Anything to do with trains, or tracks, or railroad depots? They’re interesting to me. This one was taken while waiting on a train to pass just west of Taylor earlier this week. That’s my intrepid Honda in the foreground. 
As I got out of my car Thursday afternoon to cover the Georgetown Parks Department’s annual Halloween Festival at the San Gabriel Community Center, I quickly grabbed a camera to record a mama, and a pumpkin-clad pooch called Bruno, get her 5-year-old son all fixed up for the fun. In his dinosaur costume, the little guy was almost as big as mama, who once getting the outfit just right, smiled as she took photos with her phone. Bruno’s smiling, too. All three proceeded inside, but an hour into the festival, I noticed Bruno’s absence. Bruno, it seems, had to return to the car. Thankfully, it was a very cool night so Bruno was snug and safe! This is just one of those slice-of-life things that make community photojournalism fun. 
I’m thankful for tonight’s storms that have crossed Williamson County, Texas, leaving behind much-lower temperatures. These are photos taken this evening along the San Gabriel River and at a rain-soaked baseball field in Georgetown. The river photos might appear to be black-and-white, but they’re not. The light for the river photos was the result of a good electrical storm making dark things bright, if only for a moment or two. 
These three photos were made a few nights ago on a peaceful stretch of a dirt road in Bell County, Texas. A portion of the road is unpaved, slowing me down enough to take in the sights, never a bad thing. 
These photos were made a few evenings back while wandering through the most eastern part of Williamson County, Texas. Though development continues throughout our area, I can still find places where the density, so far, is low. It was surprising to see a herd of deer. That’s something you’re more apt to find on the western edge of the county. Folks in Sun City, Texas, for instance, are well-versed in deer nomenclature. There’s a loose theme in that all the pictures were made very close to each other, separated by not more than a couple of miles. I’m continuing to document the passing of things, like the two farmhouses, which appear to have been empty for quite a while. I’m glad their remains are there, as is the land around them, but will these farm and ranching areas eventually fall victim to subdivisions? In my 29 years in Atlanta, I witnessed enough development to last several lifetimes, but I did find the modern home, where a gent was working outside, to fit right in. It seems to belong. The Blackland Prairie land might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s mine. 
The last time I posted butterfly photos a few years ago, I made the mistake of calling them Monarchs. One of my more knowledgeable friends, however, said they were not. Their real identity escapes memory right now, but let’s just call these butterfly photos, shall we? I think they’re Monarchs, but will not make that error again if I can help it. All that aside, these photos were made a few days ago at Taylor’s butterfly garden in Murphy Park. Whatever you call them, these guys are fast! When they decided to move, autofocus on my high-end Nikons couldn’t keep pace. At any rate, I like these little creatures, whatever you call them. 
Even though we’re still experiencing some all-too-warm temperatures (90s!) in Central Texas, the seasons are changing, apparent if you were to travel around our farm country in East Williamson County, Texas. Fields recently filled with corn, wheat and cotton are harvested, leaving behind some of our Blackland Prairie soil, now fallow. This barn? Oh, it’s one of those I return to from time to time. When this photo was made a few nights ago, the last rays of light graced both the field and that barn. 
An inspiring day was spent at the Williamson County Expo Center in Taylor, Texas covering the Bluebonnet Horse Expo for the Austin American-Statesman and the Williamson County Sun. The expo is a horse adoption event coordinated by the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. Approximately 65 horses and one donkey (Herbie) were available for adoption today. Included here are my visual impressions of the day, one well-spent watching horses and riders demonstrate skills in training challenges. Beyond the obvious are just images I happen to like: the little boy chowing down on a huge grilled cheese sandwich, a young lady playing with a toy horse given to her by her grandma, and a horse called Arrow, shown in the last photo. Arrow is a rescue resulting from the sadness of Hurricane Harvey. I hope Arrow, and all these beautiful beings, find happy homes. 
Much of what I do sits in files on my desktop. It would help if I’d clear this stuff out, wouldn’t it? Grain elevators and windmills are go-to subjects here on the Blackland Prairie. A few years ago, after a tornado soared through East Williamson County, grain elevators in Noack were left in ruins. I’m happy to report their replacements are looking good. And windmills? I love them. The windmill pictured in this post is a new one to add to the collection. It’s not far from Thrall, Texas. Just stuff, friends. 
Sometimes an image is no more than a grab shot. By no means perfect, maybe it’s worth holding onto? This one’s busy for sure, too many elements for the eye to absorb. While wandering through the countryside in East Williamson County, Texas near sunset last evening, looking west into a blaring sun, I saw this little scene, a mom, her daughters and the family pooch strolling and rolling into the fading day. Because the light was exceptionally-harsh, I almost drove on, but decided to make a few frames first. It appeared that mom and sister were giving a bike-riding lesson to little sister on this quiet stretch of county road, cotton bundled up in the distance, a railroad crossing yet further. Last night, I thought of just dragging the photo into the trash bin, but chose to keep it. Maybe it has merit. 