It was fun watching people observing the annular eclipse today at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, hosted by Friends of Berry Springs Park, a good group of folks who provided solar glasses free of charge while supplies lasted.   For my camera, I used a pricey solar filter for the eclipse photos.  It worked well, something I’ll use again next April.  Our visibility in Williamson and Travis Counties was 89%, not too shabby.  For 100% visibility, you had to travel south toward San Antonio.   The eclipse photos shown here are presented in the order taken, starting about 10:50a.m., concluding at 12:40p.m.    I’m seeing a whole bunch of eclipse photos, but very few of the people enamored by the event.   You need both for a complete picture, even if you’re not a journalist.

By this time each year most of the migratory egrets and ibis have moved on from Murphy Park’s rookery, but I did see quite a few still gracing us with their presence this week.    It’s still a nice place all year long, with cattle egrets, ducks, cormorants, geese and herons, but the Great and Snowy Egrets will probably leave very soon.   My preference with these birds  is observing them in flight as they dance among the clouds.

A few flowers come into our area after a period of rain each fall.   You may recall I posted some rain lilies recently, but am seeing quite a few more this  past week.   The red flowers have been called Oxblood Lilies, Schoolhouse Lilies and Amaryllis.  Others may have different names for them.    The opening photo is from this evening, a bit south of Taylor.   Others were seen the in recent days in Taylor.   The little white and yellow flowers are tiny, but vibrant.  Those were seen during morning walks.   I’m terrible at identifying flowers, but love seeing them.  They don’t stay around very long.

Approximately 2500 pumpkins arrived this afternoon from New Mexico at Georgetown’s First United Methodist Church.  Lots of folks were there to help unload and distribute the pumpkins, but perhaps the most fun worker was just the young fellow enjoying the aromatic hay as much as the pumpkins.   The pumpkins go on sale Thursday, continuing through the end of the month.  Another batch arrives here on October 22nd.

Clouds hovered over our area throughout the day and evening.   Rather than post something ready to go, I wanted to represent the sky tonight.   It wasn’t working out so  well until about 20 minutes or so after sunset, when crisp blue night light came into play over a pasture in East Williamson County.   If that horse sharing hay with cows was dark, this wouldn’t have worked at all.   Thank goodness for white horses.  

Georgetown’s Grace Episcopal Church held their Blessing of the Animals Sunday morning at San Gabriel Park.   It’s a sweet service in a quiet setting.   In the opening photo Buster Brown receives his blessing, relishing the attention.   He’s shown in another photo wearing his human’s cap.   Buster came into his owner’s life when he was losing his wife in 2021.   Buster Brown and his human nuture one another.   Pets deserve all the blessings we can give them. 

A good portion of a productive Saturday was spent at Windsong Farm in Georgetown, site of the 30th Clayman Rodeo, an event created by Kelly and Jim Bob Clayman, two former rodeo champions.   Throughout the year, the Claymans instruct students, kids and adults, in equestrian skills far beyond rodeo skills.   This annual rodeo provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they’ve learned.   You won’t find the more dangerous events here.  No bull riding, no bareback riding.   You will see barrel racing, roping and pole bending.    This rodeo is an early-fall highlight for me every October.    I’m posting quite a few photos here, with a few on social media, Facebook and Instagram, but more of the feature photos there. 

A photograph taken this morning over the San Gabriel River near Taylor, taken 32 minutes before dawn.   Because of a slow shutter speed, you may not be able to see it, but a bird is flying overhead.   Day’s beginnings can be magical.

Autumn skies tonight, all near Granger, Walburg and Bartlett, Texas.  The photos can speak for themselves.

“Jekyll & Hyde” opens tonight on the Springer Stage at the Georgetown Palace.   I post most of my theater photos on Facebook and Instagram, but include a few here of Cayden Couchman, wonderful in the dual roles of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde.  The production is onstage through November 5th.