I photograph quite a few churches in the area, but the one probably at the top of that list is Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, in the Wuthrich Hill area east of Taylor.   Resting atop a gentle hill, the church commands attention.  The church cemetery is serene and well-maintained.   And I  love the little pond.    These photos were taken as  the day’s clouds stayed around after the rain had moved east.

This old farmhouse, as seen tonight after a day of clouds and cold rain, was among my first impressions of the area where we moved in 2009.   I was on my road bike, taking a ride through the countryside when seeing it for the first time.   There it sat, surrounded by sky, very few trees, and a lot of land …. very very black land.   After many years spent in the dissonant landscape that is metro-Atlanta, this was a refreshing sight.   It’s still nice to see it.

Just two simple livestock photos tonight, friends.   Those sheep are taken care of by a sheepherder friend I’ve photographed a few times, but I wanted to concentrate on his lovely red sheep barn this time.   The other photo was made this evening, a gathering of cattle on a hill near Bartlett, Texas.  

While wandering around about 25 minutes north of home recently, I came upon a field of horses not photographed before.  They didn’t seem to mind the camera’s presence, doing what made them happy.   I was happy to discover them, too.   The sunset was intense,   the light that followed  subdued, in a good way.  That sunset image should’ve been first, but somehow algorithms moved it to the last spot.   Go figure. 

Just a quick post, something from my daily walks last week.   Some might see these as cute critters, but they are a member of the rodent family.

I had ventured out well before first light on this foggy and misty morning.   The pre-dawn images didn’t inspire me, but the mist and fog at Bull Branch Park were just fine.   There was actually more mist than fog.   I liked the way the drops of moisture latched onto cypress branches, little dots of glitter in an otherwise monotone scene.   It’s been misty and gray throughout the day in Taylor.  As this is written it’s still with us.   And that’s okay.

There’s not a specific theme with this post, but I do like to see winter trees.   And large flocks of birds gathering over a couple of trees, too.   I’ve photographed the scene without birds for a few winters.   On one of those excursions I got a shock when getting a wee bit close to an electric fence.   Live and learn. 

In the Texas county where we live (Williamson), most of the deer sightings have been on the west side of Wilco, as in west of Interstate 35.   Lately, however, I’ve been seeing more wandering into farm country on the east side.   Drivers, watch where you’re going.   The deer population is expanding.

Winter light can be intriguing.   Combined with trees in transition near the San Gabriel River, it’s especially fun to see.  A favorite in this group might be the one with two types of light, the top section encased in warmth, the bottom portion, in shade, looking rather blue.   These were taken this week from a high vantage point, but not with a drone.    A drone might be nice to have, but I can see it being overused if not careful. 

A recent post suggested that New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church is the most photographed church in Texas.   I don’t know about that, but I’ve photographed it quite a lot since returning to Texas in 2009.    The congregation was formed by Swedish immigrants in 1876.   Their first church was built in 1879, on the site of the church cemetery, about a mile west of the current church.  Construction began there in 1921, with completion in 1923.   Its 104-foot tall copper spire stands out for miles around.   This post includes the church, a window reflecting evening light, plus photos of the cemetery, beautiful in its own right.   That’s a Waxing Crescent moon tonight, 7.9% visibility.