Grain bins, sometimes called grain elevators, or maybe silos, seem right at home on the Blackland Prairie. A few photographed this month in our area. I’ve snapped photos of each quite a few times. And probably will again. 
Saturday afternoon was a wonderful time to photograph a Granny Basketball game at Georgetown’s Carver Center for Families, until a few years ago home to Carver Elementary School. The Georgetown Fire Ants were taking on members of the Georgetown Police Department in a charity basketball game to raise funds for continued support of the Carver Center, a family resource center here. Click on the link above to learn more about the center. The game was held in a completely-restored gymnasium, now adorned with enough light to make any photographer happy. The Fire Ants team began in 2014, among the first Granny Basketball teams in Texas. Granny Basketball, however, was conceived in Iowa in 2005. There are now teams throughout the United States. To be a team member one must be at least 50 years of age. One or two players Saturday were well beyond that. I’m posting sixteen photographs here, probably less on social media. This website surpasses anything you’ll find on social media. Note that police officers wore oven mitts to make sure they didn’t have an unfair advantage. From watching these ladies, however, the oven mitts weren’t needed. The Fire Ants won the game, 78 to 34. 
During those daily walks in Taylor I take many steps through Bull Branch Park, an elegant place to observe the natural world. With winter’s arrival the park’s cypress trees transform. This is particularly so in the evening hours. Friday, before calling it a day, I stopped by, with tripod in hand. The opening photograph, a little after sunset, holds onto a bit of daylight. When full darkness comes, it’s even more compelling. It evolves. Full disclosure, a little league baseball field is nearby. A team practice was in session last night. The lights from the field added a special ambience to the evening. The last photograph is my top choice. I’m thankful for that team practice. 
Photographs taken during my daily walks in Taylor this week, a week that began quite cold and icy. A couple of walks were shortened, but I managed to see a few things. It’s always important to have a camera handy. 
When we returned to Texas in 2009, seeing the Blackland Prairie landscape was a wonderful kindness for the senses. I loved photographing it. Somewhere along the way, it dawned on me that things and places began to disappear. It was then I was compelled to document what was there before it was gone. One of those was two red barns a few miles south of our Taylor home. They drew me in every time I drove by. The opening photograph was taken in July 2024. At the time, the farm was for sale. Hopefully, the barn would remain intact. Driving past there today, however, it was obvious the barn’s days were numbered. The dismantling process had begun. At least there’s a record of what once was. It’s all I can do. These sites are becoming ghosts in our midst. 
Three photographs from the last two evenings. The first one is the iconic Granger City Hall, a really nifty structure erected as the Farmers State Bank building in 1908-1909. It remained a bank until closing in 1926. Three years later it was recast as the community’s city hall. The third photo, also from last evening, was made several miles northeast of Granger. The structure, photographed a few times over the years, was either hand shack (for seasonal farm workers) or an actual family farmhouse. Many farmhouses in the early-mid 20th Century was quite small by today’s standards, but I like that it’s still there. The second one is from tonight, seen while wandering around the Beyersville area. The sky reflected nicely on the little pond’s surface. I’d call it a stock pond, but many here say “tank.” That sounds too industrial. “Pond” is a gentler word. Farmers in my Northeast Texas family called them ponds. It’s a pond, friends. 
Something from a few evenings ago, spending some good time near Taylor’s train yards. Those tracks are impeccable at the right time of day. Golden hour, of course, had arrived. And a couple more, very close to the tracks. The second one is a building on First Street, its facade soaking up the golden rays. I think they are office spaces for lease, but am not certain. The last one might be something longtime residents know. Those are doors at what was once Taylor Cafe, opened in the 1940s by Vencil Mares, a World War II veteran who lived for 96 years. His cafe is closed, but his light continues to shine. 
For years I had little use for squirrels, but in recent times I’ve actually become fascinated by these furry little folks. A couple of things changed my opinion. Our rather large pooch actually caught one in the backyard. The squirrel, fearing for its life, managed to get away, scurrying up a tree, obviously in distress. Minnie Moo, our canine companion, really seemed concerned. Since then, she’s given them a pass. Last year, my friends at All Things Wild Rehabilitation had a baby squirrel in their care. A volunteer bottle-fed it. I was touched by their compassion. There’s little doubt, squirrels can be pesky, but they’re also intriguing. These were taken this afternoon at Berry Springs Park & Preserve in Georgetown, where I was looking for people getting outside after our winter event. I found a few humans, but this squirrel drew me in. It’s the same little critter in each photograph. 
Georgetown held its Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday march and commemoration this afternoon. The service was held at Macedonia Baptist Church. The annual observance is coordinated by the Georgetown Fellowship of Churches. Temperature during the march was was around the freezing mark, a brisk day to be outside. 
From tonight, on the Georgetown square, a lady who says she’s been homeless for two years copes with frigid temperatures near the freezing mark. She hoped to find her way to the Unitarian Fellowship here, where a shelter has been set up for the area’s unhoused. The shelter will be open through Thursday morning. The only exception will be for three hours on Monday, when shelter staff can take time to attend the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday observance. 
