This is one I took Tuesday evening after wandering in and around Coupland, Texas. These are three brothers, getting in a ride before that setting sun goes below the horizon. To reiterate: equestrian pursuits are a part of our culture. 
Today I covered the annual Georgetown Sertoma Club’s Fourth of July celebration at San Gabriel Park. The photos include their hometown parade, plus a little of this and that. The young man in the opening photo is enjoying the American flags placed by the local Rotary Club who will be doing a Field of Honor in November, which will include about 2,000 flags. Since it was toasty, the water spray was a good place to cool off. And I like the fellow with the colorful beard, a member of Georgetown’s Beard Club, a local non-profit raising money for charitable causes in the area. And there’s a couple of dog photos. I can’t go anywhere without documenting a pooch or two! Tonight, if rain doesn’t interfere, the day concludes with a fireworks show, something Madison Simmons, a staffer at the Williamson County Sun, will be on hand to document with her cameras.
Recently, I recall seeing a story in my local paper, the Taylor Press, about Mager Cemetery, sitting on a fine piece of land along F.M. 1466 in the Beyersville area, a few miles east of the village of Coupland. Coupland members of Hermann Sons Lodge, the Press story told us, had placed American flags on the 55 graves here to honor Flag Day (June 14). Last weekend, I was reminded of Mager Cemetery when a new friend suggested it would be a fine addition to my photo collection. I’m glad I took her advice, and happy to see the flags still there. We also like flags on July 4th, don’t we? Mager Cemetery is steeped in German heritage. Reinhold Mager, a German immigrant, donated an acre of his 150 acre farm for a cemetery, as well as a school. The school is gone, but the cemetery remains in this resplendent setting, nestled under live oak trees, surrounded by pastureland. The first burial here was 1900. Reinhold Mager died in 1930. His wife, Franziska, lived until 1951, the last burial here. Some inscriptions on markers are in German. 
The cemetery is well-maintained. In 2001 a Texas State Historical Marker was placed on the site. Just another little slice of Texas, folks.
While focused on something else last evening in Beyersville, Texas, this scene made its way in front of my camera. While I’d planned to post that “something else” tonight, this is okay all by itself. Beyersville, in southeast Williamson County, appears to be an are blessed with beautiful rolling hills, just the right trees and (of course) good skies. Was there ever a downtown to this community? I don’t know, but it’s somewhere I’ll return for future ramblings. You betcha.
On my way to retrieve some fast food last evening in Taylor, I came upon this dad and daughter moseying along on their horses. They’d been to a family reunion at Murphy Park and were now making their way back to the stables. These little slices of life in Texas always give me a good feeling. If you’re wondering if they were safe on that road, I’d have to say yes. In this part of the world, folks are used to seeing people on horses. And they’re respectful. I do love my home.
Those of you who follow what I do know my feelings about Daylight Saving Time. While it’s good for those among you who need that light for outdoor activities, I get that. What that means for me, however, is that the sweet light I love comes later. Thankfully, we’re beyond the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. The good news is this: there are wonderful tonalities in the pre-dawn hour, too. On this Saturday, with 14 hours 4 minutes of daylight, I crawled out of bed about 5:40 this morning. Sunrise would not come until 6:32. Get a move-on, Andy! There’s usually no set plan when I do this, pretty much like a lot of those evening ramblings. Just get in the car and go out on the prairie. This selection of photos, beginning about 18-20 minutes before sun-up, contain images of both the moon and the coming sun. The moon’s in a Waning Gibbous phase, 94.6% visible. Not too shabby. Because our prairies are adorned with corn, that’s represented pretty well. Crops, folks, and livestock, will always be a part of things where we live, but there’s one of a favorite old truss bridge passing over the San Gabriel River. That photo was about 11-15 minutes before dawn. The horse photo was 20 minutes after sunrise. By the time I saw that beauty, it was time to mosey on home to Taylor. My drive was 32 miles, taking just over an hour. I’m dragging now, but getting up early provides some pleasant visual rewards. 
Our East Williamson County, Texas farmers are beginning to harvest their corn crops, but farmers remain busy throughout the year. At the Boehm family farm, the cotton crop is beginning to thrive. Although I’ve photographed cotton harvests a time or two, this was the first time I saw its beginnings, with beautiful magenta flowers, soon to be replaced by cotton bolls. Our agricultural life continues here on the Blackland Prairie. 
This same windmill was posted last night during that mighty fine full moon. While waiting for the moonrise, I made use of my time simply observing light …. where it falls and how it falls, or rises. That windmill was (and still is) a good test subject. In the opening photo, for instance, the sun’s rays bathed everything in shades of red, gold, yellow and orange, all coming together nicely. Then, on the other side of the windmill, from an intersecting road, I watched the corn flutter for a few minutes. After a brief spell, the western sky morphed into yet another hue. If you pay attention, nature will lead you along a nice path. Not always, perhaps, but enough. 
Tonight’s offering are a Waxing Gibbous moon taken last night, then again this evening. Honestly, I can’t the difference, but last night’s version, which shows the dome of Granger’s old city hall building, plus an abandoned house on a county road, indicated the lunar delight was 99.1% visible, while tonight’s moon, the photos with the windmill, is listed as 100% visible. Tonight’s moon is also called a Strawberry Moon, not for any apparent coloration. but because June is the month wild strawberries begin to ripen. Other names include Rose Moon, Hot Moon and Mead Moon. Whatever you want to call it, it’s beautiful. 
It’s back to the rookery tonight at Taylor’s Murphy Park. The opening photo was taken last week on a cloudy evening, something moody to get things started. The other photos were taken there last evening. In the spring and early-summer the rookery is dominated by various types of egrets, plus a few cormorants. Nearby, but not on the island, are ducks and geese. There is, however, the periodic Great Blue Heron. She has the advantage of size and can pick where she wants to be, but she still had to defend her territory. It’s fun to see the young egrets getting their growth feathers. I’m never quite sure when the population lessens, but I try to enjoy them while they’re with us. 
