While I mostly see advantages to living and wandering out in the countryside, there are times when ambient light is hard to come by. There’s tonight, for instance, when I was photographing the Harvest Moon a few miles east of Granger. Moonrise was about 25 minutes past sunset. While there was a little light left (other than that pretty moon), it was a challenge. These are okay. The moon, of course, is almost always just fine. 
Tonight’s moonrise photos are in the northern part of Williamson County, Texas. It’s a Waxing Gibbous moon, almost full at 99.4% visibility. The opening photo shows a Texas Century Farm, a farm that has been in the same family for at least 100 years. This is a little north of Walburg. A bit further north is Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Corn Hill, its twin spires visible for a few miles. 
If you’re watching two old white guys debate tonight, feeling stressed, sad or angry, here’s a (hopefully) happy diversion. Friends, meet Minnie Moo, the newest member of the Sharp family. There was much sadness a while back when our sweet dog, Star, left this world. We didn’t think we’d get another dog, but then we did. She’s got some Pit Bull mixed with something else, but we think she’ll be a big girl. Minnie Moo was adopted through a good group of folks called Austin Pets Alive. Like all babies, she’s a handful, but that’s okay. Anyway, Minnie Moo is tonight’s reason to smile. 
Tonight’s photos were close to home as I wandered around downtown Taylor, Texas. The opening sunset photo was taken with a 300mm lens. The others were made with my new 50mm lens. It’s neat to reconnect with what’s considered a “normal” lens. For 40-something years, I didn’t give that lens the time of day, but we are becoming friends again. The gent in the last photo was waiting on bats to make an appearance under the viaduct. I didn’t see many, but will come back again for another look. 
I am seeing too many ghost bikes in recent years. “Ghost bikes” are placed at sites where a cyclist has died after being struck by a vehicle. Today, I made photos of a ghost bike dedication for Donnie Prado, a 59-year-old cyclist who died when struck by a hit-and-run driver on August 30th. The two opening photos are from that somber event. Once the assignment was completed, I wondered about two other ghost bikes I’d photographed. Were they still there? Two photos were made today at a ghost bike placed in memory of 19-year-old Tommy Ketterhagen, who died after being struck at this site in January 2017. The earliest ghost bike documented was in Spring 2014, one dedicated to Georgetown resident Joe Holan, who used his bike to commute to work. Eight days before Christmas 2013, Joe was killed on an interstate access road en route to work. I tried to find the site again today, but didn’t. The photo posted here is of Joe’s widow, Melissa, who saw to it her husband was honored with a bike. I knew Joe. A few months before his death, the newspaper did a story about his bike commutes. He’d email me photos he’d taken on his daily routes. He left behind his wife and two children. We need more bike lanes for cyclists, friends. Sure, the cyclists need to practice caution, but drivers need to do the same. 
Taylor’s Murphy Park is a place I pass through on my daily walks. While some posts focus on the park’s rookery, it’s a lovely park all year long. Presented here are some photos made there Friday evening, staying close to home. This week I purchased some new camera equipment. This was a good place to use those toys. The activity at the rookery is slowing down. The new egrets are growing, moving on, but it’s still an active area. On this outing I observed a Great Egret, a Great Blue Heron, and yes, a duck or two. And humans. A little guy on a fishing outing with dad, a mom enjoying one of the park’s newest benches. Some of these are pictorial images, some are community journalism. I live in a varied world of photography. 
Nothing but windmills tonight, friends. When rambling across the Blackland Prairie, it’s a challenge to pass one without stopping to take a photo. Some may tire of them, but I do not. One of these five photos was at sunrise. The others were taken as the last light of day said goodbye. 
The first photo was taken last night at Taylor’s St. James Episcopal Church, here since 1893. A Waxing Gibbous moon, just over 60% visible, was shining in the distance. This was also an opportunity to try out a new camera (45 megapixels) and a new 50mm lens. Fifty years ago, when I began this journey, a 50 was considered the normal lens for cameras. For many years, this wasn’t a lens choice as most of us in photojournalism went with wide-angles and long telephotos. Now in my late-60s, I’ve hankered to get back to basics. At least sometimes. The other photo was taken last evening in Rice’s Crossing, Texas. I’ve got more windmill images to come, but just this one for now.
On the way back from an appointment in Austin late this afternoon, the clouds were putting on quite a show in the area north of Manor. A detour was in order to record the umpteenth photo of New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church. Continuing north toward home, the twin red barns, still in Travis County, prompted another stop. A photo made of these barns a few years ago hangs on the wall in our living room. While I try to hold off on repeating subject matter, sometimes it’s hard when the elements are just right. 
Autumn began at 8:30a.m. Central Daylight Time in Central Texas. We had rain and mist, plus cool weather throughout the day and into the evening, when these photos were made on the Blackand Prairie. 
