Just minutes south of Taylor is St. Peter’s Church of Coupland, a church founded by German and Swiss settlers in 1890.   The sanctuary was built in 1905-06, a meeting hall added in 1925.  Nestled in a community of less than 300, it’s a United Church of Christ congregation, not to be confused with the Church of Christ.   I love photographing this church.  Tonight’s photos were taken at sunset, followed by a moonrise, a Waxing Gibbous moon, at 92.1% visibility.  Not quite  a full moon, but enough. 

A leftover from Monday evening wandering west of Granger, Texas.   A  pastel interlude.

Just this one, a scene west of Granger, Texas from tonight, with a Waxing Gibbous moon at 84.3% visibility.   Pastel clouds, and a windmill.  Of course there’s a windmill.

Stepping into our driveway this weekend, I noticed a visitor sitting on my car.    The little guy was curious, perhaps concerned my presence might spell danger.  After we stared each other down for a minute I grabbed a camera, watching him bound around for a while.    Honestly, I could’ve just left well enough alone with the opening shot, but as you might know by now, I like to explore  subjects a little.  Our session done, I noticed him standing in the driveway, encouraging him to  hop into the yard, away from a big car’s tires.   He didn’t have to think twice.   It was a nice visit.

Photos taken this evening in Granger, Texas.   Clouds made their presence known.  The opening photo was one of the last ones taken tonight, a little bit before 8p.m., temperatures still in the mid-upper 90s.  The opening photo was one of the last ones taken.  Others are just fillers.   I hope the rain comes soon.  And temperatures take a nose dive.

On Saturday, the first day of Autumn, I spent National Public Lands Day at Pecan Springs Karst Preserve, a 1,205 acre space a few miles west of Jarrell, in Williamson County.   An anonymous donor turned over the land to the Hill Country Conservancy, assuring it will remain pristine and immune to development.   Despite our drought, the land’s connection to the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone allows water to hold its own here.  The land is covered with old-growth trees including pecan, oaks, juniper and cedar.  The gent in the straw hat places his hand on a pecan tree he guesses is 230-years-old.  A board member from the Indigenous Cultures Institute in San Marcos  played Native American flute as the land was blessed near  one of the springs.  The space also includes several limestone caves, where I stepped carefully.  This morning’s 3-hour session was open to a handful of attendees.  Eventually the general public will be able to access the land, which will be used for conservation, research, educational outreach and public recreation.   With unchecked development decimating so many places, it’s nice to see this one will be protected for future generations.

A Jonah sunrise on this first day of Autumn.   At least it was somewhat cool a little after 7a.m. today, but the current Taylor temperature is 96.    Sunday’s high is expected to be 99.   The summer that keeps on giving.

Zephyranthes chloroslen are their official name, but in Texas they’re often called Brazos Rain Lilies.  Reading up on them, these lilies grow  in Kansas and points south , into Mexico.   Apparently they’ve been seen in southern Brazil, too.   I’ve seen these tiny long-stemmed  flowers on daily walks the past few mornings in Taylor,  but the ones presented here were taken last night at Mager Cemetery in Beyersville.  A Texas legend says they bloom where old bodies are buried.   You only see these flowers  after a period of rain,  dancing skyward for a few days before returning to the soil.   Their elegance is yet another reason to appreciate our recent rain.  

There have been times when photographing dragonflies is a piece of cake.   They’ll get settled on a food source and stay at it, not giving the camera a second thought.   That was not the case with the little rascals recently encountered at Taylor’s Murphy Park.   Those babies were in almost constant motion!   Trying to get them in focus while they’re moving is certainly a good exercise though. After a while, I began to concentrate on the plants themselves.   You know, light and shadow.   It’s always about the light. 

Most of the barns I’ve photograph are taken from a distance unless granted prior permission to go on the property.   The barn presented this evening is one photographed numerous times, but always from the road.   Last week, however, the owners allowed access to the property.   It’s nice to be able to study these architectural gems with attention to details.    Many old barns I’ve documented in my area are now gone.   As developers scoop up prairie farmland close to Taylor, it’s important to record history before it leaves us.