The only thing these two photos have in common is the evening time in which they were taken. The opening image is a vacant farmhouse in East Williamson County, the light from the fading sun. The second image was made this evening at Granger Lake as a couple enjoys fishing in the warm water. It’s known around here as a good place to fish. The views are okay, too. 
Several months have passed since my last post from Taylor’s Bull Branch Park, included in most of my daily long walks. Last evening I stopped by to make a few photographs. While snapping the shutter, I visited with an angler, who asked me if I’d photographed the egrets at the other nearby park. “Yes,” I said. We’ll leave it at that. 
Cornfields are abundant where we live, filling many spaces on the Backland Prairie. But another crop, cotton, is beginning to make its presence known. Before they become cotton bolls, they are beautiful flowers, sometimes pink, sometimes white. These are from the Norman’s Crossing farm of Troy Boehm and his family. They are gracious hosts to my wanderings. 
The Summer Solstice began at 4:44 p.m. Central Daylight Time in Texas. Our first day of summer has been cloudy, sometimes rainy. Let’s not forget warm. This image from Beyersville tonight was made a little after 8:30. As many know, I’m no fan of Daylight Saving Time. The good news? From here the hours of ugly daylight grow shorter. I don’t apologize for that opinion. 
A few photos taken tonight during a Juneteenth celebration at Robinson Park in Taylor, Texas, the town where we live. Note the quote on the face mask in the opening photo. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day slaves in Texas learned of their freedom, a full 2.5 years after Lincoln’s Empancipation Proclamation. Efforts to make this a national holiday are in play. The time is right for that to happen. 
Scouring through old prints this week in search of photos for a friend, this image found its way to my hands, from 1980s Atlanta. The photo, taken at the Fulton County Emergency Children’s Shelter, was part of an Atlanta Journal & Constitution series, “Suffer the Children,” reported by Jane O. Hansen. A baby finding a lifeline in the hands of a caregiver. It seemed like a good one to post in 2020. 
This morning I had a great time photographing a crew from Kentucky-based Campbellsville Industries, Inc. as they carefully removed the cupola from the roof of the Masonic Lodge building (now Gumbo’s Restaurant) on the Georgetown square. As people passed through downtown, you could see the concern on their faces. “Why are they taking it down?” No worries, friends. The cupola being removed has been through some hard times since first being placed in 1985. Yes, they are replacing it with a new one, currently being crafted at Campbellsville Industries. When finished, the crew returns to replace the old one. And the new one won’t change the design. It’ll just be new. The Masonic Lodge was built here in 1900. It originally had a cupola, but was gone from sight for decades, until 1985, that is. So for now, there’ll be a blank spot on the square. Be patient. 
Bartlett, Texas, a community in Williamson and Bell Counties, is one of those places I enjoy visiting from time to time. The photos offered tonight were taken on two recent trips. “Trip” might be a stretch since it’s only a 20-minute drive from my home in Taylor. The last time I heard, Bartlett’s population hovers around 1600, but it’s probably more now. It still retains small-town Texas charm. The young lady is riding her bike past a prop for the NBC series “Revolution,” partially filmed here from 2012-2014. The show is long gone, but the sign remains. 
While East Williamson County, Texas will always be my favorite subject matter, the town square in Georgetown, Texas is about the most beautiful one I’ve seen. These are photos made last week on two different occasions while covering something else. The first three are evening images, the last one taken Saturday morning. Nothing spectacular here, folks, just watching light and reflections. 
