Some of these wanderings yield very little.   Often I return home with what there is to see.   Last night was coming close to that when this scene came into view.   Thankfully, it was another lightly-traveled county road, providing scant  moments  to do  a few photographs before the sun tucked into the horizon.   A continual concern is just how much driving has to be done for these pursuits.    I’m expending a ton of money on fuel, adding up the miles on the car.   Thankfully, it’s a fuel-efficient vehicle.   The land around here is being scooped up at a rapid pace, sending the cameras further away from Taylor.   If you see a slow-down in production, understand why.   Most of what’s posted here isn’t for financial gain.   It’s therapy.  

In 2024 the St. Peter Lutheran Church Cemetery was almost entirely covered with wildflowers.   There are less of them to see this year, but they’re still coming along nicely.   I stopped by Wednesday evening to snap a few photographs.   The last two photographs are very tiny wildflowers finding space among the bluebonnets.   According to a Google photo search they are Nothoscordum bivalves, each no larger than a small thumb.   Naturalist friends, feel free correct me if wrong.   They’re nice little blooms, but a little hard to document with a strong Texas wind.    The cemetery is along FM 972,  just east of the downtown area.

Driving by this farmhouse last evening called to mind Tom Bodett’s pitch for Motel 6,  “We’ll leave the light on for you.”   A few folks around here live pretty close to that farmhouse, but I don’t need to know about that.   In recent years there’s been  activity there, cars, humans, dogs, etc.  Wednesday evening, however, it was quite peaceful,  warm light caressing  a fine-looking front porch.   A twenty-second stop produced this photograph. Thankfully, not a soul was coming behind me.   Moseying  on home,  I was glad to find a quiet scene  on the increasingly-crowded Blackland Prairie.

Unless specified otherwise, when I say “river” it means the San Gabriel River.   An area of the river I love to see is in the Mankins Crossing area, just east of Georgetown.   Extreme drought hasn’t been kind.   Three outings took me there in recent days, with hopes of finding human interaction with the space.   Those first visits yielded egrets and herons as they sought sustenance in the water.   One evening presented the night’s blue light over the river.  On my last venture, however, just a couple of nights ago, a young man navigated his kayak through the water.   He wasn’t fishing, just glad to be there.  He mentioned this was his first time there.   My guess is that kayak will dip into that water again.  It’s the opening photograph tonight.

Could’ve stopped with just that expansive field of corn, but thought to round it out with (wait for it) another windmill photograph.  It’s the same windmill, seen a few evenings ago, when storm clouds gathered, and tonight, as the sun began to disappear into the western horizon.   Nothing but Blackland Prairie, friends.

Some of these drives can be time-consuming.   And not at all  inspiring.   Last night was initially one of those times.  When passing a wheat field, however, I stopped and gawked at the wonderful light gracing this scene, thankful another vehicle wasn’t coming on strong behind me.   This kind of light, like the crop, is a gift.   This was in North Williamson County, Texas.  We see what we see.

Are you interested in cycling?  Do you need a bike?   Or do you have one you’d like to donate?   Georgetown Free Bikes is there to help.   On Saturday afternoon I stopped by Georgetown Free Bikes for the grand opening of their new home, now at 2055 FM 1460, in the Rabbit Hill area.   There I found families looking for just the right bike, including the little guy in the first photograph, who has a rudimentary bike trainer at home, says mom.  The group is supported by the Georgetown Sertoma Club, hosts of the Red Poppy Bicycle Ride, scheduled for April 26th.    On a July 4th morning a couple of years ago, preparing to take photos of the Sertoma Club  Hometown Parade through San Gabriel Park, I met Georgetown Free Bikes members making bikes available just before the parade.  They’ve been on my mental radar ever since.   You can get a bike at no cost, but if financially able, they take monetary donations to help continue their work, which includes restoration of bikes.   Visit their site for more information.  They’re open on Tuesdays from 11am to 8pm.   It’s a neat group.

When I was a runner, things were too intense.   Zooming by a scene, I’d always wish a camera was handy.   And time to stop.   Since 2012, daily walks have been a good fit.   This body is slow-moving.  When seeing something interesting, it’s nice to stop for 15 seconds, or even a minute, to snap a photograph.   These are from last week, all in Taylor (sometimes in Georgetown, too).  These Monday through Friday strolls average about 300-plus shots per walk.   There’s a lot of editing done.   This stuff can probably get boring to some.   It’s what it is, friends.

Those who follow these posts know that occasional offerings are from the Huntington Sculpture Garden, in Coupland, Texas.  I’ve been enthralled with the work of Jim Huntington since returning to Texas in 2009.   The first annual Huntington Sculpture Foundation was held today.  This post mainly shows you the artist, now 84-years-old, plus a couple of attendees spending time in the Sculpture Garden.    In recent years, the intensity of arthritis  has laid to rest his huge granite and metal creations.   Thankfully, he has returned to drawing.   “You have to make art because you can’t not make art.”   A wonderful sentence from Mr. Huntington.   Spot on, sir.

The cameras found their way to the Georgetown Square on Friday evening for the April First Friday concert, hosted by the Downtown Georgetown Association and the Georgetown Beard Club.   Attendees enjoyed a performance by Memphis Kee.   As is most often the case, I concentrate on attendees.    The ladies in the first two photographs were wonderful dancers!   Did I mention that these First Friday events are totally free?   A city park is closed all weekend for an event that will cost you much more.