Let’s be honest.   All photographers return to favorite places.    I’ve taken photos of this scene a few times over the years.   This version was made just after the first significant rain in 50-plus days had moved through, leaving us with a gentle and inviting light.    On places like this, I’m careful to avoid identifying the specific site.    The image was made from the road that runs by the pond. I know photographers who take licenses to trespass on private property, giving us all a bad name.

The last two days I’ve been photographing the Taylor International Barbecue Cook-Off, held at Murphy Park.   The event began in 1978, attracting 74 teams this year.  A recent addition to the cook-off was a grilled-cheese sandwich contest, geared for the kids.  Speaking of kids, my Huck Finn moment was the shirtless young fellow strolling through the park with dad.   I like that.  Every time I cover this happening, I yearn for a way to convey the aroma that encompasses the entire park.  Watching the judges’ faces is quite a hoot, too!

Hauling a load of hay home along a county road east of Taylor on a recent evening.   That cotton is about ready.

Even though we’ve had much-appreciated rain the past two days, our water levels will likely remain low for a while.   These photos were made before the first rain moved in this week at Taylor’s rookery.   This was the first time I’ve seen the egrets walking in the water, not roosting in nearby trees.   Note that these birds are in the middle of the lake.  It’s that shallow right now.      Driving by there tonight, it’s obvious the rainfall hasn’t made a dent in the water level.  Maybe it will over time.

From Thursday evening, a view of sunset beyond Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Wuthrich Hill, Texas.   We felt the rain yesterday.  More is forecast for the next several days.     That’s great news.   Rain can harm, but also heal.

The ground continues to look dry and parched, but we’re happy with any rain we receive.  After this afternoon’s storms, I drove through the Wuthrich Hill area, finding a subtle rainbow, fading  quickly.   More rain is forecast for Friday.   Fingers crossed.

On every opening day of school assignment, I’ve run into traffic problems, but not this time on my visit to Georgetown’s Cooper Elementary School.   As someone who lived in metro-Atlanta for almost three decades, I’m averse to crowds.   This was nice.  I particularly enjoyed taking photos of 4-year-old identical twin sisters.   They were a hoot!   And it was nice to see the positive messages written in chalk by teachers and staff.   This post would’ve been made sooner, but chasing storm photos took a little time.  

As this is written, it’s raining in Williamson County, Texas.  Storms rolled through this afternoon as a young farmer worked to clear stalks from a recently-harvested field.   Included is an old hand shack photographed quite a few times.   Nearby, a lightning strike set a pasture on fire.   The subdivision in that last photo would not have been affected by the fire, but it was a good angle to show the smoke.

Some farm-related landscapes are what I have for this post.    Occasionally, I’ll happen on a scene that does more than I can to describe  in words this area of the Blackland Prairie.   The opening photo might one of those.   While the lighting isn’t as soothing as the other two images, it has purpose.   As a gigantic chip facility and its subsidiaries begin moving into our area, my guess is you’ll see more development stripping away the rural character of an area known for farming and ranching.   Things change, don’t they?

Are these photos too loud?   Sunsets here can be that way.   These two photos were made in the area around Thrall, Texas.   I continue to be fascinated by cotton.