The San Gabriel River has taken a beating during the drought, but it was looking rather nice Thursday evening when I spent time at Georgetown’s San Gabriel Park.   It seems I’d forgotten that Great Egrets enjoy it, too.   They gather in trees high above the water, caressing the air as they glide into a space.   And yes, there’s even a moon photograph included.  Plus a gathering of ducks.   I enjoy bodies of water in all forms, but a good river can’t be surpassed.  The San Gabriel is elegant, not too muddy, not too wide.    It’s the very essence of serenity.

Land is finite.   We’re not making anymore.   I think about that when rambling through the countryside.   Tonight’s photograph is a swath of land in Southeast Williamson County, Texas.   I love this view, one recorded a number of times.    I can’t speak for others, but it’s places like this that are in peril as development takes hold.   That development will have an impact for generations.   

Just a grab shot, something seen this week while wandering near Granger Lake.   They mostly stayed hidden in the brush, but ventured out for a minute to say howdy. 

Just when I think it’s time to move onto to other subject matter, a moonscape appears to be following my movements this week.   Tonight it made its presence known above Granger’s City Hall, a Waxing Crescent moon at 18.6% visibility.    Honestly, I look for reasons to photograph this structure.   It was built in 1908-09 for use as the Farmer’s State Bank building.   The bank closed in 1926.   The City of Granger made it theirs in 1929.  It’s one of the iconic structures in this community nestled in the heart of Williamson County, Texas.

Although I’d planned to move on from moon photography, tonight’s Waxing Crescent moon over Taylor’s St. James Episcopal Church kept me focused a little more.   At 11.1% visibility it looked wonderful.   But of course I think most moon photographs can be wonderful.   This church was built in 1893, using cypress, oak and pine wood.   It remains an active church today.  An organ installed in 1914 is still in use.  

Staying close to home Monday evening, I drove to downtown Taylor and just strolled around a little, enjoying the cool night air.   Walking under the viaduct I noticed a tiny slice of moonlight shining above the Taylor train yards, a Waxing Crescent moon, at 5.3% visibility.  Eclipses are nice, but the moon always looks good.

It’s hard to keep up with the number of times I’ve wandered onto the weathered boards of the retired truss bridge along County Road 366 in the Rowe Valley area north of Taylor.   Several years ago, before light pollution made things problematic, I actually spent an entire night on this bridge in pursuit of a predicted meteor shower.   The photos were pedestrian, but it was an interesting experience.  When we moved to Taylor in 2009 the bridge had already been closed for years, replaced by a more modern one spanning the San Gabriel River.  I’m surprised it’s been allowed to remain, but glad it’s there. When there Sunday evening, the thing that really got my attention were what appeared to be hundreds of little bugs  hovering over the river.   Since they were in constant motion I’m assuming  they were insects!   Friends with knowledge of such things probably know what they are, but the way the late-day light highlighted their movements was remarkable.   Anyone who knows when this bridge was retired should feel free to fill us in.

Just watching light tonight as it falls on old-growth pecan trees not far from the San Gabriel River near Taylor, Texas.

While taking photos at Georgetown’s Market Days on Saturday morning, I had time to visit with some nice folks from All Things Wild Rehabilitation, a Williamson County non-profit that  comes to the rescue of nature’s wild  animals in need.   Although they’ve been profiled on this site and social media a couple of times, this post focuses on  their upcoming fundraiser, a Country Brunch at Dale’s Essenhaus in Walburg, happening next Saturday, October 21st from 10:30a.m. to 1:30p.m.  They’ll bring along some of their Ambassador animals, ones who are helped for life because their injuries won’t allow release back into the wild.  Live country music will be provided by Jo Ellen Burnevik.    The photos presented here include three Ambassadors, including Murphy, a blind opossum held by Helen Laughlin, a founder of this group, Luna, an Eastern Screech Owl who lost a wing after being hit by a car,  and Daffy, a skunk cuddled by helper Sharon Dunning.   You can get tickets for the brunch at their website.    Show this deserving group some kindness. 

On the way to Georgetown early this morning a nice sunrise came into my field of view near Weir, Texas.   Windmills are a given.