With temperatures approaching 100 degrees the past few days, area residents are looking for ways to stay cool.   One of them is Blue Hole Lagoon in Georgetown.    We expect to see these temperatures in late-July, but not mid-May.

Just a few recent photos of some of Taylor’s newest resident ducks.   When spring comes, I keep an eye out for this new life, not only in our city parks, but also in our neighborhoods.  These ducks get around.   Ducks are our school mascot.   Tex Avery, the creator of Donald Duck  in 1937, was a Taylor native.   This collection is from Bull Branch Park. We like our ducks. 

Tonight’s sunset aligned nicely over New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church.   One of my first memorieswhen moving back to Texas in 2009 was seeing the 104-foot tall copper spire, visible for miles on the Blackland Prairie.   I continue to be in awe when it comes into view.

A leftover from Sunday evening wandering, in search of full moon (Blood Moon?) photos.   I did also photograph the eclipse, but it’s just on Facebook and Instagram.   Hopefully, this image lets viewers know something about Texas landscapes.

A full moon shines tonight above Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Wuthrich Hill.   A lunar eclipse is also coming this evening.  I don’t know if I’ll be up for that.   We shall see.

A few years ago, I recall seeing trees at 8th and Main in Georgetown adorned with nesting Green Herons, the smaller cousins of Great Blue Herons.   While on the town square today, I looked up into those trees and saw a couple looking down my way, building nests.  Another hint that they’re back?   Poop on the benches below.   They’re really adorable little birds.  I think of them as water birds, but in downtown Georgetown, there’s only puddles.  Maybe they visit the San Gabriel River, a few blocks north of town?

I’m pretty sure I’ve been on this North Williamson County road, but it’s been quite a while.   These three photos were taken very close to one another.   On my rural posts in the spring, you’ll likely see a good bit of crop growth.  Cornfields are everywhere you look.   And a few wheat fields, too.  Seeing the state flag is always a plus!  

Back to Bartlett for tonight’s post.   If you’ve followed my work for a while, you know that I mostly limit  my rambling to places nearby.   Bartlett, a community about 20 minutes north of Taylor, fits that criteria. The latest population figures say it’s a bit under 1800.  It’s also supposed to be the 644th largest city in the state, the 8057th largest city in the United States.  Despite its size, it’s not easy to get a photo of downtown without getting cars on either side of the road.   I’ve noticed quite a few residents get around town via bicycles.  The lady is Edith, sweeping the sidewalk in what was once the German restaurant she operated with her husband.   It’s closed now, but Edith keeps the area looking good.   It’s a pleasant little town, with cobblestone streets intact.

Just a couple tree photos tonight, each taken on recent cloudy evenings.   As with many images, these aren’t far from Granger, Texas.   I’m amazed development hasn’t begun to impact this area much, but no doubt it will come.   Taylor will tap out, people will seek serenity in other places.  

A few evenings back, taking photos after a period of stormy skies, I stopped to take some shots of sunset near a wheat field south of Granger.  As I finished my visual wandering, I met Steve, a Granger-area farmer.  “That’s our wheat,” he mentioned.   There wasn’t much traffic, giving us time to visit a few minutes.   Steve mentioned recent tornados that blew through this area.   His parents’ home sustained severe damage.   Their barn was destroyed.   His father is in his 90s, mother in her 80s.   They’re okay, but not living in their house right now.   The photos of Steve make this post a better one.   The last photo, when the early-evening sky really stood out, shows Steve’s family crops, corn on the left, wheat at right.   Scenes from farm country on the Blackland Prairie.