If you were to visit our farm country in Williamson County, Texas you would see thousands of acres of corn adorning the land.   Much of it is being harvested now.  Houses barns hidden behind the crops are again becoming visible. Corn leaves and husks, lifted from their stalks by combines become airborne.   If you were to go into an unharvested cornfield, you might hear nature’s music as the plants swish and flow in the prairie wind.    For the past few years, I’ve focused on a farm family during this time.   This year it’s David Hajda, 49m sometimes assisted in the task by his five sons.   Three of them were helping on the days I spent with them, including Caige, 19, Cash, 17, and Colt, 12.  Cash navigates the combine, joined by Sheldon, the family dog.   Colt has no problem driving the tractor hauling a grain bin.  He’s been at this a few years.  David’s wife, Deborah, is there when needed.  This year the harvest was 900 acres, mostly on fields west of Granger, where David was raised by his parents, Wesley and Henrietta.  Wesley is a retired farmer.   Wesley’s father, V.J. Hajda, was also a farmer.   It’s not been a good year for corn, or any crop, for that matter.   The ongoing drought has taken its toll.  If you add unexpected expenses, it becomes more tenuous.   While navigating a combine through the field, a tire blew out.  The tire was replaced, at a cost exceeding $7,000.    When the last field work is done, Deborah meets David with a fresh change of clothes.   They were off to a Great Divide concert in Belton.   Colt relaxed on the front porch of his grandparents’ home.   Of his five sons, David thinks Colt might be the one to take on the work of farming.   Time will tell.  Development here is swallowing up many fields. 

Warm skies tonight  after another very hot day in Taylor, Texas.

Just some birds for tonight’s post.   Starlings?   It’s fascinating to observe them as they scour the prairie countryside for sustenance.    This is a few miles from Granger, Texas.

At times  I let files pile up on my computer’s desktop.    I take a bunch of photos, not always thinking they’re worth seeing.   Sometimes those files are sent to the trash bin.   Occasionally, they’re kept.   Five of those are presented here.   The sunset photo is the most recent, only a week ago, east of Granger.   The beautiful sky photo was made at the beginning of February in Bartlett.  That cat is sitting near a San Gabriel cabin was made  in February.    The cow bones on a fence were seen in May near Granger.  And that trailer photo was taken in January, a mixture of cold and warm tonalities.   That’s it, folks.

Even though I don’t post them often, my lightweight Olympus camera is always with me on daily walks.   You may recall that I purchased the camera and two lenses late last year after cataract surgery, when my doctor suggested I lighten the load for a few weeks.   These photos were taken the last couple weeks in Taylor, and two in Georgetown.   While I do carry a phone, it’s not something I plan to use.  Granted, there are folks doing wonderful images with them, but they’re not my cup of tea (so far). Note that I don’t spend much time taking photos during these strolls.   Snap a photo and move on. 

While at the Taylor Rodeo recently, I ran into friend and neighbor Deby Lannen.   Since I’ve known her and husband Mike, they’ve kept a few Texas Longhorns on their land.  When I asked Deby if there were any new longhorn calves onsite, she said yes!   Crybaby,  who’s over 20-years-old, had recently given birth to a calf they call Miracle, now a few weeks old.  Miracle’s daddy is Rocky, pictured in the next to last photo.   Crybaby ends this post.   Miracle is a great name for this little girl!

With the intense summer heat in Texas, it’s good to see the sun finally go down over fields near  Granger.     And friends get in some late-day fishing on Granger Lake.   I hope they used sunscreen.   It had to be dang hot in that boat.  

As most know, I often just wander, or ramble.   A couple years ago, I drove into Milam County, stopping for a while in Thorndale.   A farm-to-market road intersected the town.   To the north was the community of San Gabriel.  Since I’d been there a few times, it seemed like a good idea to drive south.   A few miles outside Thorndale, I noticed a white country church to my left.    A good place to stop.  This was, and is, Conoley Community Church.   According to the sign, it was established in 1869.   I made a few photos, enjoying early-evening light.   Some chickens crossed my path.   In the distance, a large hog in her pin made her presence known.   Did I post something?  Honestly, I can’t recall.    In early-Spring, I happened by there again, but didn’t stay long.   Recently, however, I stopped by again, meeting a nice fellow who has a ranch adjacent to it.   “It’s open if you want to look inside.”   Of course I did!   I didn’t stay there long, but found it pristine and calming.   The old windows seemed to glow.  Lacy white curtains were spotless.  Quilts and hymnals adorned the pews.   It may be one of the county’s older churches.   The community of Conoley was named for Malcom Campbell Conoley, a Presbyterian minister who came here in 1859.  I’d like to know if he established the church.   In 1875 the community was named a voting precinct.  For years, they had their own school.  My ranching friend said they held classes in this church.  In 1946, their school merged with Thorndale public schools.   There’s a cemetery nearby.   That’s on my radar for the next trip there.   The church is still active.   The chickens still roam.  The hog may have moved on.  

Travis County, Texas is home to Austin, where growth relentlessly continues.   On the edge of Travis, however, one can still find restful scenes.   This road, at the edge of Williamson County, is just ten miles from our home in Taylor.    Wherever you are, look for golden solitude.  Look for the light.

These are from a few evenings back.    The sunset photo is  just a quick grab shot, but I think it works for what it is.    The other two horses share a pasture in Norman’s Crossing.   I know them pretty well.   Gotta scratch that itch.