40 minutes after the projected moonrise tonight at New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church, I was ready to give up and go home.   At 8:30 it peeked through the clouds.   The abundance of rain the past week has mostly been a blessing, but when you’re waiting to see a full moon, it can be problematic.   The first two photos are from tonight, even a group of horseback riders I saw near here about 2 years ago.   The last photo was taken there last night.  Lots and lots of clouds.  

When July comes to our area, we’ll be wishing for rain, but we currently have gobs of the stuff.   This subtle image is from last evening as I passed through Rice’s Crossing, an unincorporated community six miles southwest of Taylor.  The area was settled in 1845, first called Blue Hill, but was renamed Rice’s Crossing in 1872 to honor James O. Rice, an early settler and Texas Ranger.   If your viewing screen is large enough, you might find the point of focus here.

Photographing wheat is always inspiring. It’s such a delicate and graceful plant.   These are photos taken on three different evenings in Taylor and Granger.   About three years ago, I joined a farmer in his combine as he was harvesting his wheat near Bartlett.   After a time, I suggested that better photos might be taken if I watched  harvest from the field.   “You sure you want to do that?  It gets pretty dusty out there.”   I assured him it would be fine.   Whoa Nellie!  “Dusty” doesn’t begin to describe it.   My sinuses and eyes were covered in wheat dust.  It took a week to get over that experience.  Since then, I’m very cautious, preferring to just watch it grow.  Anyway, some wheat field variations, friends.

A friend posted that it was World Turtle Day.   I’d hoped for a turtle image, but the critters were nowhere to be found in Taylor.   I cast a wider net, looking west, to a park I like in Round Rock.   No turtles there, either, but I did happen onto a very focused Great Blue Heron, intent on finding a fish in a waterfall.   I watched her for about 45 minutes.   She never wavered, but didn’t find her fish.  I did, however, find a bed of angry red ants, not happy that I sat on their home.     The heron?  She might still be there right now.  This is just a little visual exploration.    The movement you see  is intended. 

In 2020, the Georgetown (TX) Independent School District held a parade for graduating seniors from their three area high schools, Georgetown High, Richarte High and East View High.  It was something new to try during a pandemic year, so popular that it returned again this year.   Rain was a potential threat, but it held off until right after the parade ended.  In the opening photo, the 5-year-old sister of a GHS senior didn’t care much for the loud fire engine taking part in the parade.  That’s her sister holding a photo of their brother.  Mom’s in back.  In the last photo, this senior brought along her dog to celebrate.   Each of the three schools will have traditional ceremonies next week, but I think this parade will become a tradition.   It’s a nice way to the students’ hard work.

Storm clouds formed over portions of East Williamson County this morning.   These fast-moving systems often come and go in record time.   This one did, but did usher in a little rain.   We’re expecting more as the day progresses.  These photos were taken about five minutes apart.   After the second image, the clouds became less menacing.  

It’s been about a year since I last visited with Benny and Martini at the ranch of my friend, Carol Fox.  Benny is the white horse.   They share some beautiful Blackland Prairie pastureland in the community of Circleville.  The light was good, but as Carol mentioned, I was also inspired by some very nice grape pie baked by our mutual friend, Liz Hobbs.   Good food can charge one’s batteries!

In the years since I started photographing the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park, there’s little doubt I’ve repeated myself a few hundred times, but it continues to hold my fascination.   These are a few images taken this month.    One lone bird, multi-colored, with a blue bill?  Who knows what she is?    She’s regal.

A photo made in spring 1983, 4-year-olds during afternoon nap time at a nursery school in Powder Springs, Georgia.   A slice of life feature for my newspaper, the Atlanta Journal & Constitution.

Two variations from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, in Wuthrich Hill.   The clouds have been impressive this week.   The first photo was taken Monday evening, the second one is from this evening.    Finally, I conclude this post with a ray of sunlight!   We haven’t seen an actual sunset here in a few days.  It was a nice surprise.