A lot of time has been spent with this old truss bridge spanning the San Gabriel River, just north of Taylor.   Local folks refer to it as either the Rowe Valley Bridge or the Easley Bridge, named after the family who helped make the bridge possible in 1909.  The bridge has survived through many hardships, including a devastating flood in 1921.   After that flood, the bridge height was raised by 4 feet.   The bridge was retired in 1982, replaced by a rather dull concrete bridge .   The wooden floor is cracking, missing a few pieces, but the rusty  steel girders are still strong.  Before light pollution made things difficult, an entire night was spent on the bridge, awaiting a meteor shower that never really took hold.   Stops there are still made.   Seeing the river flowing from that perch is nice.   A while back a rumor indicated it would be taken down.   So far, it’s still with us, a beacon of county history.

From last night and tonight, dusty skies over the Blackland Prairie in Central Texas.   Saharan Dust remains for a while.

Red-Winged Blackbirds are challenging subjects.  At this time of year they’re nestled in fields adorned with corn and milo.   Getting photographs of them is interesting.   But it’s fun to try.  

From this evening as the sun begins to set over Saint Peter’s Church of Coupland.   Saharan Dust has settled into areas of the south and southwest, giving us hazy skies.  The dust will be with us for a while.  Although problematic for allergy and sinus sufferers, it’s really quite beautiful.

Tonight’s moon is at 99.3% visibility, doggone close to full.   The first two were from the Prince of Peace Lutheran  Church cemetery in Wuthrich Hill,  just east of Taylor.   And one more, a little west of that, a vintage barn nestled below the lunar presence.  This will probably suffice for a full moon offering this month.

Photographs taken during morning walks in Taylor this week.   All are taken with a small Olympus camera that doesn’t beat the user up.   And is far superior to any smartphone on the planet.  This is (so far) a weekly post.   For now.

One of the vintage street lamps in downtown Taylor  framed a Waxing Gibbous moon tonight, seen at almost 97% visibility. It’s nice to the old street lamp finding a purpose.

Most of the photographs taken last night during the 82nd Williamson County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo are on either Facebook or Instagram, just a snippet here.  Mentioned many times before, but identifying the participants  continues  to be problematic.  Most rodeos, this one included, provide day sheets listing the names of participants.   Sometimes, however,  the sheets are misleading.   Toward the end  of the night, the announcer  wasn’t naming who was in the arena.   Very frustrating.       If only newspapers and sites would  publish  the work and not be focused on naming everyone.   Or if rodeos would pin bib numbers on each participant.  

A continuation of barn photographs.  A number of barns have been recorded numerous times.  The last one in this group  of three hasn’t been photographed. The quality of light is what usually merits another snapshot.   A very busy day and evening awaits, thus this early post.

Summer light falls quite well on the grasses that grow in abundance on the Blackland Prairie.   When they’ve been called “prairie grass” in prior posts, someone is usually compelled to  give them a specific name.   Whatever you call them, this photographer likes seeing them.