Most times I just drive, no set destination, but the internet can be useful, too.   That’s how I discovered Locklin Cemetery, in Milam  County.   It’s an old resting place.  The first burial here was of blacksmith Peter Mercer, in 1844.   The site was apparently named the family of early settler William Lawson Locklin.   Burials continue here, on a gentle Blackland Prairie hill.  So far, about 400 are laid to rest here.   One family honors a lost daughter with the monument. of a horse.   Obviously,  the deceased was a lover of horses.   Some cemeteries found don’t look so well.   This one does.

One of the churches I enjoy photographing is Taylor’s St. James Episcopal Church, at the corner of 7th and Davis Streets since 1893.  These are some recent explorations.   The courtyard statue of St. Francis of Assisi is particularly inspiring.   Nothing more to add.

From a Saturday evening drive into countryside where I don’t go nearly often enough.   The opening photo is along a nice bit of highway in Lee County, Texas, between Lexington and Taylor.   Later in the drive, the other two images are from southern Milam County, including a farmer navigating his tractor along an uncrowded road.  I’ve said this many times, but in our farm country, please be understanding of slow-moving farm equipment. They’ve been on these roads a long time.   The last photo was made as the day’s final light rays crossed over  a nice red barn.    Just stuff from the country, friends.

Granted, I take a lot of photos around Granger.   Incorporated in 1891, it’s a neat little town of a bit less than 2000.  The latest census figures, from 2010, have it at 1419, but I’m sure new numbers will be higher.   These are all along West Davilla Street.  The opening photo is self-explanatory.  Regarding the second image, consider it a parking place for horses.   Santa shows up in a window of Granger National Bank.  He’s been in a window on the side for years, but has recently moved to the front.   Regarding the last photo,  Jno P. Trilca was a Czech-American photographer who lived and worked here in the early-mid 20th Century.  For years, he had a studio right behind where his name is still inscribed in concrete.   His studio also served as home to his insurance business.  If you have a chance to find it, “Equal Before the Lens,” published in the early-90s,  chronicles his life and photographs.   He photographed virtually everyone in the community, without regard to race, nationality, or economic status.   As a result, he never made a lot of money.   Such is the life of a photographer.

Tonight, three photos that don’t really have anything to do with each other, but I wanted to post them somewhere.   The opening photo was taken during an intense rain event in North Williamson County.  I pulled over to take a photo.   The second photo was made on the same afternoon, the rain still coming down as we drove through Schwertner, Texas.   I think it’s an old storefront, but a local mentioned it may have been a honky tonk back in the day.   The last photo was made last night in Milam County.   There’s a windmill in the picture, partially obscured by a tree.  And some hay.   This and that, friends.

On a recent evening in southern Bell County, I encountered these guys and gals as they wandered around near the end of a cloudy day.   Vultures get a lot of negative vibes, but I find them interesting.    Think about it.   Like other beings, their goal is to survive.   They can’t  stop in at Pizza Hut or Whataburger.   They eat what they find.   Just the other morning, leaving the house for a daily walk, three of these critters were working over a squirrel’s remains in my neighbor’s yard.   They weren’t bothering anyone, just making their way in the world. 

It was good to hear from my Bartlett friend Joyce White Tuesday evening, shown in the opening photo.   She wanted to let me know her church, Bartlett’s First United Methodist, would be putting together backpacks for  children from kindergarten to 5th grade before school starts next week.   I met the group this morning, hard at work loading  backpacks with school supplies, helping them get off to a good start.   Joyce, 88-years-young, put the backpack program together ten years ago with her now-late friend, Nellie Saage.    Church members and volunteers put together 230 backpacks.  Among the volunteers was the pastor of a St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bartlett, who came with his wife and their three children.   The youngest, 7-months-old, rode comfortably in her own baby backpack with mommy.   One 6-year-old boy who helped finished his task, then discovered an old piano in a nearby room, staying occupied for quite a while.  I include two photos of him at the end, the tighter one my favorite, but also offering a wider version, showing not only school supplies, but also that those little legs wouldn’t quite reach the pedals.  Yet!

“I like farming.  It’s in my blood.”

Those words spoken by Taylor-area farmer Arnold Raesz, 67, ring true.  

Raesz comes from a long line of farmers in Williamson County.   Older brothers Larry and Herbert  also continue to manage their own farms in the area.   Their father, Willie Raesz, Jr., and their grandfather, Willie Raesz, Sr., also farmed.   Arnold’s sons, Shaun, 47, and Steven, 45, work alongside their dad.  

According to the most recent findings by the Texas Department of Agriculture, the average age of Texas farmers is 59.  That number is expected to go up as fewer go into farming.   Nationally, the number of farms is now a little over 2 million. 

I was happy when recently running into Shaun near downtown Taylor,  “Are you coming out for corn harvest this year?” he  asked.   I said I hoped to.  

For two days and nights, I joined Arnold and his family as they began their three-week task of harvesting 3900 acres.   

During harvest, the work is constant.   There are no days off unless rain forces them to stop.  Saturday afternoon, that rain almost materialized, but remained north of their work area.  

Joining them this year are Shaun’s sons, Montgomery, 21, and Maverick, 18.   Also helping is Arnold’s nephew, Wyatt Raesz, 20, and Arnold’s  grandson, Rhett Richardson, almost 17.   Other helpers include Parker Randig and Jared Widmer. 

Because time is important, evening meals are brought directly to the fields each day by Arnold’s wife, Syble.   Workers power down their combines, trucks and tractors, using them as shady rest places before continuing their work, most nights going until 11p.m. or later.   Syble downplays her role, but I do not.   She’s an integral part of this undertaking.  

Arnold could’ve chosen other professions.  He’s an accomplished welder, as are Shaun and Steven.   He’s also helped build seven houses, building his own in 1987, where he still lives.   But the farm life, though hard, is rewarding.  

Shaun’s sons know first-hand the work of farmers.   They’ll likely take a different path.   Montgomery, a Texas A & M graduate, currently works in banking in Round Rock.   Younger brother Maverick is headed to Texas A&M this fall, where he’ll pursue a career in soil science.  

Arnold  is among the first farmers to harvest this season.   He’d like to be done before the summer heat gets worse.   We know it will.  

The farmland that’s been a staple in the Blackland Prairie area of East Williamson County for many years is transitioning as development comes.   Fields long used for planting are becoming subdivisions.   With the price of homes in the Austin area, I understand why people are moving this way, but my hope is that farming will be with us for a while.  

Finally, be patient when encountering slow-moving tractors and combines on our roads.  Getting from one field to another can be an arduous task.    Farmers have been around here before traffic was a thing.   Give them the respect they’ve earned.

While I never want harm to come to someone, or their property, I’ll admit to a fascination with storms.  The last two evenings in our area have had abundant turbulence.   That horse in the opening photo, from Sunday,  feels like an old friend.   When he sees a camera pointed his way, he reacts.  A cloud overhead meant nothing to him.   The second photo, from last evening, is a soaked field of prairie dirt in Wuthrich Hill.   The rest are from a couple hours ago.   Those skies got really dark for a while!   The sunflower fronting a cotton field along a dirt road was interesting.   The last two photos are taken along the same pasture.   I was knocked out by just how green that grass was.  Part of it might be sunlight shining on it at the right time of day, but it was intriguing.

From yesterday and this evening, a corn theme.   On Saturday, storm clouds formed , but moved on, leaving behind some nice early evening light near Rice’s Crossing.   That’s the opening photo, by far my top choice.   The other two photos were taken late this afternoon, when storm clouds stayed around for a while.   The second image is from Schwertner, the last one just east of Granger, where a favorite barn is included.   More things related to corn are coming soon, but not tonight.