Meandering around the area after moving back to Texas in 2009, a short drive south  to Coupland led to the discovery of a wonderful collection of sculptures, thus an introduction to the work of artist Jim Huntington.  Through the years Jim has created beautiful sculptures cast in metal and stone.   Periodically a visit to his sculpture garden at the Huntington Sculpture Foundation is in order.  Light adorns these massive works, a photographer’s inspiration.   There’s no good way to  convey their majesty.    Now 85, Jim is slowing down.     The massive pieces are there, but now he focuses on pen and ink drawing, less cumbersome. .  Last week we got to visit for a while.   No adequate way exists to visually display Jim’s art.    You need to see it in person.  The Sculpture Foundation is there for all to see and enjoy.    Like this photographer, Jim continues to be a voracious  reader.   It’s nice to have connected with him.

It was a morning to get outside well before sunrise, but clouds made sunrise photographs problematic.   On the move quite early, few things made an impression except for a  lone tree in Beyersville, about  25 minutes before dawn.  The soft blue morning light embraced the tree’s branches.  Until recently a farmhouse  sat next to  the tree, now gone.    As dawn neared, a photo over Brushy Creek, accompanied by a long-retired truss bridge.   If the sun were to shine, it would’ve made an appearance  over Christ Lutheran Church in Noack.   We settled for clouds this time.   Sunrises are nice, but the first light of dawn is okay, too.

These walks are getting slower, mainly due to the creaky bones of the photographer, but here’s a few photographs taken during the week’s strolls in Taylor, Texas.   Am wondering if it might be  better to break these weekly shots up into three or four posts?   Just thinking.

Windmills have been a continual fascination  since returning to Texas in 2009.   They weren’t common sights in Georgia, where we lived for 29 years.   Nor in the growing up years in Northeast Texas.   They’ve been abundant in Central Texas.   Unlike barns, another favorite subject, most of the many windmills  seen in this area are still standing.  Only one has gone away, apparently run over by a tractor south of Granger.   This one photographed at sunset tonight, however, remains.   This photographer is glad it’s there.

The Williamson Museum held its Hoppy Easter event at the Old Settlers Association  site in Round Rock today.   Most of the photographs have a seasonal theme, but perhaps  the favorites are the young lady learning how to  churn butter.   She was enthralled. The Old Settlers Association is a wonderful place  to visit, with structures from the 19th Century.  And because  it was there, it’s hard to pass up a windmilll opportunity.  The windmill was the first photo taken this morning when arriving, a cloud cover holding back the sun.   True to form, the clouds parted, leaving us with a pretty warm day.

These ramblings sometimes become themes for these pages.   There’s never really a plan, just wandering, looking, noticing.   Let’s go with trees for this set of four.  

Just a few horse photographs  from recent outings.  No need for more words tonight.

A scene near Walburg tonight, the sun going down beyond a wisteria vine.   If the plant identification is incorrect please advise.

It’s early days, but Great Egrets are beginning to make their way to the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park.   Included here are eight photographs taken on two different evenings.  The first four are from Friday, the last four from last night’s cloudy evening.  The rookery soon became a go-to place right after moving here in 2009.   If they stay true to form, you’ll see many more  in the coming months.   If you follow daily walk posts, you know that some Great Egrets stay here year-round, just like our cormorants.   As Spring gets closer, expect to see Snowy Egrets, with black bills, cattle egrets  and Ibis.  Quite a few local folks don’t cotton to these protected species, but a few of us adore them.   When not feeling up to driving all over the countryside, there’s nothing more relaxing than unfolding a chair, sitting down and just taking in the majesty of these birds.

A drive to Georgetown on a slightly rainy Saturday afternoon led to a nice surprise at Edwards Park.   Do they bloom this soon each year?   it’s always  nice to  see these elegant flowers.   A number of residences in Georgetown’s Old Town District are also  welcoming poppies, but it’s better to show them in public spaces like this park.   Signs are posted there, asking visitors to step carefully, giving the poppies a chance to grow.   If memory serves, during one recent year the folks mowing the grounds inadvertently mowed them down.   Hopefully that’s not an issue now.   Poppies are most evident in March, but the city’s Red Poppy Festival doesn’t happen until late-April, when most of the blooms are gone.   Why not have the festival in March?    Poppies are exceptional.