As development continues its march onto the prairie, these wanderings take me further into the countryside.  Last week, I ventured east, well beyond the community of Granger, Texas.  Finally, as the day’s light began the transformation into night, I saw what local folks call a “hand shack,” meant as homes for seasonal farm workers, or “hands” if you like.   Thankfully, I’d ventured far enough so that I could stop on a peaceful road, get out of the car and make a few photos.  This is one of those.

The Red Poppy Festival in Georgetown, Texas is celebrating its 20th year this weekend. Spring is a time for festivals, many of them in Central Texas, but all over the United States.   Those following my posts here, and on social media, are all over the globe.  For photos specific to a local audience, I’ll leave that to others.  My goal  in any post is to present something interesting to everyone, regardless of where you live.   So these photos taken today are things to which all can relate.    This festival is many things, music, a car show, a fine parade, and people, lots of people.   The opening image might be my favorite.  Although it tells you not a thing about the festival per se, it’s a good moment.   The gentleman at right there is Chet Garner, the host of a popular show, “The Daytripper.”  Although very busy during the festival, Chet took a few minutes to visit with and share stories with 99-year-old Doris Griffith.  If you’ve seen Chet, you know he’s a lively fellow.  This image shows a gentle  side not everyone sees.   The other photos are this and that, including a parade pooch, Lucy, joined by her mom, on staff at the Georgetown Palace.   Oh, that last photo is another diversion.  By mid-afternoon today it was getting hot.  A 7-year-old and his family found a shady spot where he concentrated mightily on a game on mom’s phone. His little sister, about to turn 2, was focused, too.   These were made for the Williamson County Sun.

When we moved to Taylor, Texas in 2009, this old house was one of the things I remember.   After living for far too many years in metro-Atlanta, Georgia, I craved space.   This house, already vacant for quite some time, was nestled among farmer’s crops in a field.  It look well-suited as a beach house.   This area of the Blackland Prairie is my land ocean.   The house seemed to fit in nicely.  These were taken tonight as I made my way home.   Although the windows have been posted before, I’ve not given you the sense of space around the house.  Maybe this rectifies that.   Development continues at a phenomenal pace, but this remains.

This follows up on Wednesday’s post, a few more photos taken Wednesday evening around the Blackland Prairie after the storms moseyed on toward the east.   Some of the most impeccable light on the planet seems to be late in the day as the sun begins to appear while the land and skies retain their moisture.   It’s a wonderful combination.   A few windmills are included here.  The first couple are the same one, taken different ways.  I’m not sure which I like better.   The more full-framed version includes the all-important crops, but the tighter one?  Maybe.   Then there’s a grand little field of wheat, light and shadow dancing across its surface.  In downtown Granger, golden hues graced not only the brick street, but a couple of engines making their way along the tracks.  Oh, and the sheep-herding dogs, curious fellows they are. 

042419 EAST Williamson

So I’m sitting in my car at a Taylor park  this evening, reading a good book, when I noticed the raindrops forming on a rear window, framing some of the park’s trees.  Satisfied with the photo, I continued reading, then noticed a rainbow forming after the rain had moved on.  For now, the book was put on hold as I proceeded to take a drive around East Williamson County.   The light’s always nice around here, but it was really special on this night.  There were plenty of places to point the camera as those last rays did their work.  The last photo also contains a hint of a rainbow.  Rainbows don’t stay around too long, do they?

This is horse I’ve visited three or four times.   She’s not always close enough to make the images  into keepers, but she was last night when these photos were taken as she pranced through the spring wildflowers.   Note that I do not cotton to having that house in the background of the opening photo, but as you may know, serious manipulation is not my thing.  The action in the photo, however, supersedes the  house matter.  This is a little outside Granger, Texas.

Just this one tonight, friends.   As spring marches toward summer, the bluebonnets will soon fade away, but not quite yet.   With warm evening light a little west of Taylor this weekend, our state flower juxtaposed nicely with some of our rural Texas skyscrapers. 

Tonight, a continuation of wildflowers in my area of Central Texas.   The photos were made in North Williamson County, Texas.   It’s always nice when I’m able to post a photo that includes a Texas Longhorn.    I’ll work through these wildflower posts pretty soon, but not quite yet.

Each spring Georgetown, Texas pays homage to red poppies.   These beautiful flowers can be found in area public parks and at homes throughout the city just north of Austin.   Next weekend a celebration, the Red Poppy Festival, comes to the Georgetown town square.   My friends at the Williamson County Sun asked me to make a few poppy photos as a lead-in to next weekend’s events.  What you see here are those.   I won’t go into Georgetown’s specific poppy history.  Instead, I remember my elementary school classes in the early-1960s reciting the poem “In Flanders’ Fields,” penned in 1915 by Lt. Col. John McCrae, a Canadian doctor, after a friend died in battle.  At the conclusion of World War I the poppy was adopted as a symbol of remembrance.    When I was growing up, I recall veterans groups passing out little red poppies.  Good memories they are.   These are photos made today of poppies in Georgetown, Texas.  The first and last images are indeed the same young lady as she enjoys an area park this morning. 

“Sister Act the Musical” opens tonight at the Georgetown Palace.   It’s my habit to post most of the images from theater productions on Facebook, but wanted to represent the play with an image here, too.   Kendra Christel is phenomenal in the title role as Deloris Van Cartier.  If you’re in Central Texas any weekend through May 19th, be sure to get tickets for this show.   It moves!