supposed to be in place three weeks ago, but finding enough truck drivers to get them here from New Mexico was a problem.   They’re here now.   While shoppers can get their pumpkins by Halloween, the church will extend their annual sale into the first week of November.    Among those helping were National Honor Society members from Taylor High School.   My little Central Texas community comes together when needed.

Throughout a long career in photojournalism,  many of my bosses have thumbed their noses at publishing feature photos of kids, viewing them  as overdone fluff.   Indeed, they  can become trite and lifeless if done in a slipshod manner.    However, if done with with compassion and thought, images of children in their environments  can connect with readers in meaningful ways.   They can be far more than “cute.”    These photos are from a trip to a local park this week, a little girl and her daddy enjoying the day despite a herd of geese (and some ducks) intent on getting her to share her frozen treat.   If I were an editor,  with room  for one photo, it might be the opening one presented here, but as you might guess by now, I like to dig a little deeper  for life’s interchanges.  Little bits of life are escapes from a twisted world.  At least for a while.