Isn’t Princess beautiful?   She’s a sweet girl.   She was born August 7, 2010.  Her daddy was KJH Lonestar Warrior, her mama was CWR Minnie’s Pearl.   She belongs to a good friend who lives north of Granger, but south of Bartlett.  Princess graciously shares her pasture with other cows, even a few donkeys.   Mostly, she’s camera-shy, but on this particular day, she was open to a few photos.  I’ll start this post with a black-and-white photo of her, one I happen to like a lot.   

Debating which direction to wander tonight, east seemed good.  Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, in Wuthrich Hill, is east.  Just a short drive to something beautiful on this peaceful Monday evening.  Different views, different light.

An engaging assignment  I had this weekend  in Taylor was the Heart of Texas American Pit Bull Terrier Club’s show, held Saturday at the Williamson County Expo Center.   The show attracted entrants from around the country. Since we have a rescued Pit Bull terrier, I try, whenever possible, to make sure the breed gets some positive publicity.   Heaven knows, they get plenty of the other kind.   Some of it’s valid, much is not.  Too much painting with a broad brush, perhaps?  I think so.   My favorite part of the show was a 4-year-old young lady exhibiting her dog, Red.  It was the first show for both.  Daddy was there to lend a hand.   Beyond that, it’s just basic coverage.   But at the end of this post, you’ll note Boston terriers, and even a French bulldog puppy named Remy.   There are few dogs I don’t like.  It’s how they’re raised.  I truly believe that.  These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

In just a few short hours, we transition to Daylight Saving Time in Texas.    With apologies to friends craving that extra hour of daylight, I don’t like it.  The reason is a selfish one.   I love good light.  Postponing sunset by an hour means the sweet evening feel comes later.    Someone posted on Facebook that the Florida legislature has decided to stay with Daylight Saving Time all year long.   While Florida is lovely, that is not, but I suppose the tourist trade will benefit.   If Texas ever decides to do this, I won’t leave.  It took too dang long to get back.  But I won’t like it.   So with that in mind, friends, here are some photos that pay homage to comforting light.  Some are from tonight.

012318 EAST WILLIAMSON

031018 TAYLOR, TEXAS: A

The experiment continues.  Tonight’s images are once again taken with my pretty inexpensive mobile device, a Motorola cell phone.   They were taken on my daily walks around Taylor, Texas.   While snapping a photo of the house being painted, the young man who lived in the house, sitting on the porch, took a moment to show me his iPhone.  I have to admit, the screen looked pretty good.  For years, I’ve seen things on these long strolls, usually about two  hours long, but didn’t want to tote something large.   While still open to some sort of point and shoot camera, these phones are becoming interesting tools.   Understand that I am not now, or ever, putting the “real” cameras away, but let it be known that yours truly is open to change.   For me, that’s saying a lot.  That last photo is yours truly … a self-portrait.  I don’t use the word “selfie.”  Some things won’t change.

Today is International Women’s Day.   With that in mind, I’m posting some photos taken of Native American women in 1986 and 1987 for the Atlanta Journal & Constitution.   The 1986 images were taken in Arizona, on both the Navajo and Hopi reservations.   Reporter Ron Martz and I visited the area for coverage of the long-standing Hopi-Navajo land dispute.   I expect it’s still a tense subject today.   The lady outside her home, with a bicycle at left, is Hopi.  The others are Navajo, various scenes .. a mother dressing her baby, a smiling Navajo girl, a Navajo woman sweeping hay in her barn.   The lady in front of the American flag is Navajo, taken during a protest.   The 1987 images, taken in the Spring, are  from a gathering of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation in Snowbird, North Carolina, including bean-washing in the river, clothes washing, also near the river, and just a portrait I like   They are the last three photos in this post.   Native American women are some of the strongest personalities I’ve met through these many years.

They’re ever so small right now, but my farmer friend Larry Raesz assures me these little sprouts of corn will command these fields very soon.   This Blackland Prairie soil is some of the richest anywhere on the planet.  Trust me, friends, when that soil is wet, you don’t want to walk around in it.   You’ll get stuck.   Last night when I took this set of photos, I put on my rubber boots.   Thankfully, the soil had soaked up recent rains and they weren’t needed, but it helps to be prepared.   I suppose it must be a sight to see a guy crawling around a field at dusk.  During the session, I looked over my shoulder to see two vehicles stopped,  folks out of their cars, concerned.   “I’m just taking pictures,”  was my response.    They waved and moved on, but it’s nice to see good people checking up on weirdos like yours truly!

Last weekend, an unplanned assignment fell into my lap on short notice.  The occasion was “Chase the Chief,” a series of activities culminating in a fun run and a 5K race, all held at East View High School in Georgetown, Texas.  The “chief” is Georgetown Chief of Police Wayne Nero.   You can see him running in full uniform in one of these photos.  The proceeds from  this event, which attracted 1700 participants on a slightly-wet Sunday afternoon (thankfully, past rains held off), raises money for the athletic departments at Georgetown schools.   Naturally, a lot of kids took part.   My favorite moments are at the top of this post, a fellow carrying an American flag in the 5K race.  Joining him for the race (at the right in the opening shot)  was his 7-year-old daughter, who took a turn or two at toting that flag.  Dad was there to lend a hand as needed, but the little girl did her part!   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

I noticed that we go back to Daylight Saving Time this Sunday.   For many friends, that’s a good thing.  That extra sunlight gives you more time to pursue your  outdoor interests.   Count me in the minority.   I love evening light.  A blaring sun in the sky isn’t always conducive to a soothing scene.   But I digress.   Here are two night photos taken in recent days at Taylor’s Murphy Park.   One is a young man, fishing with his dad.  That new Coleman lantern was mighty handy.   The other one shows the same area where the young man was fishing, taken a a few nights later.   It’s one of those tripod-mounted scenes, the. view beginning in Murphy Park, then Lake Drive, and in the distance, the winding path of Bull Branch Park.  

When growing up in Texarkana, my friends and I used to love those pickup games of basketball we played on the grounds of Grim Elementary School.   Our fun was had on goals without nets.  We played not on concrete, or wooden surfaces.   Our surface was dirt.   With the aptly-named March Madness nearing, tonight seemed like a good time to post a little basketball action at Taylor’s Fannie Robinson Park.   While I’ve photographed those grain elevators a few times, the occasion to photograph them with basketball hasn’t happened … until this evening.   I like the juxtaposition of elements here, in small-town Texas.   The photo session concluded when I was beaned by a basketball.  My own fault, of course.  I told the young fellows not to worry about hitting me.   Ibuprofin is a handy thing to have around.