Having a Good Time at Summer Camp
Summer camps, it seems, are becoming more popular as the years go by. With so many electronic distractions to keep kids indoors, it’s good to see parents allowing providing the chance to engage in activities that take them outside to breathe in a bit of fresh air. For older kids, there are overnight camps, but the younger set aren’t left out. Day camps are quite popular. One such day camp I visited this week at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown was Camp Peniel, geared for boys and girls ages 6-10. Camp Peniel, a Marble Falls-based group that’s been around since the 1940s, is based on Christian principles. Their motto: “Adventure With a Purpose!” The group also conducts a number of overnight camps. On my visit, the kids engaged in canoeing, bubble blowing contests, archery, story times and Twister, to name a few. Thankfully, the camp began early and concluded in the early-afternoon, avoiding the Texas summer heat. These photos are among the selection I shot for the Williamson County Sun.
A Lovely Lizard
I walked into the garage this morning and found this sweet little lady (fellow?) atop my car. She was a bit shy, but also somewhat curious as I grabbed a camera to record her visit. In an ideal world, I’d have an iguana, but in the meantime, it’s nice to have these visitors for a while. They’re prevalent in my area of Texas. After a few minutes, this one hopped off and scurried away in search of bugs.
The Beauty of Rodeo
Even though it’s only been a couple weeks since my last visit to rodeos, I add one more for your edification, Taylor’s 65th Annual Rodeo, held July 18 and 19 at the Williamson County Events Center in my little town, Taylor, Texas. The Taylor Rodeo Association puts on a really good show. As mentioned before, covering rodeo is a little bit about the action in the arena, but it’s so much more. Even though I’ve never been a participant, it’s a sport I’ve grown up watching, at least while we were still in Texas. In Texarkana, we had (and still have) the Four States Fair and Rodeo, held each September for many years. This year will be the 70th for my hometown’s event.
For those who might not think of rodeo as a real sport, you’ve never witnessed the physical toll these events have on the participants. At Taylor’s rodeo last night, for instance, I was talking with a gentleman and his son, 25, about it. “I retired four years ago,” said the 25-year-old, speaking of his time as a bull rider. It’s not just the events, either. Consider the travel participants undertake to get from one venue to another, not always realizing much payoff for their efforts. The young man in the opening photo, Kobyn Williams, is a 25-year-old saddle bronc rider from DeBerry, Texas, a good 5 hour’s drive from Taylor. But there he was, taking advantage of the rodeo clown’s trailer for a gear change before making his way back into the fray. And there’s the element of family when I see Spence Callihan, a team roper from Willis, Texas, as he helps his 2-year-old niece, Charli Callihan, learn a bit about roping. It’s a slice of life I’ll continue to take in as long as I can.
Honoring a Marine
Joseph Jackson Gwatney died June 8 in Williamson County. The remains of this 71-year-old United States Marine Corps veteran were left unclaimed by family members. With nobody to claim the body, Tara Strain, a Senior Patient Representative at Seton Medical Center Williamson, where Gwatney died, got on the case, tracking down three of his friends and getting Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home in Georgetown involved. Today, a memorial service was held to honor Gwatney at the funeral home. For a man with no family, he got a good sendoff. A Marine Corps Honor Guard was on hand, presenting his friends (opening photo) with an American flag. The final photo shows Larry Eason, one of Gwatney’s friends, holding the urn with Gwatney’s ashes as he gets ready to leave after the service. Eason, a long-haul truck driver, plans to take the urn with him to spread his friend’s remains all over the country. These photos go with a Joyce May story in the Williamson County Sun.
Duck-Worthy Light
I’ve been observing the birds at Taylor’s Murphy Park lake recently. So far, I haven’t nailed down what I want there, but it’s never good to miss an opportunity to record photos of Taylor’s beloved ducks. That’s even more fun when the golden light of late day or early morning helps us out. The three photos here were from late-day. The water was reflecting a pretty Texas-blue sky that made things come together.
Summer Concerts on the Georgetown Square
Georgetown’s town square is a fine place to visit any day of the week, but during the summer months, Friday evenings are really special. Each Friday evening this summer, from 6:30-8:30, the courthouse lawn is filled with free musical entertainment, courtesy of the Georgetown Convention and Visitors Bureau. It’s a great place to bring your blankets, chairs and take in the ambiance of one of the nicest, friendliest Main Streets in North America. Last night, my cameras and I were there to record the happenings. Music was provided by Annie and Kate, two very talented sisters only in their mid-teens, but well worth a listen. Among those having a good time were 88-year-old Fred Aiello (in the opening photo) as well as 14-month-old Leyton Bustos, having a flying blast with his daddy, Frank Bustos. If you go, get there early to be sure you get a good spot. Or, if you own a pickup, follow the lead of Georgetown residents Evan and Erin Vanderbilt and put the rear bed of that puppy to good use! These photos were taken for the Williamson County Sun.
Summer is Taking Hold
In Central Texas today, we have a bit of a cloud cover, making things a bit more tolerable. Just two days ago temperatures were approaching triple digits. That’s not unusual for Texas. Heck, I expected it to come much sooner. I went in search of weather-related photos, landing first at Lake Georgetown, where three friends from Cedar Park were enjoying a dip in the cool waters there. Teens all, their youth brought them up the side of the cliff again and again for more jumps. Then I met Georgetown resident Jarred Lewis near the end of his one-and-a-half hour daily workout at San Gabriel Park. Mr. Lewis a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served 8 years, doesn’t miss a day. “I actually like this weather!” he explained as he poured a bottle of water atop his head to cool off. If you’re out in the elements, be smart, stay hydrated, be cool. These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.
A Quick Coastal Jaunt
My car required a new catalytic converter, but before taking the test again, the mechanic suggested we take a long drive to break that baby in. So we wandered below Victoria the other day to check out Port Lavaca. As coastal areas go, it was okay, but they had one of the worst Dairy Queens ever. What’s one to do? Well, I grabbed a camera and pointed it skyward to a couple of seagulls. You can’t go wrong with these birds, even if they’re angling for a handout.
Celebrating the 4th in Georgetown, Texas
Whew! It’s been a long couple of days in Georgetown, Texas as I set about the task of recording photos of 4th of July events in the area. The coverage actually began a day early, when Sun City held their people and pooch parade. On hand for that were the Sun City Georgettes, a very cool and colorful bunch of ladies with far more energy than yours truly. Moving ahead to Friday, I virtually lived in San Gabriel Park for the Georgetown Sertoma Club’s 4th of July extravaganza. That began in the morning with their Hometown Parade through the park. Chase Anderson, 3, and his cousin, 4-year-old Tye Glasscock, were astride their vibrant rides in the opening photo, but were smart to share a cold drink on a hot morning before moving forward. After about 6 hours, I wandered back to my home in Taylor to work on the day’s shoot for a few hours, then headed back to the park for the fireworks show. Alas, San Gabriel Park is so very dark, it’s a tough thing to juxtapose the fireworks with the spectators, but as always, I gave it maximum effort. Tennessee, a miniature horse that’s part of Fry’s Fun Farm petting zoo, was a big hit. He’s a month old and only weighs about 30 pounds! These are a few of the photos I shot for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.
Kicking Up Some Dust at the Rodeo
There are various thoughts on the origins of rodeo. One idea is that it began not as a sporting event, but an essential part of cattle ranching in the Spanish-influenced areas of California in the mid-1800s. Buffalo Bill Cody held a rodeo as part of his Wild West Show in North Platte, Nebraska in 1882. And Pecos, Texas claims it held the world’s first rodeo on July 4, 1883. Regardless of where it began, however, Texas does rodeo pretty well. Taylor native Bill Pickett, for instance, an African-American, indeed invented the sport of bulldogging, also referred to as steer wrestling. One thing I do know is that photographing rodeos in small and mid size Texas towns is a wonderful (if dusty) experience. I had the honor to again photograph Georgetown’s Williamson County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo this past weekend in their picturesque arena near San Gabriel Park. It was the 71st year for their event. On hand was famed rodeo clown Leon Coffee, a member of the Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. The competitors gave maximum efforts, including the little folks taking part in Mutton Bustin, where skills are honed riding a sheep. 3-year-old Chase Anderson of Andice, Texas climbed up a fence to check out the livestock before taking his first-ever sheep ride. His father, Travis, had done the same many years back. 9-month-old Wyatt Lucero was taking in his inaugural rodeo with his mom, Amanda. “Last year, I was here, but he was in my belly!” exclaimed his excited mama. These are a few images I took for the Williamson County Sun.
A Tribute to a Texas Legend
Don McLean’s hauntingly-beautiful song, “American Pie” is a wonderful tribute to those we lost too soon, including Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, who tragically died in a plane crash. However, they all left a fine legacy. It’s fitting that Georgetown’s Palace Theatre once again brings to the Springer Memorial Stage “The Buddy Holly Story.” Buddy Holly is played by Benjamin Blaise. Adam Munoz nails Ritchie Valens. And the Big Bopper would be proud of the performance by Mitch Fairchild. You won’t be able to sit still when Jacqui Cross takes the stage as an Apollo performer. Just wow! This is a fast-moving production, well worth a weekend visit to Georgetown’s historic Art Deco theater on the square. Here are a few photos to accompany a review in the Williamson County Sun.
Summer Solstice
In Texas, summer officially began at 5:51 a.m. Of course, being Texas, it’s been warm for a while now. Today, however, we had a bit of cloud cover to keep the heat at bay. It was a good day to wander around for images for my friends at the Williamson County Sun. Lauren James (opening photo) enjoyed Blue Hole lagoon in Georgetown, Texas with her dogs, Loki and Daisy. Loki tired of the float and went swimming, but Daisy stayed very close to the float and made certain that her mommy was going to get her back to shore! Also at Blue Hole were Charisse Laroche, accompanied by her adorable Basset hounds, Scarlett and Cleo. Teen guitarists Bodhi Linman and C.J. Gross practiced a bit after first taking a dip. The last photos gives us a look at fly fisherman Chad Spaulding as he enjoys his graceful pastime in the cool waters of the San Gabriel River. Fly fishing is fishing, of course, but so much more. What fishing I did growing up in northeast Texas was with my great-uncle Harry, heading to the stock pond with him. Our equipment was basic: a cane pole, a cork, a hook and a worm. But I really do enjoy watching these fly fishermen in action. What a peaceful way to spend a day on the water. Stay cool this summer.
Celebrating Juneteenth in Texas
Juneteenth was celebrated last weekend in Georgetown, Texas, including a gospel music program at Saving Grace Christian Bible Fellowship Church on Friday night, followed by a day of festivities on Saturday at the San Gabriel Community Center. This was the 62nd year Juneteenth was coordinated by members of the Georgetown Cultural Citizens Memorial Association. Juneteenth’s origins date back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, announcing the war over and the enslaved free, well over two years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth celebrations are held all over the country, but this special day has Texas roots. The little lady on the bottom left in this post, Patience Shanklin, 2, was beautiful, but Patience wasn’t in a smiling mood!
Weekend Wanderings
My official assignment (to come in another post) was coverage of Juneteenth activities in Georgetown, Texas. A nice Saturday morning, however, momentarily led me into San Gabriel Park. There I found good pals Taylor Dieringer and Alyssa Melikian enjoying their bright green hammock on the banks of the San Gabriel River. Summer’s not officially here for a few days, but in Central Texas, it sure feels like it. These young ladies were relishing in the days prior to triple digits. And with Fathers Day upon us, it was nice to see George Binger having a grand time with Jasmine, his beautiful 4-year-old daughter. Stay cool and hydrated, friends.
Come On In, The Water’s Fine
The City of Georgetown’s public pools are up and running for the season. You can generally count on Texas summers to be a mite toasty. Thankfully the city’s Parks & Recreation Department operates several facilities. I recently visited two sites, the traditional pool on Williams Drive, and the Splash Pad at the Georgetown Recreation Center for a story published today in the Williamson County Sun. The Splash Pad is geared toward the younger set, but moms, dads and grandparents can join in the fun, too. Be sure to check them out if you’re looking for some relief from the sizzle.
Finding New Homes for Our Friends
There are those among us who might proclaim “I’m a dog person” or “I prefer cats.” I’d have to fall into the “none of the above” category. All these creatures have precious and noteworthy qualities. Our home shares space with both canine and feline friends, each with her own distinct personality. With that in mind, it’s good to see groups like the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter host a free pet adoptions day like the one I attended yesterday in Georgetown, Texas. If adopters chose and adult dog or cat, all fees were waived. Puppies and kittens were adoptable at half the regular fee. Shelters all over are notoriously overcrowded. It’s good to see the public come out and give these sweeties a home and family. The Williamson County shelter is participating in the 2014 Rachael Ray Challenge and hopes to place as many pets as possible throughout the summer. Also at Saturday’s adoption event were volunteers from Georgetown Animal Outreach, a group of volunteers that work with area shelters, providing foster homes and other means of support for otherwise unwanted animals. Their available pets came with a small adoption fee to help defray their operational expenses. Since they are a non-profit managed by loving volunteers, I completely understand that. The final photo shows two sleeping puppies, part of a litter of eight pups brought by GAO. These babies and their siblings were left in a box on a doorstep. Thank goodness they found their way to Georgetown Animal Outreach.
Moving On Up
A part of my recent busy weekend included covering two Georgetown high school graduations, both held at the Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex. Georgetown High School (the first 8 photos) held theirs on Friday night, with 430 young men and women receiving their diplomas. Friday night’s graduates added a new twist to the tradition cap toss, throwing flour into the air, too. Administrators had no idea this was coming. It caught me by surprise, too! I was back again first thing Saturday morning to cover the first-ever graduation ceremony for East View High School, where 352 kids crossed the stage. Among them was Triston Sky Gore, wearing her well-worn cowboy boots. “I always wear my cowboy boots!” she explained. Wow, was it a hot Texas morning! I found myself wondering why they don’t make caps and gowns out of dri-fit/wick-away material. It sure would’ve come in handy. A number of people on hand to watch the graduates wisely chose to bring umbrellas to stave off a bit of this late-spring blast of heat. Perhaps the happiest graduate of all was East View graduate Mokeysha Shanklin, who gets a big hug from her cousin, Colby Shanklin in the final photo. A whole bunch of her big family was there for her big day, including her great-grandmother, Birdie Shanklin. Congratulations to all on a grand achievement.
Music and Fireworks Galore
The Georgetown Festival of the Arts just concluded its 10th year in Central Texas. A number of happenings during the festival charged admission fees, but on Saturday night, lovers of good classical music brought their lawn chairs, blankets, and plenty of food and drink to take in the atmosphere of San Gabriel Park with no admission charge at all, making this a very family-friendly experience, welcoming to kids and adults alike. Band directors from the Georgetown ISD brought instruments for children to try out at their Instrument Petting Zoo. 3-year-old Wake Caskey enjoyed the alto saxophone as older brother Ryland, 5, waited his turn. And 3-year-old Genesis Gonzalez found time to snuggle with Rollo, her chihuahua puppy. This year’s theme was a Spanish Fiesta (with a French twist) and included music by Isaac Albeniz, Enrique Granados and Manuel de Falla. Doing the honors on a pleasant night were members of the Round Rock Symphony as well as orchestra, band and choral students from Georgetown High School. Around 9:30, at the conclusion of the music, a fireworks display filled the clear skies. Photographing fireworks is something that’s always challenging, but I put forth my efforts with this post.
Memorial Day
A large crowd gathered Monday morning at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Sun City, Texas to commemorate Memorial Day. I covered this for the Williamson County Sun. Thankfully, the rain that moved in held off until everything concluded. Of all the photos, the one that moves me most is the final scene taken, where Betty Schleder, holding back tears, salutes the retirement of the flag with the cap of her husband, World War II veteran Ben Schleder, who died just three weeks ago at age 92.
Enjoying Memorial Day Weekend
Summer is a few weeks off, but the weekend leading up to Memorial Day gets many of us in the swing of things a little sooner. I spent all of Saturday wandering around Williamson County to check out the action for the Williamson County Sun. Berry Springs Park & Preserve is a wonderful space east of Georgetown. There, in addition to some late-spring wildflowers, I found a gentleman enjoying a stroll among the stately grove of pecan trees with his German shepherd, Kiowa, and his pug, Boo Boo. I didn’t pry, but he mentioned that Kiowa is an assistance dog. The man sustained injuries in Iraq. Kiowa is his friend, but also a helpmate. As Memorial Day approaches, it’s good to remember those who have served. Moving on, I stopped at San Gabriel Park, where kids were enjoying dips in the cool river water as well as giving their fishing skills a try. And I found some gents, members of the Cyclopaths cycling club, as they finished a group ride in Weir, Texas. The final stop of the day was at Georgetown’s Blue Hole lagoon, where I found youngsters enjoying an old-fashioned rope swing. The final photo in this post was a nice topping to a long day of shooting as these two siblings, ages 6 and 7, made a dash for cover at Blue Hole when a late-afternoon rain shower moved in. In drought-plagued Central Texas, we’re doggone happy with the drops come down, whatever we happen to be doing!
Day’s Beginning
On Wednesday night, determined to get up early, I set my alarm for well before dawn in hopes of capturing photos at the beginning of a day. Five-something in the morning would come mighty early. Knowing this, I set the alarm out of reach on a table that would force me to get up to turn it off. Otherwise, as I’ve done before, I might reach over and turn the dang thing off in the middle of the night. When the alarm blared, I silently cursed it, but got moving. As it turned out, it was to be a cloudy day, but I hopped in the car and headed 10 miles east to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Wuthrich Hill, Texas. The corn looked good, the church atop a hill was indeed peaceful. With Memorial Day coming up, someone had placed American flags on graves in the Prince of Peace cemetery. Somewhat satisfied with the outing, I headed home. En route, I spotted sunflowers poking their heads out near another field of corn. All in all, a good morning. Not perfect, but what is?
“Guys and Dolls” at the Palace
The Palace Theatre in Georgetown, Texas is presenting “Guys and Dolls” on their Springer Memorial Stage weekends through June 15. It’s a lively production directed by Ron Watson. It was a lot of fun to watch and photograph. If you plan to be in the area, you might put this on your to-do list. You’ll have a good time.
Hanging Out With the Birds
At times, I’m inclined to take photographs for no other reason than it makes me feel good. That’s not always the case, of course. Since my field has been photojournalism, it means I’ve had to be a jack of all trades: a documentary photographer, fashion photographer, sports photographer and hard news photographer all rolled into one. Heck, managers actually didn’t understand why I never enjoyed courtroom photography. There’s few things more boring (and often sad) than recording what occurs in courtrooms. Gladly, I have always been able to find things I like, whether or not there’s a publication home for them. One of those subjects are the photos presented here, taken in my town of Taylor, Texas, late in the day when the light was behaving nicely. These photos were taken on the little lake at Murphy Park. The lake’s center has an island where various types of egrets, geese and ducks share homes. The locals, however, haven’t been fond of the egret’s pooping habits. Nevertheless, I love birds and wish I knew more about them. They’re glorious creatures, even if they do have some habits we humans don’t like. I say to those humans: tough poop. They have a right to be here, too. Our skies are rewarded by their graceful soaring.
Lakefest in Granger, Texas
Granger, Texas is a town of about 1,200 people in east Williamson County, Texas. It may be small, but it’s big enough to hold an annual town fundraiser, their Lakefest. Even though it’s dubbed Lakefest, the actual Granger Lake is about 8-10 miles east of here. But people still come together for a parade and BBQ Cook-Off in this quaint, predominately Czech community. If you saw the remake of “True Grit” a couple years ago, the downtown you’re seeing in the movie is Granger. They didn’t have to do much to take movie-goers back in time to the 1800s. The downtown area is separated by railroad tracks and that proved interesting for Saturday’s parade. Just after the honor guard crossed the rails, a passenger train moseyed into the picture. The honor guard dutifully stood for the 3 minutes it took for the train to pass, then it was on with the show! One of my favorite photos from this assignment for the Williamson County Sun was Larry Svehlak, joined by his 17-month-old granddaughter, Brynley Huber as they made their way along Davilla Street on his fully-restored 1955 Oliver tractor, a Super 55. I made the mistake of telling him how much I liked his John Deere. Boy, he didn’t like that one bit! He sure liked that Super 55 though.
