If any flower can smile, it’s a sunflower.     They have immense personality.    Where we live, there are many acres filled with the wild sunflowers that adorn the landscape.   I like them a lot, but the “big ones” are easily my favorite.   Recently, friend Mary Witte Finch posted some of the sunflowers she’d planted this spring.   I was impressed enough to ask for permission to take a few photos myself.   These are a few taken during a two-hour session, fascinated as I watched the bees go to work,   Mary assured me the bees wouldn’t be a problem.   I wasn’t concerned.  Those bees and I were focused on task.   When Russia invaded Ukraine, several friends began posting photos of sunflowers.  None of the posts explained that the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.   Maybe everyone else knew that, but not me.   The journalist in me wants information, not mystery.    These are happy flowers.

Some cow images tonight.    In the opening photo, a cow at sunset in front of a cornfield east of Taylor.  The second photo, a scene from Thrall, where cattle egrets stay close.   And the last photo, a cow seen tonight crossing a dirt road in East Williamson County.   Dirt roads are made for cows.

Just some photos from my daily walks.  On these outings I always carry my inexpensive (and lightweight) Olympus camera.   For now, Nikon is my main camera of choice, but I do enjoy the featherweight Olympus.   The duck in the opening photo is a Black-bellied Whistling Duck.   There’s a turtle in this group, smiling for the camera.   I like how the Great Blue Heron shares a branch over the water with a cormorant.   And a cat catching up on sleep.

It’s been a while since my last visit to Berry Springs Park & Preserve, a beautiful space just east of Georgetown.   Presented here are a few photos from today.   Included: a newborn deer and its mama, a sweet turtle, a dragonfly, some wildflowers.   And a lovely dog named River, accompanied by his human.    I like coming here.

A photo taken during my Friday  morning walk in Taylor.   Did anyone in the area take note of the interesting cloud formation?    An egret soars over the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park.   Another reason I’m glad to have my inexpensive Olympus camera on hand during these strolls.

Just about everywhere you drive in our area, you’ll happen on a cornfield.  This is particularly true in East Williamson County, West Milam County and Southern Bell County.   Most of the corn grown here is used for livestock feed, some for ethanol production.   The fields I’m seeing will likely be harvested soon.   I’m already starting to see cotton plants, but let’s save that for another post down the road.

Another visit to Murphy Park, observing the birds at our rookery.   It’s a nice place to park the car and relax while the birds express themselves.   Nothing more to add tonight, friends.

Prairie grass continues to spark my interest.   These were taken tonight along one of my favorite county roads near Thrall.

Today I spent the morning covering the annual Memorial Day observance at the Georgetown-Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza in Sun City, Texas.   It’s simple enough to just post photos without explanation, but that’s not how I do things.    The opening photo was taken after the event concluded.   The gentleman shown is 92, a long-retired Marine Corps Lt. Colonel.  He’s looking through commemorative bricks in search of a brick with the name of a fellow Marine, one killed in action during the Vietnam War.  He found what he sought, but I could sense a lingering sadness.   The second photo is a tight image of a man bowing his head for the benediction, a 100-year-old World War II veteran (Army) who was at Normandy.  He’ll be  101 in July.   A Vietnam era veteran salutes for the posting of the colors.   Four photos present women who served in the military.   The masked couple are both veterans, he Army, she Air Force.  A closeup profile photo (with “Texas” on the cap) is a retired Army Colonel.  The family in two photos?   Mom is retired Navy.   Initially, I’d just photographed the little girl on dad’s shoulders.  When asked if he was a veteran, he said no, but his wife was.   Memorial Day is a day for somber remembrance, but I liked this the warmth exhibited by this family.   “Taps” is played near the end of the program by a member of the 36th Infantry Division Band of the Texas Army National Guard.   The final photo is after the observance was over, a dad (who spent 8 years in the Marine Corps) enjoying  time with his 4-year-old son.   Again,  I wasn’t looking for just sad images.  That seemed a good place to end this post.

Having posted humans recently, tonight I share some critter images, beginning with a beautiful horse seen not far from Bartlett.   And a cow navigating a hill near Granger.   And some grackles seen tonight in Taylor.   I’ve wondered for years what grackles are seeing when they look up into the sky.   They’re very focused on task.