My friend, rancher and writer Carol Fox, recently asked if I could take some photos of some the newborn calves on her ranch in Circleville, Texas.    If you’ve followed these posts for a while, you know that’s a labor of love.   Carol is working on a writing project she hopes to illustrate with photos, specifically the newest bovines among us.   The cows, being cows, aren’t always easy to get to.  If they’re grazing in a pasture close to the main road, it’s a breeze.  When they’re on the back acreage, however, it requires a bit of work!   Thankfully, I have access to a truck for those adventures.   These are photos taken at the ranch on two different visits. They are cute little critters, aren’t they?

It’s another of those times where there’s no specific theme to photos included in a post.  These are here mainly because they were made earlier tonight:  a rainbow at the end of a cornfield, a Great Egret foraging for a meal above a pasture and a sunset I happen to like.  Have a wonderful evening, friends.

For the past several years, I spent part of this Memorial Day at the observance held at the Georgetown-Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza.   It’s always an inspiring assignment.  Rather than wax poetic about all these images, why not just take a gander at what yours truly has been up to on this very warm day in Texas.   By the way, the keynote speaker was Senator Ted Cruz, sporting a beard these days.

As I neared completion of an evening rambling tonight, not feeling good about what I saw, a drive by Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and cemetery in Wuthrich Hill, Texas brought it home.   The flag at half-mast, hours before Memorial Day, felt right.  And warranted.   Memorial Day honors men and women who gave their lives during their military service.   A few years ago, covering a Memorial Day observance, the morning’s speaker, a member of Congress from Texas, felt the need to bring politics into his speech.   How regrettable.   Honor the sacrifice.  Nothing else.

Perhaps the donkeys don’t belong in this post, but that’s what you get tonight, friends.  While I see quite a few donkeys on the Blackland Prairie, the addition of white ones is intriguing.   This pair of beauties were observed last night near Beyersville, Texas.   From there, I ambled west, to Coupland, where a sunset above a stock pond was refreshing.   And this morning, on the road to Georgetown, morning light above a field of corn just after sunrise was nice to see.  

Anyone who follows my posts here, or on social media, will occasionally find photos from the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park.   Spring, summer and early-autumn are times when the rookery is more alive than ever.   That’s when egrets arrive to give birth to new life on the little island at the park’s lake.   Throughout the year, there’s activity there, but it’s at its peak right now.   What you’ll see here:  Cattle Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, cormorants, geese, and ducks.   The cormorants, geese and ducks are here all the time, but the level of activity right now is good to see.  These are a few images taken over a couple of recent visits.

Just a little of this and that tonight, friends.   The first image was one taken a while back.  It’s been sitting on my desktop, needing to be either filed or trashed.   The golden light on this stretch of highway near Rice’s Crossing was worth a few frames.  The second photo was made last night.  It’s on a rural road that I like a lot.  And not just because of the windmill, either.  The thing that makes this path so good?  So far, I’ve been able to get out the car, take photos for a few minutes, not once having to move out of the way for traffic.  That’s a big deal to me, friends.   By the way, I like sunsets.  Has that registered with you yet?

At some point I’ll start tossing a lot more photos, or post them.  The desktop, like my collection of external hard drives, is getting overloaded.    Tonight’s images call attention to grain elevators, among my favorite subjects.   We have plenty of them where we live.   The way light dances around their facades continues to fascinate.   Maybe it’s boring to some, but I like the exploration of subject.

Below these photos is a story I wrote for my friends at the Williamson County Sun, but I wanted to open with the images this time.   Read about this inspiring couple from Taylor High School.

For the past few years I’ve wanted to produce a picture story about a high school prom, but the timing has been off.   Every prom season comes and goes in a blink.

Then Taylor and Eric  got on my radar, thanks to the Taylor school district’s longtime public information officer, Tim Crow.   

Taylor Marx, 18, and Eric O’Brien, 19, are students enrolled in Taylor High School’s Life Skills classes.   Taylor was born with Down syndrome.  Eric was diagnosed as high-functioning, with intellectual  disability.    Both students live in Thrall and have known each other for years.   Though living outside Taylor, they’ve attended classes in Taylor as part of the East Williamson County Cooperative.   When not in school, Eric works part-time for the city of Thrall, where Taylor’s dad, Troy Marx, is mayor.   

Taylor and Eric are guided in their classes by teachers Corey Graef and Debbie Jackson.   Eric  is a tall young man, reserved  and a little shy, but communicates well with those around him.   Taylor, explains Ms. Jackson, is non-verbal, but aided by an iPad programmed to help her with dialogue with family, teachers and friends.    At home, where I visited a couple of times, she has no trouble at all relaying her thoughts, with or without the iPad,  to mom Sherry , dad and her two siblings, Luke, a sophomore at Thrall High, and Ava, a first-grader.    Eric and his sister Ashley, a year older, share the same intellectual challenges, but are guided at home by their parents, John and Kimberly Shaw.   

Casting this column was more than just covering prom night itself.   I wanted to go deeper and get a flavor for what comes before the actual day.   It meant meeting  Eric and his family Cavender’s Western Wear in Round Rock, where he got decked out in grand style, with John and Kimberly making needed adjustments.    Then there was a visit to the Marx home on the day Taylor was getting acquainted with her new prom dress, mom and dad pitching in to help.    It was  charming to see the bond between father and daughter.   “She’s daddy’s girl,” explained Sherry.

As prom day approached, Eric picked out a white wrist corsage for Taylor.   Friday evening he was treated to a haircut by  Bree Fontenot at Taylor’s True Barbershop.   

Saturday, prom day, was busy for both families, too.   By early-afternoon, Taylor was getting her makeup and hair done by mom.   Their families planned to meet on the bridge at Murphy Park in Taylor  for photos of the couple in all their prom finery.   The threatened stormy weather held off, the rain coming just as they finished the  photo session.   From there it was up the street, to Main Street Intermediate School, where Life Skills teachers finished decorating the interior of a school bus that would take Taylor and Eric, as well as a few other students, to a restaurant in Round Rock.   

From Round Rock, the big yellow bus deposited the prom-goers at the Williamson County Expo Center, the site of the big event.   

When it comes to dancing, Taylor is no shrinking violet.  She loves to dance.   Once inside the dimly-lit hall, the couple sat down briefly.   Sensing his date’s anxiousness, Eric held out his hand and said “Let’s dance.”    They were the first couple on the dance floor that night.  

Eric, sporting his black cowboy hat, prefers country songs and slower dances.   Taylor loves it all.  During faster-paced songs, Taylor looked longingly at the dance floor until her teacher, Ms. Jackson, prompted her into action.   “Get out on that dance floor, girl!  You know you love it,” said Jackson.  That’s all it took.   

The night progressed with little time away from the dance floor the couple slowing down for snacks.  Watching Eric’s attentiveness to his prom date was sweet as he gently wiped away water from Taylor’s chin, keeping her prom dress pristine.

Two hours into the evening, “Footloose” came over the loud speakers, prompting  Eric to join in the moment.  He may like the slow songs, but he knows when to get moving, too. 

It was a magical evening.

Two scenes recently seen in East Williamson County, Texas.   While bluebonnets are nice, our wildflower season evolves.   The opening image was made a few nights ago near Coupland.  The silhouette was from tonight in Taylor.   I’ll leave it at that, no commentary needed.