This was taken Saturday evening just east of Taylor, Texas. I needed a new anchor photo for Facebook, this seemed like it would fit nicely. Maybe mentioned a few times, but it’s hard to ever grow tired of our skies here. 
In these times of stress and uncertainty, we’re learning to adapt as needed. For many schools, traditional graduation ceremonies have been set aside. Some schools, like Round Rock’s Stony Point High School, find a way to honor their kids. Stony Point is graduating 625 students this year. This afternoon, they gathered in their cars and held a parade to mark the occasion. The phrase “new normal” is common now, but I’m hoping we can get beyond that and return to the “old normal.” The students I saw today were inspirational. These photos were taken for the Austin American-Statesman.
As this post is made a little after 10pm, our electricity is still working. The amount of lightning filled the prairie skies was abundant. So far, no rain, just a light show. This is south of Granger. 
Earlier tonight, a massive sinus headache, exacerbated by seasonal allergies, led to my usual therapy: heading out into the countryside with my trusty cameras. When passing Thrall Elementary School, however, I circled the block to record what you see posted here, 6-year-old twins, Maven and Eli, getting their kindergarten graduation photos taken by a family member in front of the school. The school district’s mascot is a tiger, one I happen to like. My high school mascot, in Texarkana, was a tiger, too. All over the country, students have had their school years cut short by something out of their control, but families like this will persevere. And eventually thrive. Mom and dad were very nearby in case the little folks got too rambunctious. Plans for those rural landscapes were put on hold tonight. For an inspiring reason. When you see posts singing the praises of community journalism, I mean this. 
The Caring Place, in Georgetown, has been assisting families since 1985. Food for Friends, under the guidance of Joyce White and her many helpers, has been serving hot meals every Friday for eleven years. The pandemic, however, has temporarily sidelined Food for Friends. It’s nice to see The Caring Place reaching out beyond Georgetown, as they did this morning at Bartlett’s First United Methodist Church, where The Caring Place and members of Food for Friends were distributing food to those in Bartlett and Granger. 70 families, including Geneva, pictured in the opening photo, were served in Bartlett. 12 families were helped in Granger. In these tough and scary times, it’s wonderful to see two fine groups coming together for the common good. The Caring Place will be on hand every second Wednesday of the month from 10am-noon at Bartlett First United Methodist Church. 
After a day of rain and cloud cover, the sun’s rays managed to peer out tonight near Thrall, Texas. Presented here are a few variations on a theme. 
Another simple post tonight, friends. Photos taken on recent evenings as I rambled through the Blackland Prairie. No other comments. 
Most of my photographer friends will post single images of their work. For me, the exploration of a subject is enlightening. At least to me it is. This doesn’t mean I lack editing skills. I just enjoy digging deeply into a subject. Tonight’s subject is prairie grass, that wispy, weedy thing that grows along the side of our roads in Texas farm country. Maybe there’s a more appropriate name for this stuff, but I like to call it as I see it. 
Happy Mothers Day from the Blackland Prairie in Texas. 
Let’s face it, friends. The coronavirus (COVID-19) dominates the news cycle. And will for a while. These are photos taken today for my friends at the Williamson County Sun. The first shows COVID-19 drive-through testing conducted at Taylor Regional Park. The tests, 96 today, were performed by members of the Texas National Guard. Organizers asked that we not show any recognizable faces of those being tested. I have that, but you won’t see it here. The second photo, taken in Georgetown, presents two mask-clad gents waiting for haircuts at Georgetown Barbershop. On Friday, our governor allowed salons and barber shops to resume their work, but with safety in mind. The shop’s owner shared a sweet story. While the shop was shut down because of the virus, the owner of her building didn’t collect rent for two months. Texans taking care of Texans. 
