These five photos were taken on Tuesday night at Heritage Square Park in downtown Taylor. They were, of course, the night before the actual full moon, but the lunar beauty still looked pretty. As did the holiday lights and the flag. The flag is always inspiring. 
Getting any photo of a full moon is a roll of the dice. With a long-enough lens, of course, you can make a closeup, but I think it’s best to have a point of reference. That point tonight was Christ Lutheran Church in Noack, Texas. While I did have an idea about WHEN it would rise, knowing WHERE in the sky it would make an appearance is another issue altogether. Luck was with me this evening as I made a few frames of this so-called Cold Moon. My guess is the name is a nod to the coming of the Winter Solstice. At any rate, I do love the moon. These are three variations as dusk morphed into the blue time. 
I made the truck cresting that hill just as the sun slipped below the western horizon this evening. In fact, the truck had been behind me, tailgating like some trucks will do when they’re in a hurry. When coming to a t-intersection, I made the choice to go straight because my truck friend was turning left. Then quickly I realized his moseying into the sunset wasn’t bad, worth four shutter clicks. Then I turned around and stopped a short distance from that sundown to watch the emerging almost-full moon above an assortment of ferns. They’re ferns, right? Heck if I know, but I liked how they looked. Tonight’s moon, in Waxing Gibbous phase, is right at 99% visibility. It looked full … and nice ….. to me. 
After a day of record-high temperatures in Central Texas, with a high of 83 degrees in Austin, we’re in transition mode tonight on the Blackland Prairie. As this is written at 9p.m. temperatures are beginning to fall, serious clouds moving in as a cold front (hopefully) ushers in some cool weather. Tuesday’s high is only supposed to be 45. I like that quite a lot. These are images made this evening in Beyersville and Coupland. The grazing Texas Longhorn relaxes in Beyersville. The other three were taken in Coupland. The long-dormant cotton gin was briefly featured in the 2003 movie “Secondhand Lions,” filmed in this area. The church is St. Peter’s Church of Coupland, beautiful inside and out. The tamales stand? It’s adorned with style. And clouds. Bring on the cold weather. 
Along a county road west of Granger, Texas. The blue light image was taken a couple of weeks ago, the other two from this evening. The windmill is the same in two photos. So far this remains a quiet space. It’s rare to see another vehicle when I stop to document what’s there. By now you probably know of an aversion to development, but power lines are inevitable, even here. It’s worth noting that in the photo without a windmill, I only saw the tractor when editing, an added bonus. 
Georgetown, Texas held its 39th Annual Christmas Stroll this weekend. The festivities began on Friday and continued through Saturday. These photos were all taken Saturday. Holiday festivals and celebrations aren’t exclusive to Texas. You’ll find them in most places around the world. These are just a few of my visual impressions from Georgetown, where a well-attended parade was held, concluding with Santa Claus, of course. I was enthralled at the two tykes, he 20-months-old, she 14-months, pictured in the last two photos. They were initially a bit shy to one another, but bonded before their families moved on. I like that bonding. We need more of this in a divisive world. Learn from children. 
With some time to spare this afternoon (a rarity), I made the short drive to the Williamson County Expo Center in Taylor to take in the heifer and steer competition at the 74th Annual Williamson County Livestock Show. Unlike other coverage days, I didn’t have a specific client seeking photos, but felt like the hard work these kids put in deserves recognition, even if only at my little website. Enjoy your weekend. 
The annual Candlelight Services for the Season of the Advent at Southwestern University in Georgetown have become a holiday tradition. Perhaps my photos are beginning to look similar after documenting it for ten years, but it’s still a pleasure to see. These photos in Lois Perkins Chapel are from the first of two services held there last evening. This is another occasion where the photos can speak without my help with words. 
While attending the 2018 Williamson County Livestock Show in Taylor, I saw Kooper for the first time in the show arena with his lamb. Not wanting to intrude, I did as always, just took photos. At this year’s show I was glad to see him competing once again, joined by Erin, an able and compassionate guide. Both Kooper and Erin are members of the Jarrell 4-H Club. On Tuesday afternoon, they entered the arena with Kooper’s lamb, Kevin. This year I followed them outside the arena, where Kooper was met with a huge embrace and kind words from his mom, Mindee. When I asked her for the backstory, she was gracious and open. At 5, Kooper sustained a broken leg. In the process of dealing with the fracture, the family learned that he had cancer, resulting in the loss of his left leg. Kooper, says mom, is active in many things these days. Nothing slows him down. If the family is still okay with the idea, there may be a followup to their story. I felt Kooper, and Erin, deserved a separate post. These stories are why I’ll always embrace community journalism. 
Livestock shows are among my favorite things to document each year. To watch the intensity and skill these youngsters demonstrate is one of the pleasures of a life in photojournalism. As I was telling a friend today at the 74th Annual Williamson County Livestock Show, held in Taylor, these competitions are akin to playing in the Super Bowl for many of these kids. The hard work instilled in them through their school and community programs will stay with them in every endeavor throughout their lives. 
