Bartlett’s late-1800s-early 1900s architecture, combined with cobblestone streets,  continues to be intriguing.   At this time of year, I especially enjoy photographing it in the early-evening hours.     These were photos taken a few nights ago, my own weird interpretations.     I wonder what the town’s population is now.   The 2010 census had it at a little over 1600, but I’m pretty sure they’ve added a few folks.   Part of the town is in Williamson County, the rest in Bell County.

Since early-December I’ve been toting around a little used Olympus camera on my daily walks.  The camera, and a couple lenses, were purchased when my eye surgeon asked that I limit weight carried to fifteen pounds.   My Nikons exceeded that by a good bit.   For a few weeks, the Olympus became the main camera, but I’ve found it wonderful for two-hour walks.   These were taken the past two mornings, a bit of rain and mist to make things interesting.   Note that the camera was covered.   If you need a theme, let’s call it birds.   We’ve an abundance of them in Taylor.   Included here are a cormorant doing a good impression of an orchestra conductor, a Great Blue Heron perched on top of a tree  and a duck moseying through the water at Murphy Park.
The last image is just a leaf I like.  It’s interesting that we still what could pass for autumn color in late-January!

Misty nights like this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I like them.  Color images, except for a few tones, become shades of gray.   I won’t try to explain the attraction, but there it is.  Tonight on the Blackland Prairie. 

Sometimes I’ll let photo files pile up on my desktop.  Occasionally, they come together as a little theme.   Grain elevators are abundant in farm country.   I see (and photograph) them often.   These are three taken in the past couple weeks.

The first time I saw Gardner Cemetery was a few years ago, a warm Spring day.   Driving through Circleville, I saw a patch of bluebonnets on a hill.   When I got out of the car for a closer look at the wildflowers, I was surprised to find a small family cemetery.   Tall grass  grew all around, but I  trudged forward, oblivious of possible crawling reptiles.   On a drive by there this week, it was nice to see that someone had been tending this resting place.   The grass was neatly trimmed, gravestones repaired.    It’s hard to know when the last person was interred here, but it’s been a while.  Most of the headstones are from the early-mid 1800s.    Cemeteries keep  history alive, even when we’re gone.   I like that this one’s being cared for so well.

It’s 32 degrees right now in Taylor, with temperatures dropping to the mid-20s by morning.   That may not seem cold to friends living in other areas, but we think it’s chilly.   I drove around a little tonight, recording a couple of winter scenes.   As you might expect, windmills are included.  These were taken a little over an hour ago when the temperature was about 40.   As long as we’re not getting ice storms like last February, I’m okay with it

“Ring of Fire,” featuring the music of Johnny Cash, opens tonight at the Georgetown Palace.   I’m just posting one photo because most of the audience for the images access the work via Facebook or Instagram.   My IG handle: @ andybobsharp.   The show, fully masked, runs through February 20th.

There’s a paying assignment tonight, prompting something simple and quick.   If there’s a theme here, let’s call it trees.   I’m particularly fond of them at this time of year.    The first photo was taken during my walk this morning through Taylor’s Murphy Park on  a frigid and cloudy day, a cormorant hovering above the park’s trees.     The second photo, from a few weeks back, was made as a farmer tended a field behind  the Saul family cemetery in Norman’s Crossing.   That area is developing at an astronomical pace.   Hopefully, farmers will still have land to cultivate.  The last photo is from a couple nights ago, a post-sunset scene in Rice’s Crossing. 

When it comes to lakes, I prefer ones naturally-formed (like Caddo Lake)  but Granger Lake is mighty pretty.   Granger Lake was formed with the damming of the San Gabriel River.   In the process quite a lot of prairie land was flooded, including a community called Friendship.   That fisherman might be fishing near the site of Friendship.   Rivers, creeks and natural spring-fed ponds are my favorite bodies of water, but Granger Lake gives area visitors  scenic place to go.

There was no plan to post yet another moon photo tonight, but this evening’s Waning Gibbous moon, 98.8% visibility, was glowing nicely above the cormorants at Taylor’s Murphy Park.     I was grateful for a tripod.