A Waxing Gibbous moon, 42.6 % visibility, shines over the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park on Friday, September 2, 2022.   Although small, the moon makes itself known.

Today marks the opening of dove-hunting season in our area of Texas.   Just before storms moved into the area this evening, I found a group of hunters at their site in Taylor, one grilling up the fruits of his labor for an evening meal.   The others are generic storm photos from this evening.

We’ve had another soaking rain this afternoon and evening.   I did see a few bolts of lightning.  Let’s hope no damage was incurred.    This group of four begins in Taylor this afternoon, when clouds and rain moved over Williamson County Grain.   From there, it was onto Milam County, into the area around Apache Pass.   That truss bridge spanning Brushy Creek was renovated a few years ago.   It looks very nice.  

Just some photos taken with my Olympus during a rainy walk on Tuesday.    The dark clouds in the opening photo include a turkey vulture.   A weatherproof camera would be handy on days like this.

In the past couple weeks we’ve had blessed rain.   While not enough to put a  significant dent in the ongoing drought, every little bit helps.    Portions of the San Gabriel River are being replenished.   This evening, a father and daughter took advantage of the added moisture along the San Gabriel River.   Precipitation  is  expected  to continue into the weekend.   Let’s hope it’s a gentle rain.

Granted, many of us are in a hurry to get somewhere.   Mostly, we’re impatient beings.    When you’re on the roads and highways in farm country, try to be respectful of farm equipment making their way.   They aren’t fast machines.   The Blackland Prairie area where we live is rapidly growing, but farmers, thankfully, are still here.    I rode behind this tractor outside Granger for a few minutes, never once crowding him.  After about five minutes, he turned onto another road.   I know farmers deal with snarky drivers continually.   Please be nice, friends.

At first, all I saw was the windmill.   Putting down the camera, however, I discovered a very small slice of the moon, a Waxing Crescent moon, only 3% visibility.   So I zoomed out.   If you’re viewing this on a phone, it might be hard to discern, maybe even with a larger screen.  But I always find the moon.

A few photos from a recent visit to Bartlett, Texas, a community of a little over 1600, some of it in Williamson County, some in Bell County.   The photos offered are along East Clark Street, the main corridor through town.  I’m told the south side of the street is Williamson, the north side Bell.   Bartlett continues to be vibrant.  It’s evolving, but no less interesting. 

On the way to pick up something at the grocery store tonight, I noticed what looked like rain gathering west of us.  I stopped for a photo at Taylor Middle School.   Is that evidence of rain I see west of us?   Friends in Georgetown say it is.  Send it east, please.

Friday evening, driving past Taylor’s Williamson County Expo Center on the way home, I noticed  a lot of horse trailers there.   Stopping  by  this morning,  I discovered this was a weekend of rodeo for seniors  conducted by the Texas Senior Pro Rodeo Association.    The group, formed in 1978, holds rodeo events throughout the state.   Participants have to be at least 40 to take part, but the group of contestants I saw were between their 60s and mid-80s.   They came from all over Texas to show their stuff, not bothered in the least by age.   When asking the gentleman in the opening three photos his age, he smiled and said “85 and a half!”   The event continues through Sunday.   Top performers get a chance to compete in the group’s state finals, held October 5th-8th in Hamilton, Texas.    These folks were fantastic!