The Texas air was heavy with humidity, but the skies remained clear at the annual Williamson County Sheriffs Posse Rodeo on Friday night in Georgetown, Texas.   An added attraction at this year’s event was an appearance by members of the First Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment, based at Fort Hood, Texas.   After a very loud cannon blast, riders and horses demonstrated their skillful riding, followed by the main event in Georgetown’s venerable rodeo setting.   The  night’s competitors, some, like Jason Griffin of Dallas, a bareback rider, were  sporting bandages and braces, but it didn’t hold them back at all.  Mutton Bustin’ gave youngsters a chance to show off their skills.   5-year-old Liam Brown,  pictured in this post three times, came away the clear winner, riding that sheep like an old hand.   And let’s not forget cowboy fashion statements, either, from both ends of the age spectrum.  In the last photo, 4-year-old Jay Griffin stays close to his dad, Jason Griffin, the bareback rider  also pictured in this post.  Jay was occupied with his sword, adding a nice glow to an already sweet evening.   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

With temperatures beginning their upward trend in Central Texas, area residents are finding the cool waters of Blue Hole, a lagoon on the South Fork of the San Gabriel River, a nice place to visit.   I stopped by Thursday afternoon for a while.   The actual temperature was around 95 or 96 degrees, but the heat index made it feel like 107 out there.   Thank goodness for free places like  Georgetown’s Blue Hole.   These are a few photos taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

It doesn’t always happen, but Sunday was a celebration of two important days, the first full day of summer and Fathers Day.   Looking for ways to document that,  my first stop was at the Georgetown Public Library, where bluegrass music was being performed by The Sieker Band, courtesy of Rolf Sieker and his wife, Beate.   Every third Sunday, all year long, the library offers free afternoon concerts.   There I found a father enjoying the music, but also enjoying his two-year-old’s company.  And a grandfather explaining things to his 4-year-old granddaughter.   Moving on, I put my sights on Georgetown’s San Gabriel Park, where I found a dad spending time on a fishing trip with his girls.   And horseback riding lessons for two 7-year-old best friends, the lessons conducted by Bella Peregrina Ranch, based near Rockdale, Texas.   Summer’s usual Texas blast was tempered by a cloudy day, periodically offering a spot of rain.  It was a humid day, but it was a good one.   These photos were taken for the Williamson County Sun.

Juneteenth, which commemorates when, in 1865,   slaves in Texas learned they were freed, celebrates its 150th year.   For 63 of those years, the Georgetown Cultural Citizens Memorial Association has remembered the occasion for those of us here in Central Texas.    Since returning to Texas a few years back, I’ve been honored to document  their observance.  This year, as the country tries to digest the very sad events in Charleston, South Carolina, organizers here remembered with a full minute of silence…just silence.   The opening photo in this post addresses that.   Hate helps nothing.   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

Many of you may know the accepted form of retiring an American flag, but if you are not, the accepted and proper way to do that is by burning it.   On this Flag Day, I attended a ceremony at Georgetown’s VFW Post 8587, where a brief ceremony was held to not only honor the flag, but to educate on proper disposal once it’s lived beyond its acceptable life.   On hand to perform this duty were members of Boy Scout Troop 405.  After the program inside, the scouts moved outside, where they carefully and lovingly gathered the flags, then dipped their pieces into the flames.    It was eloquent and respectful.  These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

So many years away from Texas continues to give me an appreciation of the small towns that comprise our 254 counties.   One of them is Florence, Texas, in Williamson County.   Florence is about 40 or so miles northwest of Austin.  According to the 2010 census, their population is a little over 1,100 people.   For many years, those traveling from Georgetown to Killeen would automatically drive through,  along Texas Highway 195.   Now there is a bypass taking travelers around this delightful town.   That is indeed regrettable.  Florence is friendly, compact and eclectic.   On Saturday, I paid a visit to Florence for their Florence Friendship Festival, including vendors, a parade, an auction to benefit the local chamber of commerce and even a washers tournament.   While there, I met 7-week-old Aubrey Pfitzner, Harold Ramm and his wife Tommie, married 68 years, a Cathoula hound named Her (yes, Her) and her partner and owner, Robin Roche,  Olivia Combs (Miss Friendship), Paris Johnson (Little Miss Friendship) and auctioneer (and veterinarian) Dr. Woody Ray.   A few others are included in this post.   Coinciding with the festival was a used book sale at the Eula  Hunt Beck Public Library.   While there, I had a chance to meet novelist Elizabeth Moon, a Florence resident whose writing I admire a lot.  The last photo in this post is Ms. Moon, showing off her recently-knitted pair of socks before strolling home to get in her daily 1500 words.   These photos are for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.   Enjoy the little towns when you can.

Now that summer is kicking into high gear in Central Texas, look for plenty of Friday night fun on the Georgetown square with the 2015 Summer Concert Series.   Last Friday was the summer’s first, with entertainment by Roland Waits & The Wayward Travelers.  Among those enjoying a bit of dancing were World War II veteran Cliff McCrummen, having a swinging good time with his bride, Myrna.  Cliff will be 89 this month.

Look for these free concerts each Friday throughout the summer months.   All are free and begin at 6:30.   Bring a blanket and your family to these kid-friendly treats in a really idyllic setting.   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

For the first time, “Chicago” has arrived on the Palace Theatre’s Springer Memorial Stage, playing weekends at Georgetown’s beautiful Art Deco theater through June 28.   This is a well-crafted production, well worth a bit of your time to support the work they do here.   Through the years, I’ve observed many examples of community theater.   None can top the Palace for hard work and heart.   While everyone in the cast is top-notch,  standouts include Kirk Kelso (Billy Flynn), Emily Niswonger (Velma Kelly), Craig McKerley (Amos Hart) and Sheree Bristoll (Roxie Hart).   But everyone bringing this one together did their jobs well.   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

Friday was the final day of the school year for students in the Georgetown (Texas) school district.   It’s generally accepted that things come to an end.  The range of emotions is always a roller coaster of feelings.   One school, however, George Washington Carver Elementary, home to 427 students this year, quietly closed its doors forever.   The school opened in 1964.   In the upcoming academic year, a new Carver will open, with its own history yet to come.   But at the original Carver Friday afternoon, a building wasn’t the only retiree.  Two kindergarten teachers, Kim Giese and Adelle Ayala were also coming to the end of their long careers, mostly spent here in Carver’s hallways.   After the kids had left, each spent a bit of quiet time in their empty rooms before turning out the lights and moving on to the next phase of their lives.  When everyone had pretty much cleared out in the late afternoon, Pedro Barahona, a custodian at Carver for 14 years, found time to give the hall floors a fresh wax job.  He will move to the new Carver, with its shiny floors and pristine walls, but I’m guessing he’ll remember these spaces for a long time, too.   These photos were taken for a story by Jonathan Adams in the Williamson County Sun.

My part of Texas has been hammered with heavy rain, flooding and a few tornadoes the past few days.   Not to be outdone by Mother Nature, the annual Memorial Day observance in Sun City today went off without a hitch once things were moved indoors to the Sun City ballroom.   After the ceremony, a few people did wander outside to Veterans Memorial Plaza, a somewhat moving place to be anytime of the year.   After the official event, I decided to stop by Georgetown’s city cemetery, where I found a number of rain-drenched grave sites adorned with American flags.    That was nice.  These photos were taken for the Williamson County Sun.