Just a couple tree photos tonight, each taken on recent cloudy evenings. As with many images, these aren’t far from Granger, Texas. I’m amazed development hasn’t begun to impact this area much, but no doubt it will come. Taylor will tap out, people will seek serenity in other places. 
A few evenings back, taking photos after a period of stormy skies, I stopped to take some shots of sunset near a wheat field south of Granger. As I finished my visual wandering, I met Steve, a Granger-area farmer. “That’s our wheat,” he mentioned. There wasn’t much traffic, giving us time to visit a few minutes. Steve mentioned recent tornados that blew through this area. His parents’ home sustained severe damage. Their barn was destroyed. His father is in his 90s, mother in her 80s. They’re okay, but not living in their house right now. The photos of Steve make this post a better one. The last photo, when the early-evening sky really stood out, shows Steve’s family crops, corn on the left, wheat at right. Scenes from farm country on the Blackland Prairie. 
I had seen this a couple times. On the way back home last evening, the same scene. A Model T? Model A? Something old, but on its way to new life. A good project for someone. Night work. 
Taylor’s Blackland Prairie Days is the other festival I photographed this weekend. Watching performances by members of Guzman Ballet Folklorico made this coverage a pleasure. After spending a couple days taking photos in Granger, however, I wished the Taylor organizers would consider some other attractions. Granger’s Lakefest parade is wonderful. It gives visitors a real feel for the area and its residents. The carnival rides there are great, too. Granted, I don’t know a thing about added costs associated with parades, but they’re a lot of fun. Anyway, a few photos from Taylor, including two Cub Scouts overseeing a booth offering refreshments. The dapper lady in red? She was at Lakefest, too. She gets around! 
The community of Granger held its 43rd Lakefest Festival this weekend. It’s actually a three-day event that began Thursday evening. For these photos I stopped by Friday night for their street dance and to get shots of their carnival midway. This morning I returned to document their parade, car show and little of the barbecue cook-off. Saturday’s photos mainly concentrate on the parade. I like the story about that orange 1941 Allis-Chalmbers tractor. The young man navigating it was pulling a trailer. The passengers were both his great-grandmother (she owns the tractor) and his grandmother. I like their flag. This is a community filled with Czech culture. I like the little guy wearing the “Fort Worth” t-shirt. He was having a fine time, and not afraid to let folks know. The post concludes with a second photo of him as he eyes his two lollipops. This is a great community event, the essence of small-town America. 
For a few weeks this spring, I was concerned the egrets who’ve come to the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park for years were a no-show. The few who showed up set up nests in nearby trees, but left the island to a few cormorants. And then they arrived, filling the skies with aerial ballets. They’re back. The cormorants, year-round residents, are still here, as are some long-billed birds, Ibis. When not up to wandering around the countryside for my photographic fix, Murphy Park is the place I go. Only a mile from our house, it’s a place to watch, relax, and sometimes take a photo. Some businesses near the rookery have had concerns with the birds nesting in their trees. I understand their concerns. Hopefully, we can coexist. 
The quality of light after rain moves through our area is inspiring. These photos were taken late this afternoon, into the early evening. Corn stalks seem to glow. And full disclosure: I am enamored with vultures. They know how to survive. 
When the rapid expansion in East Williamson County gets overwhelming, I sometimes venture into other counties. Our neighbor to the east is Milam County. While also experiencing rapid growth, I can still find things to document. These are from a few evenings ago in the Apache Pass and San Gabriel areas. A large barn is home to a pretty large hog. Another barn begins to crumble. Cornfields continue to draw me in. As do cows. That’s it for tonight, friends. 
The impeccable sunset was photographed Monday evening along one of those newly-discovered country roads near Granger. When I pulled into my driveway tonight, the Waxing Crescent moon, at 9.6% visibility, looked okay peeking in and out of the clouds. The moonset was about three hours away. 
I often see friends post excellent photos of hawks, but these birds of prey, while beautiful and powerful, are often elusive. When seeing them, they’re usually perched high up on a utility pole, or wire. Even though there’s a camera sitting in the passenger seat, by the time I stop to get a shot, they make a quick exit. My wife and I were returning home Sunday afternoon when spotting this one, resting comfortably on a fence post west of Taylor. My cameras were with me, but way out of reach. When we got home, I got into my old car and drove back to that spot, about 15 minutes away, assuming she would be long gone. To my astonishment, she was still there! Click. Click. Click. This session lasted about two minutes before she (he) decided the photo opportunity was done. My knowledge of hawks is limited. There are 18 species of hawks in Texas. Just a guess, but this one is either a Swainson’s Hawk, or a Red-Tailed Hawk. Birders, feel free to correct me. 
