Most of my daily drives have been north and east of Taylor.   While there are a few fields of cotton growing,  it’s mostly blooms so far.   Then this week a drive to Southeast Williamson County produced these photographs.    Cotton bolls are here!   Hopefully, the crops will prosper.   We have some magnificent farmers here who can make it happen.

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter joined the Georgetown Public Library for a kitten adoption event today.   Nineteen kittens were available for adoption.  Each one was adopted.    My focus is on Acadia, a kitten who was six-weeks-old today.   Acadia’s three siblings perished in the Texas floods that impacted Central Texas a few weeks ago.  Acadia is in four of these eight photos.  The family that adopted her is in the fourth photo.   Just because I like it, the little boy in the Spiderman shirt is included.    Others, hopefully, require no added words.   There are “dog” people and “cat” people.   I like them all.  

Just three soothing pastoral scenes, all taken Monday evening, north of Granger, and Schwertner.   Trees, sunsets, grain elevators.    Nothing more.

Horse portraits, my friends.   Another post where the need to expound is really not needed.   Horses are among the most elegant and expressive beings  in our world.  

This view is similar to one posted a while back, but it evolves with the summer’s haze.   In Bell County, Texas.

In order to keep this string of walk photographs going I’ll have to actually walk.  But as most folks know around here, it’s dang hot.   Summers in Central Texas are seven months long.   Anyway, here’s a batch of sixteen from this past week, all strolls in Taylor, including a squirrel,  all with a smaller Olympus camera.  

Normally I don’t offer posts that tend to be only interesting to area folks, but perhaps this one can touch someone.   If you’re in Williamson County, Texas, and you read the Williamson County Sun, you no doubt know the story of Lt. Charles Woodruff McCook, a Georgetown native , a graduate of Georgetown High (1938) and Southwestern University (1941).   On August 3, 1943, Lt. McCook, then just 23, was the pilot in a World War II mission over Burma.   The bomber, a B-25, came under heavy fire, crippling the craft.   McCook managed to gain enough altitude for some crew members to parachute to safety, but the craft  then went down, taking McCook’s life.  His remains, without identification, were taken to Hawaii for burial, along with other unknown soldiers.   Fast-forward 82 years, where DNA technology confirmed his identity through a family member, a nephew, John McCook.   This week, Lt. McCook’s remains came home to Georgetown, where he was laid to rest in Georgetown’s IOOF Cemetery. A B-25 similar to the one piloted by Lt. McCook did a flyover.   A procession beginning at VFW Post 8587 wound through Old Town and the town square,  passing Southwestern University en route to the cemetery.   A very large group of motorcyclists participated in the procession.    Nobody who knew Lt. McCook is alive, but that nephew, his sister and a great-niece (John’s daughter) were there.   John is the man placing flowers on the coffin just before burial.  His sister, Diane, is holding the flag.  John’s daughter, the great-niece, is on active duty in the Air Force. This is a sweet story.   It surprises me more newspapers and television stations weren’t there

Maybe it’s a poor analogy, but many of my favorite works of art were created by Norman Rockwell.   His work always brings joy.   On rare occasions a subject will  inspire me enough to recall Mr. Rockwell.   This 5-year-old does that.   I won’t give you his name, but mama gave permission to take his photo this week.   Prior to seeing the family, I photographed mama’s horses.  We chatted for a while.  The little guy’s expressions and countenance were impeccable, a bit of Americana in rural Texas.  

The Blackland Prairie landscape is revealed as a cornfield is cleared in Bell County, Texas.

Driving through Granger at sunset last evening those skies  looked good enough for a photograph.   These are along East Davilla Street.   While observing the changing light, a little pooch, maybe no more than five pounds, meandered across the road.  Thankfully, even though tiny, motorists noticed her.   She was on a mission, hopefully to get home.  On the way back to the car, a Waxing Crescent moon provided one more photograph.   Granger is a small community a few miles north of Taylor.  I stop there often.