It continues to be astonishing how photographers haven’t felt the urge to document my area of Central Texas. The land and sky here on the Blackland Prairie continue to fascinate my senses. The opening photo takes you to a gentle hill adorned with cotton and corn. That image was taken last evening. The other photo? Just another sunset in Taylor, seen a little over an hour ago. 
During all those years in metro-Atlanta, it was rare to find an actual dirt road. I did manage to find one in Cobb County, a road that bordered a portion of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Marietta. Back home in Texas, I try not to take for granted our many dirt roads, like this one seen in my rearview mirror on the Blackland Prairie tonight.
If you want to assign a theme to this post, let’s call it the river. The San Gabriel River meanders through Williamson County, Texas, making its way into Milam County, eventually meeting the more-famous Brazos River before the final destination, the Gulf of Mexico. On Thursday, I watched an egret for about thirty minutes, hoping she’d take flight. She did not. Today, I watched a fly fisherman from Austin enjoying the cool water on a very toasty day. And there was a Plein Air artist, adorning her canvas this morning with her own view of the San Gabriel. Rivers are one of the life bloods of this planet. Take care of them.
These are just some photos I took while wandering around a little earlier this week. The skies were looking pretty nice. There was even a rainbow, but I never got the image I sought for that. The old truss bridge is one I’ve spent a lot of time around. It’s no longer in service, but I like that it’s still here. Another thought about light …. the photo of the old-growth pecan trees was taken at a wonderful time of the day. The bark was glowing orange and the grass below had a nice resonance, too. Don’t even ask, friends. It is not manipulated by me. God takes the credit here. The last photo? It was about a mile from home. I almost passed it up in a rush to call it a night, but in the far distance, you could see sheets of rain along with the clouds. It was a good conclusion to a nice night. By the way, does anyone else notice the face in the clouds in the bridge photo?
As old photos go, this one’s not that old, taken in 1997 during my tenure at the Atlanta Journal & Constitution. Emmy, a 5-year-old Exotic cat, gets bathed in preparation for the Cotton States Cat Club’s 59th Annual Cat Fancier’s Association Cat Show. It was amazing to see this kitty submit to this feline indignity. She did not look happy.
I think it was early last year when I visited this pasture just north of Taylor. In fact, it may have been this very horse, but there are several horses stabled here so I’m not sure. This one’s a little different, with some late-day dark clouds hovering above. At any rate, it’s always a nice thing when a white horse places itself so nicely in a dark area! 
Sunday afternoon I stayed pretty close to home, not leaving the Taylor city limits. About mid-afternoon, a storm system rolled through our area. Since storms are pretty interesting, I hopped in the car for a look around, ending up in front of a huge grain elevator at Williamson County Grain. If you follow my posts, you know I go on about how changing light will transform most anything. Around 3pm, when I took the first photo, that grain elevator looked regal. When I stopped by again, about 3 hours later, the sun’s rays fading away, it looked completely different. On the way home from that evening excursion, I stopped in downtown Taylor to admire the windows at the McCrory-Timmerman building. It’s interesting (at least to me) how the west-facing window on the left in the final images reflects the warmth of the setting sun, while the windows at right, facing south, take on a cool blue set of tones. 
I’ve always found it nice when folks find some way to hold onto historic structures in their community. Since moving to Taylor, Texas in 2009, I’ve admired the Old Taylor High building on 7th Street. It’s been used by several non-profits for a number of years, but its future had been uncertain until Cliff and Kaitlin Olle purchased it from the school district. Renovation is ongoing for multiple uses, including apartments and retail space. Thankfully, some of the non-profits who’ve been tenants, like Meals on Wheels, will remain. The school opened in 1923, finally closing its doors in 1969. The gymnasium, a Works Progress Administration project, was added in 1936. An annex came along in 1956. I’m told the lockers will remain, which is kind of neat. My favorite part of the structure is its 900-seat auditorium. What a grand space! Not all old buildings are worth holding onto, but this school is a classic … and a gem.
Last evening I covered the first of two nights of the annual Taylor Rodeo. What I love about the Taylor Rodeo are many things … among them is that the arena is only two miles from my house! And Taylor is the home of Bill Pickett, an African-American who invented bulldogging, also known as steer wrestling. But here’s what I wonder. Why are rodeos a summer sport? It was so dang hot last night! Without researching the matter, my assumption is that rodeo must have its roots somewhere up around the Rockies. You know, a really cold place in winter. But here in the Southwest, it seems like a great sporting endeavor meant for our more relaxed winter climate (except for the Panhandle, that is). But I digress. The Taylor Rodeo, whenever you hold it, is a fine, well-organized event, drawing cowboys, and fans, from all over. Here are a few photos I took for the Williamson County Sun, including the obligatory action shots, but some Mutton Bustin’ and Steer Saddling, too. In case you’re wondering, Steer Saddling is when a team enters the arena with a cow, then proceeds to put a saddle on the critter, then ride it. It was a bunch of fun. Except, of course, for the heat.
One of my wandering little adventures this week took me a few miles north, to the area around Granger. The only “theme” to this collection of images is proximity to that community of just over 1400 in East Williamson County, Texas. The session ended over Granger Lake at sundown, a good place to finish up a bit of summer rambling.
