A few years ago, when working on a story about wheat harvest, I was riding in a combine when it seemed like a good idea to step out into the field for another view.   The farmer questioned that idea, but I did go out into the field.   The dust created was overwhelming to my allergy-laden senses.   Good photos were taken, but at a cost.   These days I photograph wheat in a safer environment.   These photos are from recent ventures on the prairie.   Wheat is a most elegant crop, a food source that’s also beautiful to behold.

Stops at Taylor’s rookery in Murphy Park occur pretty regularly when the migratory egrets come  to town.   I thoroughly enjoy seeing their visually poetic moves over our town.  The darker birds are mostly cormorants, year-round residents who find ways to coexist with these seasonal visitors.   Our home is only a mile from the rookery, but numerous photographers and birders make this a destination each year.   And they spend money here.    If the heat and drought doesn’t beat them down again, I’ll be making more visits there.

Saint Martins Catholic Church, near Warrenton, Texas, in Fayette County, is considered to be the world’s smallest active worship Catholic Church in the world.  Nestled in a field along F.M. 237, it is indeed quite small.   I’ve been there a couple times before.    On a recent weekend outing, another visit for photos seemed appropriate.   You have to look for this site.   There are no advance signs directing you there.   Mass is still held here, but not every week.   The space is so small I can’t offer you a full view of the sanctuary with a 24mm lens.   Maybe I need to carry my 14mm lens, too.   Seating is four wooden benches on each side of an aisle.   Is it the world’s smallest?   I just know it’s nice to see it again.

This afternoon I spent some fun time at the annual Easter egg hunt conducted by Georgetown Church of the Nazarene.   The grounds of the church are often adorned with wildflowers.   The opening photo is of four siblings enjoying the scenery after their egg hunts.   The other photos supplement this post, but I really like the 1970 Volkswagen bus used as a place for the Easter bunny to visit with children.   Those ears.  I’ll return to the the landscape scenics, but whenever I get the chance to offer some people photography, I’ll do just that.

These events need little explanation.   It’s a simple matter of following the action.  And the expressions of happy children.   As my favorite photo director said decades ago, “This isn’t rocket science.”    From this morning’s Taylor Easter egg hunt.

We live in East Williamson County, but a portion of the Blackland Prairie adorns Northeast Travis County, home to Austin.  Offered tonight are wildflower  photos specific to Travis County.  From our home in Taylor, it’s exactly ten miles to Travis County.  The tractor includes a little of New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church.  The red barn photos include two versions.   Just more information.  And some Evening Primrose to conclude this post.

My first sighting of New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church was the summer of 2009.   I was driving from Taylor to Austin via F.M. 973.   There was a tall  spire in the far distance, visible for miles.   After 29 years in cramped and crowded metro-Atlanta, this was a wonderful sight.   Since then I’ve returned to take photos of the church a number of times.   These are from Wednesday evening, clouds gathering around the church, acting as a natural frame.  The spire is made of copper and is 104-feet tall.   The current church opened in 1921, but the congregation began in 1876.    It’s a popular destination for many photographers.    One can understand why.

This was taken a while after the rainbow photos last evening.  Daylight was waning, but the sky held onto some intensity.   With a country road moist with raindrops, it merited a brief stop.

After a good dousing of rain this afternoon, it felt nice to be heading home.  I decided to take a drive along  a favorite unpaved road leading to Coupland’s venerable truss bridge.   The reward was a wonderful rainbow that stayed in the sky for quite a while.   They often come and go so fast.   Not this time.   Rain sometimes brings us an extra gift. 

If given a choice, I’d take clouds and rain over seeing a full moon.  Our area of Texas continues to deal with dry conditions.   Late Monday afternoon, however, the clouds lifted.  When the moon finally appeared, it was nearly 8:30.  And I didn’t want just a shot of the moon surrounded  by darkness.  Last night I checked the time for Tuesday morning moonset.   If I could manage to get out the door, there might be a photo worth taking.  These four photographs were taken a little before and a bit after 7:30 this morning.    The moon was in its Waning Gibbous phase, at 98.6% percent visibility.    Good enough.    Early-morning light is every bit as nice as its late-day counterpart.   If only I could get out the door more often.    The prairie awaits.