This photo of a pitcher and catcher having a pitcher’s mound confab in 1975 Shreveport, Louisiana, taken while working at the Shreveport Journal, is one of my favorite people photos. I posted it a few years ago, but in these days of “social distancing” I thought it might be worth sharing again. Sporting events have come to a grinding halt as we deal with the coronavirus. Be safe out there, friends. 
It’s not uncommon here on the Blackland Prairie to experience a sudden rain shower, often coming, and leaving, without fanfare. That was the case last evening as I happened by two horses a little north of Granger, Texas. The entire burst lasted maybe three minutes. These beauties seemed to enjoy a dash of cool on an otherwise warm night. 
When leaving Georgetown’s Berry Springs Park & Preserve on a recent evening, I stopped to admire the agave and other flowering plants lovingly cared for by Williamson County Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists. Agave is an interesting plant, anyway, but add a Northern Mockingbird (our state bird) and a Bluebonnet (our state flower) and it’s even better. That mockingbird and I had a stare-down with each other for almost 30 minutes. While it made sense she (he?) would leave, she stayed around to mock me! It seemed only right that she perched over the state flag for a while. This is mostly about the bird and agave, but there’s one state flower included, too. More of that to come in a later post. 
“Social distancing” is a phrase that’s become popular as we deal with the coronavirus. Here in farm country, on the Blackland Prairie, “distancing” is not a problem. Farming is solitude. These photos were taken this evening as I wandered around the Blackland Prairie. 
While stopping by my local HEB this morning, I noticed more than one person wearing a face mask. This customer awaiting a ride with her load of groceries is doing the smart thing. Are masks becoming more readily available? 
The coronavirus is dominating everything. Many events throughout the world have been either cancelled or postponed. Grocery stores have been hammered with panic buying. Thankfully, that is improving. On Saturday, I did find activity to document. Blue Hole Lagoon, in Georgetown, was supposed to be the site of a volunteer cleanup, but it didn’t happen. I did, however, find some folks enjoying its beauty. A couple blocks south, the Georgetown square hosted their monthly Market Days. There I met Ella, an 11-year-old Pembrook Welsh Corgi, and Aandi, a curly-headed 4-year-old enjoying his day. My Saturday concluded on a cloudy evening at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Wuthrich Hill. I never grow weary of its presence. 
Last year I met Todd Plybon after learning that he had been following my work via Instagram (@andybobsharp). As it turns out, Todd, and his wife, Tara, were also Taylor neighbors. Todd’s story is inspiring. In May 2004, at the time a chemistry and physics instructor at Taylor High School, Todd joined the Army National Guard. Not long after, he was deployed to Iraq, where he spent portions of 2004-2005. Returning home, he continued his life, with occasional stateside duties. In 2009, he was returned to active duty, this time in Afghanistan. On October 15 of that year, the Humvee he and fellow soldiers were navigating encountered an improvised explosive device. It was Todd and Tara’s 15th wedding anniversary. Plybon was thrown 40 feet, sustaining massive injuries to his upper right leg, with additional trauma to his ribs and head. Within three days, he was back in the states, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He spent six months there, undergoing several surgeries.
“I couldn’t go back to the life I had before,” he explained.
In 2020, Todd is an accomplished photographer. Until the Coronavirus put a temporary stop to the Georgetown Photography Festival, originally planned for March 21st, he was a featured presenter. The festival has been rescheduled for August 22nd. Although he owns a digital camera, Todd’s preferred medium is film. Black-and-white film. After shooting photos, he makes excursions to The Darkroom Co-op, near the UT-Austin campus, where he develops his film and follows up with old-fashioned prints made on an actual enlarger. Remember those, friends? They’re still with us. His photo expeditions are varied. Recently, I met him in Coupland, where he arrived before dawn to photograph the Huntington Sculpture Garden, the creation of sculptor Jim Huntington. He moved carefully through the work, using his walking stick to navigate the area with his Pentax K1000 (35mm) and a vintage Rolleiflex (120mm). Film, of course.
The veterans’ program at Georgetown’s Ride On Center for Kids (R.O.C.K.) has been a part of Todd’s life for five years. Under the guidance of program director Heidi Derning, he takes part in Therapeutic Horsemanship sessions every week. On a recent visit, he worked with Mooch, a 15-year-old mustang. Watching Todd work with Mooch, I can see that he is a “whisperer.” He knows how to “gentle” his four-legged friend. Before R.O.C.K., Todd explains, he used to have difficulty dealing with anger. While there are still hard times, his time at R.O.C.K. has done wonders.
And there’s Tara. Since Afghanistan, Tara, a trained journalist, she has been Todd’s primary caregiver. Their relationship has become closer. “I’m his mobility sherpa,” she explained.
When the Photography Festival comes to town, you’ll meet some fine photographers, but none more inspiring than Todd Plybon. His photography work is on display at the Williamson Museum until March 31. 
A column I did on Todd is in today’s Williamson County Sun.
During my daily walks in Taylor, I take 2 or 3 restroom breaks along the way. One of the stops is at Murphy Park. This morning these signs were tacked onto the door. I don’t know who left the signs there, but do find their lack of empathy disheartening. Our little town has a homeless population. For most, the only recourse they have for getting street grime cleaned off are in public restrooms. Granted, I’ve seen discarded clothes and paper towels scattered about on my stops, but this type of signage is off the mark. This was just one of my cell phone snaps. 
“Sweet Charity” opens tonight at the Georgetown Palace. Most of my theater work, as always, is posted on both Facebook and Instagram, but it’s good to be represented a bit here, too. Assuming the theater doesn’t shut down the show because of Coronavirus concerns, it will run weekends through April 5th. Keeping my fingers crossed. 
I was looking for something light, and hopefully sweet, from my archives for this Throwback Thursday post. These young ladies in mid-1980s huddled close while watching a Birds of Prey show with their fellow pre-school classmates. We need light-hearted in 2020. 