Resting Forever on a Quiet Hilltop

Texas is a very big state. There are vast emptly flatlands with miles of straight road. There are mountains and deserts, rich farmland and beautiful coastlines. There are cities with populations over the one million mark, and there are tiny little hamlets with houses scattered, miles apart. 

This is a little farmland hilltop, between Seguin and San Marcos. There are no stores or schools, and a mix of farms and small properties. This little white church with it's peaceful, quiet cemetery, is located on Wade Road, which can be missed when travelling down Farm Road 20 if a person is not aware of it's location.

I first spotted this church as I travelled FM20, many, many years ago. I have taken photos of the church over the course of the years. My favorite time of day is dusk, because there is a clear view to the horizon as the sun sets.

If you are curious about tiny cemeteries, here are some photos of the Clearview Baptist Church and it's cemetery. Some of the markers are so old, you cannot read the chisled names or dates. Others are so fresh, the mound of dirt has not even settled.

This is the kind of place I would choose for my body's final resting place.

Winter Hay Bales At Sunset

This Totally Wild Grandmother's Jewels

Althought this blog is mostly about Texas, you must allow a doting grandmother an opportunity to gush over her grandchildren, every once in a while.

Birthdays are a great occasion to gather grandchildren together.  We had a birthday party for Melanie on Saturday. She has just turned five years old. So, four of our twelve grandchildren met to celebrate. 

Let me introduce you to them....

Happy Birthday, Melanie!

Big sister Emily

Cousin Mya

Baby Brother Matthew

Clearview Baptist Church

I discovered this tiny little church many years ago as I travelled the backroads of Texas. Here is my most recent shot of this iconic country church.

The Simple Life at Sunset

For those of you who want to know what the simple life looks like, here is one example. I came across this fella's little piece of heaven when I was shooting the sunset, last night. There is a valley between where I was standing and this hilltop resort. I just needed a little silhouette between the blazing sun and the camera, for a little accent, and this is what was available. 

Now, to really appreciate this little homestead, scroll down for a close up...

This fella has it made. There is a little camper hooked up to electricity and propane. I can see a deck with a table and chairs, and if you look close you can see an older tv facing the table. That and a pickup truck must be all this fella needs. Sweet!

Finding Beauty in a Winter Shower

As a heavy rain began to fall in the mid-morning hours of Seguin, I sat on my front porch with my camera. First, please notice that the rain drops are so heavy, you can see individual drops falling from the sky. Isn't that a wonderful kind of rain? Second, note the red sidewalk. It is a concrete sidewalk that was stained a beautiful red, many, many years ago, possibly even decades ago, for all I know. When I first saw this house and the red sidewalk and porch, I thought, how ugly. I wonder if I can change that somehow. Now, though, I appreciate the patina and color, especially when the rain hits it.

Look at the force of the rain drops as they hit the streaming water in the street. The violence caused volcanic-like explosions on a micro scale. Once again, a wonderful sight to behold.

So, as I sat on my red front porch railed by black wrought iron fencing, I noticed the pattern the reflected railing made on the wet concrete. Sometimes, it is fun just to take abstract kind of photos, more of a work of art than anything else. I love how this one turned out. See the turquoise which shows in spots, where the red stain has faded? Whew, to think I almost  painted over it. No, don't let that happen!

Finally, here is a shot of the red sidewalk, with the crepe myrtle trees across the street reflected in long skinny lines on the wet surface. Beauty is everywhere. You just need to make sure you are looking for it. 

Dramatic Morning Sky

I know I have not been posting much in the last couple of months. Instead of taking photos, I have been writing the sequel to SAVING SWEET PINE. So, I think I will post something today. Here is the morning sky, yesterday (January 7, 2013). I enhanced the color a little, and the bright spot in the middle is the sun behind some very thin clouds. All in all, it was a lovely morning sky.