Although I’ve known his son Carl for years, in late-2022 I met Carl’s father, Dale Illig,  during an event at Georgetown’s  San Gabriel Park.    He began that first visit with something I’ll always remember.  “You know why I like your work,” he began, “because it’s quiet.”   There it is, friends.   This is someone who understands my photographic philosophy.   In the early-70s, one of my mentors, a practicing photojournalist, told me it’s okay for photos to whisper.   It gave me confidence that what I did was okay, even if it didn’t always fit into the framework of newspaper photography.   It’s amazing I’ve been able to make a living in an environment that seems to embrace dissonance and noise.   But I digress.   About a month ago, a photo taken of a beautiful windmill near Walburg got some attention from none other than Dale Illig, the owner of that windmill.  Mr. Illig, a retired attorney, and President of the W.D. Kelley Foundation, was the windmill’s owner.   The windmill, unlike many seen, is pretty new.   It glows.   At the time I didn’t know it was his windmill.  I just liked how light graced its blades.   After posting the windmill on Instagram, Mr. Illig, who followed me there,  shared that the windmill rested in a field on his 189 acre farm.    Although he lives in Georgetown, Dale finds time to relax on the place he purchased in 2012.   The opening photo is the windmill.   The others, taken the following week, were when Illig and I visited the farm together.   He has the windmill, but also a nice old barn, a farmhouse, and six stock ponds, or “tanks.”   He enjoys taking a swim in one of those.  Although development is rampant where we live, Illig hopes to keep his land as it is right now.   Click on the link for the W.D. Kelley Foundation for more about Dale Illig.   I appreciate him a lot.

Although I met Tom Cavness last month at the Georgetown Photography Festival (and made a few photos of him) it was a  weekend surprise to see the Georgetown-based  photographer working at Taylor’s Bull Branch Park.    For quite some time, Cavness has been honing his skill at  photography’s  wet plate collodion process.   You can  find out more on the web, but the technique was invented in 1851 by Englishman Frederick Scott Archer.  The process adding  soluble iodide to a solution of collodion (cellulose nitrate), then coating a glass plate with the mixture.  The plate is coated, sensitized, exposed and developed in about fifteen minutes, producing a negative image on transparent glass.  Cavness was taking self-portraits at the park,  with 15-20 second exposures.   His camera of choice was 8×10 format, a 1933 Burke and James, equipped this time with a circa 1875 Albion lens.  His work can be seen here.   In the 21st Century, photographers work fast and loose, but it’s really neat to someone like Tom getting in touch with the old processes.

It was still a little misty this morning when I made photos at the City of Taylor’s Easter Egg Hunt held at Heritage Square Park, but moisture didn’t get in the way of the fun.   There were some actual bunny rabbits on hand for visitors to see!   By mid-afternoon I was at Georgetown Church of the Nazarene for their annual egg hunt.  In addition to Easter eggs, kids could get their photos made with a giant Easter Bunny and a vintage 1970  Volkswagon bus, owned by a church member.   An added bonus at the church was a beautiful field of wildflowers where kids could relax and check out the goodies.   The first four photos are from Taylor, the rest from Georgetown.   Happy Easter, friends.

A few years ago I took some photos of this roadside shrine, seen in front of a planted field in Taylor.   The interior wasn’t lighted then, but it was tonight as I drove by a few minutes after sunset.    On Good Friday it glowed.   According to what I found on Wikipedia, a Wayside Shrine is a religious image, usually in some sort of small shelter, placed by a path or roadway, often in the middle  of an empty stretch of country road.  Wayside shrines have been prevalent in Catholic and Orthodox Europe, also in Asian countries.   This area of Central Texas is home to many with European roots.   Seeing this tonight reinforces that.

We’ve been having a good deal of rain the past two days in Taylor.   It’s raining as this is written, with temperatures in the low-50s.  I think it feels grand.    On my daily walks, I usually see other walkers, runners and cyclists, but the only beings in motion were birds, like the mama duck trolling through choppy water at Murphy Park.  It’s been years since taking photos of the neighborhood shrine, but misty conditions made it really stand out.   Even with rain gear and a large umbrella, the rain found me and my camera. Seldom will you see me without a camera.

Another leftover photo taken well before sunrise a few days ago.   Since we’ve been getting much-needed rain the past few days, I thought this might be worth offering.   It’s a pond I like to photograph when the mood is right.

My guess is this Texas Longhorn was stretching in order to get those pesky flies to mosey on.   Whatever the reason, it was an interesting few moments to observe!

When it was obvious I’d not be getting a full moon photograph on Wednesday evening, I was more than glad to see this often-documented view of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, resting atop a hill in Wuthrich Hill, northeast of Taylor.   I’ve photographed this church many times since 2009.   Unless we move out of the area, I’ll continue to capture its presence.

A full moon was hoped for this evening, but clouds put that notion to rest.  However, the collection of clouds over this barn and field in East Williamson County was just fine.    We need rain on the prairie.   If that means not seeing the moon, that’s okay.  

Stepping into the backyard just after 6a.m.  the full moon, nearing moonset, was glowing.  Since clouds and rain were forecast for the next few days, the lunar appearance  encouraged a drive around for a better venue.   Clouds and mist, however, quickly replaced moon glow.   Rather than waste an early outing, I made a few photos around Taylor, including the former First Presbyterian Church, soon to be a mixed use development, Talbot Commons, the Taylor rail yards, plus  a couple of downtown shop windows.   The post concludes with some food trailers near Old Taylor High, then one of Old Taylor High by itself.   You make do.  Always.