This is a followup to a post earlier this week, from the parish picnic and dance at Granger’s SS. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church.   For a six-month period, church members and visitors attended masses in the parish hall while the sanctuary of this church, already beautiful, was transformed.   The church is steeped in Czech and German traditions, where adornment of the houses of worship has been the standard for many years.   A few years ago, I did a feature for Texas Highways magazine on the painted churches of Fayette County.   The work here in Granger gave me a sense of the loveliness I saw a few years ago in Praha, Dubina, Ammansville and High Hill.   The church shown here held their first mass in the new sanctuary last Saturday.   Next April the church building will celebrate 100 years.   The congregation, however, will celebrate 125 years. 

These are some fairly simple photos taken this evening as I wandered around my “neighborhood,” the Blackland Prairie.   Some of the fields of corn have been harvested, making a few places come into view again, like a little farm house I enjoy seeing from time to time.   And Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, in Wuthrich Hill.   The light on hay bales was kind of nice, too.  My session ended a few minutes later when a country pooch decided to send me moseying along on home.   All’s well.

Monday was the first day high school football teams were allowed to start practicing.   This morning, I visited two area high schools, one up the road, in Bartlett, Texas, the other really close, right here in Taylor.    Both teams I photographed today took to the field early, by 8a.m.   But here’s the thing:  it’s August, and it’s Texas.  Thankfully, the coaches, were herding their guys inside for weight training by 11, but it was still toasty.   The first four photos were taken in Taylor, the last couple in Bartlett.   Let’s hope everyone is careful with these young athletes.  These photos were taken for the Austin American-Statesman.

SS. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, in Granger, Texas, knows all about good food and dancing.   The church is one of the focal points of this little town of around 1400 people.   On Sunday, I made a couple of trips to their parish hall, where church members pitched in to prepare fried chicken, slaw, buttered noodles, green beans and plenty of desserts.   Some folks chose to dine in the parish hall, but others got “to-go” plates.   A line forms outside for these jewels!   Once the eating is done, the dining tables are put away and the hall is transformed into a dance floor.   This year, traditional Czech music was provided by the Ennis Czech Boys (the accordion player is pictured with this post) and Fritz Hodde.   Paying a visit to this year’s picnic fun was Sister Margaret, a nun who hails from Nigeria, but now lives in Temple, as part of St. Luke’s Parish.   These gatherings have been going on in Central Texas for many years, attracting the very young, and a whole lot of active seniors, many with deep Czech and German roots, but I like how the cultures come together, too: like the great-grandmother, of Czech heritage, consoling her great-grandson, with Hispanic blood coursing through his veins, too.   It’s all good.

Last Thursday I traveled to Lago Vista, on the shores of Lake Travis, for my friends at the Austin American-Statesman.    The assignment was the 26th Annual Teen Lake Escape, a 5-day-long overnight camp sponsored by the Sunshine Kids Foundation, a group dedicated to making lives better for kids (and families) coping with cancer.   My Thursday visit was a day when the teens,  20 kids from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, got to visit with area first responders, including those from the Travis County Sheriffs Office, Travis County STAR Flight, the Austin Police Department, the Travis County Fire Department and the Hays County Sheriffs Office.   The most fun part for photos was going out on the lake in a Sheriffs Office boat, but not fun when I got soundly splashed by another boat from the same department.   This was a heart-warming camp.   With so many bad things going on around us all the time, isn’t it nice to see a ray of hope?  I think so.

After a day of shooting something assigned, I wandered out a little bit tonight to follow the light.   The first photo in this post is a swath of land that says something about the expansive nature of portions of the Blackland Prairie.  The golden area, of course, is corn, not yet harvested.   The others?  Well, they’re a few miles down the road, grain elevators, and yes, more corn fields on the last one, a little after 8:30 this evening.

Just something simple from tonight’s wanderings, grazing along County Road 366, just outside Taylor. 

On Tuesday I had a little day trip to Lampasas, Texas, to do a few portraits for my friends at the Austin American-Statesman.   Since I was already there, it was  a day to play tourist a little, too.   Rambling is always fun.  It’s a pretty little Central Texas town.  Recent census figures have its population at just under 7,000, give or take a few.  It’s about 70 miles northwest of Austin.  The downtown area is adorned with limestone-covered buildings.   Murals adorn some walls, adding brightness and color  to a stroll.   Green’s Feed Store, just off the square, seems to do a steady business. There’s an old-fashioned bandstand, too.   The focal point is the Lampasas County Courthouse, here since 1884.  It’s still a functioning courthouse, too.  After a few photos outside, I wandered in, not sure if it was okay to take photos.  A friendly judge, however, welcomed my little tour.   No court was in session, but on the second floor, I found a darkened, locked  courtroom that leaked in just enough ambient light to grace the seating area.  One could almost imagine a ghost whispering through here.   A note on the feed store:  I think it looks better in black and white, but am including it both ways here.    I’m glad I got to wander here on a warm summer afternoon, discovering the Texas charm a little at a time.

We need the rain.  And it came tonight to the Blackland Prairie.  Before the bottom dropped out, however, the skies became beautiful, the land below them taking on sweet droplets of textured light.   Okay, I’m watching a political convention so I won’t stay here long.  For what it’s worth, I watched the one last week, too.

Among the many things I photographed this past weekend was the Clear The Shelter Campaign, part of a nationwide initiative where animal shelters offered dog and cat adoptions at no cost, with everything taken care of in advance, shots, spaying and neutering, etc.    My visit was to the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter in Georgetown, Texas, where a lot of folks were looking for new family members.   Among them Elizabeth George, with her grandkids, Juliana Santiago, 9, and her brother, Joelle, 10.  They fell in love with Sadie, a two-year-old who appeared to have some dachshund and maybe chihuahua?    Then there was mom Jennifer Larsen, with her daughter Elliott, 7, and son Miles, 19 months.  They were looking to add a cat to their family.   Jennifer’s husband, also a photographer, was traveling out of state, but she wanted him on board with their adoption plans.   Knowing dad’s weakness, she texted him a photo of Elliott sporting a huge smile.   That did the trick.  “He can’t say no to her,” beamed mom.  So Trudy, a sleek ebony 2-year-old cat, became a member of the Larsen family.  I liked watching these little bits of life unfold.  When you can, adopt or rescue your next family pet.

Elizabeth George with grandkids Julianna Santiago and her brother, Joelle. And new family member, Sadie.

Jennifer Larsen and daughter Elliott, visit with Trudy, their new family member.

Kyle Fahs, 15, visits with Hector, a 10-year-old Miniature Pinscher en route to a new home.

Mia gets to know her new mom, Kayla Rodrigues.

Juan Jaramillo and friend Stephanie Holder get to know their new dogs, Mary and Larry.

Emily Talley left the shelter with Jenna, a one-year-old chihuahua.

A kitten looking for a home.

The shelter had an abundance of kittens needing forever homes.