Scenes early this morning from Georgetown’s Berry Springs Park & Preserve.    The mist hovering over the park’s pond was intriguing, very much like fog.   The temperature fluctuated between 30 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit.   After a few minutes there, I met a group of  Scouting America kids as they prepared their breakfasts over pits that also provided a bit of warmth.   They’d arrived on Friday and  continuing their outing until Sunday.   I suggested they keep an eye out for deer.   The park is adorned with quite a few.   Friends in colder climates often scoff at what we think of as cold weather.   This morning was actually pleasant, refreshing, much better than earlier this week, with temperatures in the teens.

Hawks are elusive beings, preferring their space.   Most do not cotton to the attention paid to them by cameras.   They’re focused on hunting.  A photographer’s presence is a distraction.   Most of the time they’re seen on power lines, ever so briefly, before a determined exit.  These raptors are wonderful.

It was one of those evenings where I wasn’t seeing much until meandering into North Williamson County, a pretty fair distance from our Taylor home.   Light began to get interesting.    The twin spires of Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Corn Hill always stand out, but tonight they were embraced by a massive cloud formation overhead.  This photo was taken nearly a mile from the church.   From Corn Hill I drove south, briefly stopping to snap a photo of a well-dressed barn.   Arriving in Walburg, my last stop,  the artificial light on the feed store sign was impressive.   I do love night light.    Just light observations, friends.

Temperatures are into the teens tonight in our area of Central Texas.   This afternoon and evening I visited two warming shelters in Georgetown and Taylor, places where our homeless population can find comfort throughout the nights ahead.   The first four are from Georgetown’s San Gabriel Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the last four from Taylor’s St. James Episcopal Church.   Each will be available to those in need through Saturday.   The shelter at Taylor’s church is overseen by Taylor CAN (Center for Assistance and Navigation).  Taylor CAN welcomes donations in two methods: Venmo@StJTaylorTx or via PayPal, donate@TaylorCAN.org.  Each church is a gift for their community.

Clouds, fog and mist tonight, my friends.

Honestly, I probably would’ve  taken photographs of the sky all by itself, but the presence of a graceful horse made it even nicer.  This beauty was enjoying a pleasant evening, occasionally pausing to scratch an itch, and perhaps gander at  that beautiful Texas sky.   She was in her element!

A couple of good Saturday  hours were spent at a pet adoption event held at Georgetown’s Wag Heaven.  Every third Saturday, Wag Heaven welcomes adoptable pets from the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter in Georgetown.   During my visit I met Cocobell, the pooch sharing kisses with an enthralled 6-year-old, plus Bosco (the black pooch), Grover (white pooch) and Rusty, showing some love to a young lady at the store.  On the shelter’s website, Rusty is called Dusty.   Rusty is being fostered at a home in Round Rock for now.   The adoption event continued for about two hours after I left, but if you’re in our area, do look into adopting a new family member.   The shelter, as most are, is very crowded right now.   If financially able, we’d welcome any of these babies into our home.  

Photographs taken during Monday through Friday walks in Taylor.  By now you don’t need explanations, do you?   They’re all made with an inexpensive Olympus camera, as light as your phones.   Very little time is spent on any one photograph.    I never leave home without a camera.

And one more bird offering  tonight, friends.   A week or so ago, while driving between Thorndale and Thrall, heading west to Taylor, I noticed a very large group of birds flying in formation overhead.   Enough, in fact, for me to pull over on the shoulder for a few photographs.  I’m thankful for highways with shoulders.   Back home, I looked the birds up.   If correct, those dang birds are Sandhill Cranes.   I can’t say where they started, or where they were going, but there were a lot.  It would’ve been nice if they flew a little lower, but I did what I could to get a photo.   Since that night I’ve tried for another sighting, but so far, just this one time.  Photographer colleagues Billy Weeks, Kathleen Greeson and Bill Frakes all do magnificent photographs of these cranes.   After seeing their work, I’m a little reluctant to share one here, but we do what we can, right?  If they’re not Sandhill Cranes, please advise!

Although the  egret migration to Taylor’s Murphy Park is still a few weeks away, I sometimes stop by for a look in the off-season.  Throughout the year you’ll always see cormorants, geese, herons and ducks. The Great Egrets usually arrive in the early Spring.  When I stopped by a few evenings back, however, there were a number of Great Egrets onsite.  Not many, but a presence.  This park is about five-seven minutes from home.   I enjoy my time there, whatever the month.