If you look closely, perhaps you can find the three kites in this photograph.   The sky, and a few small birds, were my actual goal.  In the distance I saw what I believed to be hovering birds.  A closer brought visual clarity.   Our Blackland Prairie skies can be nice.   Those kites added much to the evening.

The day began with haze over areas around Taylor, the sun occasionally breaking through the clouds.    I returned to the rookery for a few minutes.  

A lot more time could be spent at Taylor’s rookery, but I try to pace myself.   A few photographs from an evening this week are included here.   Last year’s heat and lack of rainfall made life very hard on these birds.   I’m hoping this summer won’t be as bad, but it’s already approaching triple digits in our area.   These birds are elegant beings.

You might call them sunflowers, but I think of them as happy flowers.   From a neighbor’s yard this week in Taylor.   They make me smile.

It will probably be a while before encountering something as inspiring and heartwarming as Bo, an almost 4-week old Nigerian Dwarf Goat owned by Melissa Meiske, the Activities Director at Taylor’s S.P.J.S.T. Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.   Bo comes to work every day with Melissa, bringing warmth and joy to the residents.   He’s a little guy, only 7 pounds so far.  When grown he probably won’t be much larger, maybe 15 pounds.   Bo likes to spend time cuddling with folks.   I held him for a brief time, too.    Presented here are some photos taken of Bo interacting with the folks there.  Melissa is in the vertical photo at the end. 

It’s funny how these things come together.   About two months ago, I set out to photograph dragonflies where I knew they liked to congregate.   It took forever to one of them still long enough to make a picture.   Yesterday, however, it’s like they sought out the camera!  The opening shot was taken  with my light Olympus  while on a morning walk.  The lens was a zoom with a maximum focal length equivalent to 300mm.   When seeing her bright orange wings I moved slowly in her direction, assuming she’d zip on along.  She didn’t.  I swear she looked to be smiling.   Then last evening, Nikons in hand, I set out to photograph some horses in a small pasture.   Those photos were okay, but when I got ready to call it a day along comes another dragonfly, staying busy atop a fence post.  Once again, I assumed she’d mosey on, but she’d take flight, then seconds later return to the same spot.  This went on for about 20 minutes.  Finally, with the late-day light quickly fading I called it a day.  She probably stayed on that post into the night.  Sometimes we’re given a gift.

On Sunday morning, en route to an assignment north of Walburg, a well-loved windmill briefly captured my attention.   Clouds nestled overhead, adding a touch of soft light to the scene.    Nearby, a few folks were gathering what appeared to be ears of sweet corn from a field.   It was tempting to take their photo, but this landscape, as it often does, made the choice for me.  

A few years ago my daughter-in-law put a bug in my ear regarding magnolia blooms.   Wouldn’t it be nice to have one to place on your wall?   Thus began a fascination with these aromatic botanicals.  Since then I try to snap a few photos of magnolia blooms, usually at a neighbor’s home.   Unfortunately, the blooms are way too high in the trees to photograph this year.   So I began to look for other trees in Taylor and Georgetown.   When finding a good one, I’d stop by the owner’s house to ask permission to come on their property.   Soon enough I found out people don’t come to their doors.   Neither do I.   During my daily walks, however, a couple of blooms were  close enough to the sidewalks to allow a photograph.  The first and last photos offered are taken during those walks.    The opening shot was taken on a rainy morning in Taylor.   The light was nicely muted on the last one, too.   The other five photos were made possible by a lady who answered the doorbell.  She apologized for taking so long to answer.  She uses a walker to get around.   I apologized to her for the intrusion, but she smiled and gave permission for photos.  Such a nice lady.   I’ll find a way to present her with a printed photo for her kindness.

This is a grove of trees I haven’t photographed before.   I stopped here hoping to see a deer meandering through, but settled for just observing some warm and crisp evening light.

It’s just a very quick grab shot, but fascinating to see a big old hawk being chased across the sky by what I think is a scissor-tailed flycatcher.   The natural world is interesting.