Friday evening, rather than wander too far from home, I opted for a visit to Taylor’s  Murphy Park.   As the crow (or egret, duck, cormorant, goose) flies, it’s only a mile from our house.   Sometimes,  on these park excursions, I’ll bring along a book and my fold-out chair, but this time, it was just yours truly and the camera.    At some point, the rookery will become less active as the egrets move on for a few months.   They’ll return in spring, of course, but that’s a while off.   For now, it’s a good place for a bit of personal photo therapy, even without birds.  The water’s nice, too.    If someone happens to like an image or two, all the better.  

Today, as are many Saturdays, thank goodness, was very busy!   I had not one, but two similar events meant for our some of our best canine buddies.   The first one I visited,  for the Williamson County Sun,  was the K-9 Kerplunk, held in Georgetown at the recreation center’s outdoor kiddie pool.   This event was held by Georgetown Parks & Recreation.   The second event, down the road a piece, was the City of Pflugerville’s  Summer Splash Party for dogs, held at the city’s Scott Mentzer Pool, at Heritage Park.  This event, for my friends at the Austin American-Statesman, benefits the Friends of the Pflugerville Animal Shelter.    Both happenings were grand.   The oddest thing was seeing Boston terriers at each pool, each wearing the same orange life preserver!  Zoe, the Boston in Georgetown, was a little smaller, while Tucker, in Pflugerville, had some size, attributed, said his owner, to having a little French Bulldog in his blood.   Neither dog cared much for the water.  Is that a common trait with Bostons?    Anyway, it was a whole bunch of fun!   The first four photos are from Georgetown, the rest from Pflugerville.    I’m glad to see our communities giving our canine pals some positive attention. 

The Georgetown Palace Theatre, after a few years’ absence, is reprising “You Can’t Do That Dan Moody,” set to run weekends through October 1.    The production, written Tom Swift and Ken Anderson, chronicles Dan Moody, a native of Taylor, born in 1893.   In 1923-1924, during a 5-month period, Moody, then Williamson County’s District Attorney, successfully won convictions against four members of the Ku Klux Klan.   At the time, the Klan was a dominant force in this country, spreading its hate throughout  communities all over.   Nobody had ever won convictions against the Klan … until Dan Moody came along.   Three Klan members were accused of tarring a salesman they suspected of adultery.   It was interesting that the salesman was white.   All three were convicted, as well as.a fourth, convicted for perjury.   All this occurred in the 26th District Courtroom of the Williamson County Courthouse.   What makes this production so fine is that it’s presented in that very courtroom, lovingly restored.   This production, directed by Mary Ellen Butler, presents Moody as a child, moving to the time of the trials, when he was 29, and into his late 60s.    I can’t imagine that Klan members actually showed up to court in their robes, but it was powerful seeing it presented in this manner.    After these convictions, the Klan’s power diminished considerably in the United States.   Moody went on to become the state’s youngest governor, at 33, serving two terms.   Among the photos here are a portrait of Governor Moody  hung in the 26th District Courtroom, as well as a statue of Mr. Moody on the courthouse lawn.   This may be a Georgetown production, but it honors a Taylor native. 

I try to see the moon in all its forms.  Large, colorful and bold, like the one posted here recently. Sometimes, however, the moon, although full, can be a tiny part of the scene.   Of course, that’s just fine because that little full moon can still emit some sweet night light, as it did last evening along a section of the San Gabriel River as it coursed through Jonah, Texas.    Even though this is a color image, you might not know that.   Monotone evenings are nice, too, even when standing on a bridge to get the photo.

This is a grove of trees I pass often.  In July I posted one photo from there.   Recently I stopped by again.   It’s interesting to observe the changing pattern, color and intensity of light  on this little piece of Williamson County, Texas when the sun’s rays fade into a night’s oblivion.   The series was documented for just 34 minutes.   Light changes quickly at day’s end.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, this year’s Harvest Moon falls in October, not September.    You know what, folks?   It looked pretty doggone nice this evening above Taylor, Texas.   

With gas supplies harder to get, probably because of greedy people filling up 55-gallon containers, I’m staying fairly close to my Taylor home.   One go-to place I love, just over a half mile from home, is Bull Branch Park, adorned with ducks, geese, beautiful cypress trees and a really nice little pond.   My daily walks take me through here almost every day.    These were all done as the day’s light faded into history.

It’s probably no surprise, friends.   I am a sucker for both early-morning and early-evening light. Offered here are two recent examples.   The first, taken on the opening day of dove-hunting season, are cattle egrets making their across the Texas sky just after sunrise.   The other, I’m pretty certain, is a cotton harvest taking place at the end of a lovely Blackland Prairie day.   No other words are needed.  

Friday morning I got an early start to observe the beginning of dove-hunting season in South Central Texas.   As in past years, I found a good spot, only a few miles east of home, on land owned by Wilbur Brinkmeyer and his son, Ted.   Each year, they welcome a number of dove hunters to their scenic fields.   This year, as in the past, folks traveled from several parts of Louisiana to take part, both young and old.  I particularly enjoyed watching a father give directions to his 12-year-old daughter as they spotted a dove in a nearby tree.    Reno, the large dog, now 13, has been retrieving doves for years.   The Chihuahua, Lacie, however, has not, but it was interesting to watch her try!   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

090117 TAYLOR, TEXAS:

This week marked my 65th year on the planet.  To mark the milestone, I visited what I’m calling my “birthday barn.”    It’s a sweet old barn, maybe less than two miles from our house in Taylor.   For years, I’ve passed it, but never saw anyone in the farmhouse in front of it.  Needless to say, it was just something to admire from afar because I do not trespass on private property.   A few months ago, however, I spotted a couple in the front yard.  I pulled in and introduced myself.  “Would it be okay,” I asked, “if I periodically stopped by to photograph your barn?”   They were nice enough to say yes.   These photos, taken last evening, were my second visit to the barn.  The 1963 Impala that was there the first time is still there.    The son of the couple stopped by last night, , filling me in a bit more on the barn’s history.  He thinks it was built in 1901.   It’s been around a while longer than yours truly.    From time to time, maybe I’ll visit it again.  It’s not far from home.   And it has staying power.  Hopefully, I will, too.

083117 TAYLOR, TEXAS: