This is a new friend I met during a morning walk this week.   She had a good smile, great eyes  and  natural curiosity!

Bartlett, Texas, about 20 minutes north of our Taylor home, is a community I love to photograph.   Although I think the population is still just over 1600, a sign last week indicated it had grown to 2600!   That has to be a mistake.   The town resides in two counties, Williamson and Bell.  The 19th and early-20th Century architecture is wonderful.   As is the brick street coursing through the downtown corridor.  This is a collection of shots from two recent visits.   A fellow riding his John Deere lawnmower opens this post.   There was a movie some years back about a man who navigated his area on one of those, but the name of it escapes me.   All photographs were taken in late-day light.    A little of this and that, friends.

Tonight’s moon is just a few notches under 100% visibility, in a Waxing Gibbous phase.   A scene  east of Granger is offered tonight.   The full moon will come to fruition while most of us are asleep.   By Tuesday evening it will likely be less visible than it is tonight.   An Earth Day moon, friends.

Scheduled to be someplace else this morning, my daily walk began just a little after sunrise.   The light was particularly nice on this Earth Day.    Some days it’s good to get an early start.   The  first Earth Day was on this day in 1970.  

One more, just after sunset this evening a little south of Bartlett, Texas, east of Walburg.

Files are once again cluttering my computer’s desktop.  For tonight, a few cattle seen during my ramblings.   One or two might have been taken in January.   When looking at all the junk this afternoon, I sent some to the trash bin.   Keeping everything isn’t prudent.  

Not quite three weeks ago I photographed this grove of old-growth trees in warm late-day light. The results were satisfying.   You may recall, however, the notion of occasionally returning to a site to document it under different conditions.   Early this morning, a foggy and misty day, those trees garnered my attention again.   This time, a few cattle wandered into the grove, a welcome addition.   On the ground nearby were grasses and wildflowers that weren’t there a few weeks ago.   Just appreciating light, my friends.     The warmth of a few weeks ago was nice.  So is this. Before I forget, this has a news peg.  Friday is National Arbor Day. 

It’s a blessing to have the rookery at Taylor’s Murphy Park so close to home.   My daily walks take me by there often, but what I really enjoy is unfolding my portable chair, sitting down and just watching.   Egrets and Ibis arrive here every spring to add new members to their family.   By early-October they’ve moved on.   The cormorants, those darker birds you see, are year-round residents.  They always seem put out when the egrets come to town, but they seem to tolerate one another well.    These were taken on two different evenings this week, both a bit cloudy.   The numbers will continue to grow if we can just get a little more rain this summer.   Fingers crossed.

Corn might well be the most abundant crop in this area of Central Texas.   The little sprouts grow quickly, changing the prairie landscape as they grow tall.   It’s usually planted early enough  to get the rain needed to thrive.   When moving to the area a dozen years ago, I assumed it was sweet corn in those fields, but it’s mostly used as grain for livestock feed.  Humans could eat it, but it’s pretty bland.  I wish there was a farmer out there who planted more sweet corn, but in today’s world that’s apparently not a viable crop if you’re trying to make a living.    Anyway, these are photographs taken last evening in areas south of Bartlett and a little north of Granger.   The post concludes with just a sunset.   Sunsets are serene. 

My knowledge of  butterflies is minimal, but this one landing on a wildflower did have a nice little face and wonderful eyes.    This wasn’t far from a section of the San Gabriel River.    I stopped for the flowers.   The butterfly was an added gift.