Friday night, rather than saunter into the countryside, I decided to pay a close-by visit to downtown Taylor, Texas.    At the right time of day, the light on some of our buildings is glorious.   After shooting a few photos, however, I began to notice the billowing colors of the American flag at Heritage Square Park.  Just like that my focus (pun intended) changed.   The July 4th holiday-inspired session began when observing the flag’s reflection in a window of one of those historic buildings, followed by some images of the flag itself.   Looking skyward was a gift … a waxing gibbous moon.  Being a fool for the moon,  a few frames were made in that direction too.   Just down Main Street there was yet another flag, gracefully flying behind the Howard Theatre.   As I headed back to my car, parked on 4th Street, the Heritage Square Park flag still looked nice so I shot a little more to end the night’s work.

Sometimes, well really quite often, I just get in the car and drive.  It’s not a given I’ll find anything inspiring, but you never know until you look, right?   These are a few shots taken Wednesday evening.  All, as you might expect, are from East Williamson County, Texas, not a one more than twenty minutes from our house.   Those tall stalks in the first photo are pretty active agave plants.   If they’ve been growing like this all along, it’s a wonder they haven’t gotten my attention before now.  The rest are what they are.    That warmly-lit structure with cattle strolling by in back?  It’s a very small, very old house, apparently long abandoned.   At the end, a black and white treatment.  Just wandering, folks, just wandering.

This one’s very simple, something I shot a couple days ago.   When you get right down to it, you’re looking at a snapshot, something you could shoot with a phone.   But mine’s not with a phone.   I wasn’t going to post it, but what the heck.  It’s growing on me.

Those corn stalks on this prairie land are beginning to lose their color, fading into a warm and crisp shade of yellow.   Other crops, like those in the opening image, are taking their time in the spotlight.   From a distance, I’m not sure if the green I’m seeing in that first photo is cotton, but I think it might be.   It’s time for that.  But back to the corn.  You’re not seeing burnt-up corn stalks here, but let’s just say our farmers need to consider a harvest pretty soon.

Star and Lucy are family members.   Star, a pit bull  rescued by our daughter, will be 7 on July 4th.   The previous owners had her ears clipped far too much.  She is a sweetie pie.   When I see stories about the harm done by pit bulls, it makes me cringe.   Unless you’re a squirrel, or possum, Star is a peace-loving baby.    Those of us with enough years on us will remember Petey, the dog on the Little Rascals.  Petey was a pit bull.   Lucy?  She’s 13 now.  My wife and daughter adopted her when we lived in Georgia.  Lucy went un-adopted for 9 months.   Just before her time expired, we brought Lucy into our home.    They’re both good babies.

When I arrived at the Williamson County Sheriffs Posse Rodeo arena in Georgetown, Texas on Friday evening for their annual rodeo,  it was a downright hot 103 degrees.   Knowing it would be a hot night, my choice of attire switched from jeans and boots to shorts and a very light shirt.   Nevertheless, as I wandered through the stands taking feature photos for my friends at the Williamson County Sun,  a lady apparently decided I looked poorly and offered a cold bottled water.  Normally, I don’t accept things, but this time I did.   Heat aside, I completely enjoy rodeos.   The action in the arena is good, but more than that, it’s  the culture surrounding the sport.   Families bring their little ones, coaxing them, if they’re 55 pounds or less, to hop on a sheep’s back for Mutton Bustin.   One fellow who’s been around since 1969 is rodeo clown Leon Coffee, who hails from Blanco, Texas.   Leon keeps telling folks he’s retiring, but there he was again this year.  He graciously allowed me access to his inner sanctum to get a few shots of him preparing for the night.   A saddle bronc rider I met, 37, has been at it for quite  a few years, breaking a lot of bones along the way.   Still, they keep coming back.   Since returning to Texas in 2009, I’ve visited this arena every June, but I hear tell its time may be winding down to make way for something else on this ground.   I think that’s sad, but we’ll see what transpires.

These are photos I took Wednesday evening after returning home to East Williamson County, Texas, another look at the start of our summer solstice.   It’s far too hot already, but the land and sky on the prairie continue to expand my mind.   The first photo is a field of milo having a good early-summer period of growth.   Full disclosure:  I didn’t know the crop’s name, so stopped and asked a farmer’s daughter (really), who set me straight.   Another stop was at Immanuel Lutheran Church, the little church on the hill, just west of Taylor.   This church is one of several often-visited spots.   A few photos of the church, and the sky, seemed like a good idea.   Just up the county road from Immanuel, I spotted a few cattle, a shy bunch indeed, but curious critters, too.   The night was topped off with (wait for it) a windmill.   Some things are a constant.

The summer solstice where we live began Tuesday at 11:24p.m.   Today, Wednesday, was our first full day of summer.   Anyone in Texas will tell you it’s been a mite warm here for a while.   I saw that Wichita Falls has already had a 117-degree day.    All I can so to that is … well dang.   Early this afternoon I stopped by Blue Hole Lagoon in Georgetown, Texas, where this athletic 15-year-old demonstrated his diving skills on our relatively-cool afternoon.  Heck, it was only mid-90s!    Stay hydrated, friends.

A book that has fascinated me for the last few weeks is “Equal Before the Lens,” published in 1992 by Texas A&M University Press.   The book, authored by Barbara McCandless, chronicles the photographs of Czech-American photographer Jno. (John Paul) Trlica, a Granger resident born in 1882.  He died in 1977.   The images in this book are grand documents of a time spanning the early 1900s through the early 1940s.   Since Granger, now with a population of just over 1400, is just a few minutes north of where we live, in Taylor, I wandered up that way tonight to take a few photos of my own.  The opening photo shows city hall, up for renovation very soon.  The young fellow checking his phone is near a lion, the school mascot.  I was trying to find the location of Mr. Trlica’s studio, but alas, I think it may no longer be standing.  My neighbor, in his 80s, grew up in Granger and knew the photographer.  He thinks the building has been torn down.   At any rate, I got the book from the library, but would love to have a copy for my own.    A scan of the book’s cover is included in this post.  The child on that cover is a little girl, but many thought it to be a boy. 

We took an afternoon drive today, making our way to the trailer park where we lived from 1972-1974 (still there), then on to Lockhart, where we had a nice visit to the town square, and, of course, Whataburger.   After filling up, we chose a different route home to Taylor, through Bastrop County, Texas.   Motoring along Texas Highway 21, we came to Cedar Creek, a dot on the map.  To our left was a sign: “Hopewell Rosenwald School est. 1921-22.”  Initially, I passed on by, but about two seconds passed before I turned around to check it out.   The gate was open.   I got out to take an exterior photo, then went to peek in the windows.  To my surprise, the door to the old school was unlocked.   When I peeked inside, curiosity won out.   For a few very short minutes I stepped inside, touching not a thing.  The interior of this large one-room schoolhouse was adorned with materials for renovation.  Back home tonight, a Google search provided more information.  Hopewell Rosenwald School was formed for the area’s African-American youth, continuing as a school through the late 1950s.   Once closed, it fell on hard times for many years.   In 2015 things began to change when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.   Then along comes Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, providing a $50,000 capital grant for its restoration.  When work is completed, the school will become a community center.   I’m glad we stopped by.  And that it was open.