Included in a busy weekend was a stop at Taylor’s Bull Branch Park for KidFish, a fishing tournament for children coordinated by the City of Taylor. I love attending life-affirming events like these. The post opens with three photos of a 2-year-old who was just wonderful to observe, but everyone was a delight. It’s nice to see kids outside, away from televisions and computer screens. 
It’s clouded over now, but for a few minutes tonight one could see a Waxing Crescent Moon, at 3.7% visibility. The spire is Taylor’s Restoration Temple of Deliverance, formerly First Baptist Church of Taylor. 
The 2023 Texas Mamma Jamma Ride was held in Taylor today. 365 cyclists arrived very early for a 7:30a.m. start from Heritage Square Park. The ride is a fundraiser for the Big Pink Bus, a mobile mammography unit coordinated by Lone Star Circle of Care. All ride proceeds support the operation and administration of the bus. It’s a great cause in the continuing fight against breast cancer. Ride distance choices were 15, 25, 50 and 70 miles. Thankfully, we’ve had much-needed rain the past few days, but I was glad to see today’s rainstorm arrived when almost all the cyclists were done. The last photo is a cyclist wearing a big smile after completing her 50-mile ride, a huge rain cloud hovering overhead. She’s 5-years cancer-free. I’m happy for her! 
A few minutes after sunset tonight in Coupland, Texas. Enough said. 
While sitting on the back porch early this afternoon a welcoming rain took hold. As it concluded I thought there might be a rainbow close at hand. The rainbow didn’t materialize, but the post-rain clouds were nice. It seemed like a good time for black-and-white. 
A drive tonight took me to the Wuthrich Hill area, a little east of Taylor. It’s one of those areas that always resonates with Blackland Prairie character. The storm clouds (hopefully) were ushering in another night of rain, something sorely needed around here. I agree with that sign. Pray for rain. 
On this morning’s walk in Taylor it was good to see the results of last night’s rainfall. Little drops of rain clung to cypress trees, adding a touch of sparkle to their skinny leaves. A youthful duckling seemed happy to swim through a portion of Bull Branch Creek. In recent weeks, they’d just waddle through mud. Leaves floating in a puddle of water along a city street merited a brief stop. Much more precipitation is needed, but it’s a start. And it’s cooler. Many of us here are thankful. Water gives us life.
Although the temperature had been dropping throughout the day, we continued to hope for rain. A bit before dark tonight the rain finally arrived when I was in Georgetown. There I found a happy couple enjoying a fishing outing at San Gabriel Park, rain pelting down, temperatures in the low-70s. Sidewalks on the town square were covered with golden moisture. And vehicle lights reflected on the wet surface of University Avenue. We’re very very thankful for this rain, expected to last at least until Saturday. It’s so needed here. 
Chances for rain increase as the week progresses in Central Texas. We’ve had no significant moisture in Taylor since June. I’ve purposely refrained from photographing the rookery at Murphy Park. The bird’s habitat is in awful shape. The water level is so low the egrets and herons can just walk across it, scouring for whatever sustenance they can find. It’s not just the egrets, those migratory birds who come here every Spring to begin new families. The ducks, geese and herons are having a hard time, too. Young ducks and geese are covered in mud. Please bring us some rain. 
Taylor held its first Patriot Day observance September 11, 2002, on the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on United States soil. Now 22 years later, fewer people come to these observances, but the ones that do pay homage to the agony of that day in 2001. Photos from this evening. 
