Shortly after moving back to Texas in 2009, I headed out on a bike ride into the countryside on an early September morning.   One of the joys of living on the Blackland  Prairie is all the open roads and fields.    The scenery is fantastic.  What caught me off guard, however, were gunshots being fired from those fields!   My first thought was:  these folks don’t like guys riding around in tight shorts!   No worries though.   Upon my return home, I found out it was the start of dove hunting season, an event which only lasts the month of  September in these parts.   While I’m no hunter, it’s a part of the culture here I respect.    The hunters like the ones pictured in these photos taken Sunday afternoon for the Williamson County Sun were having a grand time participating in their sport.   C.J. Tannehill, the young lady pictured, shares her love of hunting with her dad, Mike Tannehill, who along with her dog, Leon, was along for the day’s adventure.   And Jesus Flores,  longtime hunter carrying on a tradition begun by his now 100-year-old father.

Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, in Granger, Texas, had another huge church bazaar at their Parish Hall over the recent Labor Day weekend.   The venerable church is celebrating its 125th year in this town of a bit over 1,400 people.   The church bazaar, held for more years than anyone can recall, is a celebration of food.   Members smoke brisket, fry chicken, season the green beans, boil 500 pounds of potatoes and  stir huge quantities of coleslaw.   The event is held on a Sunday, but members start smoking those tender briskets the night before around 9 p.m.   Other members arrive early Sunday morning around 4:30.    Once the feast is completed, the doors to the huge hall open at 11a.m.  Attendees could sit down in air-conditioned comfort and enjoy their meals.   For those on the go, a to-go line was set up outside.   In all, about 1,500 meals were served.    In addition to the food, folks could also play a few rounds of bingo and bid during a live auction.   Those wanting more could end the day by coming to a dance, complete with a Czech band.

Last night, close to sunset, I headed to our little lake at Murphy Park.   On recent walks, a particular bird that interested me there was my goal.   Alas, the bird was nowhere in sight.   However, during my brief minutes there,  water lapping against the bank became an interesting subject in itself.   As the sun went down, the skies around it changed colors every couple of minutes,  creating a nice pattern among the water’s waves.  Once the sun was below the horizon for the day, the color palette transformed itself into  a black and white event.    It’s good to find a subject for my camera.   That bird is still on my radar though.

Through the years, I’ve covered a lot of the traditional sports.   For the most part, they’ve all been enjoyable and, at times, fun.   This weekend, however, as many friends headed to football fields, I found myself in a completely different world as I photographed the 3rd Annual Sterling Gloves Boxing Tournament, held in a gymnasium at Georgetown High School.   The sport of boxing, perhaps more than some, builds discipline and focus in its participants.   That discipline can be an asset as one grows into maturity.   Sure, it has its negative aspects, but I really think its character-building points are a plus.    I don’t know about other boxing  tournaments, but I liked that every participant had to pass a physical exam before entering the ring.   And if a boxer appeared to have a problem, a doctor was right there to help.   Presented here are photos taken for an upcoming story in the Williamson County Sun.

A few weeks back, on an early-morning walk, a garage door opened before sunrise.   A lady appeared, holding the flags of the United States and  Texas, one in each hand.   Reverently, she placed them in holders before going back inside.   I thought it was a poignant few moments and made a pact with myself to try to photograph it if I could drag myself out of bed in time.   As it turns out, Teresa Day has performed her task for 30 years without fanfare, most recently in Taylor, Texas, her home since last year.   Unless it’s raining, she honors the flags 7 days a week.   On Flag Day and July 4th, only the American flag flies.   On Texas Independence Day (March 2), the flag of the Lone Star State billows by itself.   It was quietly impressive, particularly since Day is going about her task with her foot in a cast, nursing a fracture.   At the end of each day, the flags come down, at rest, awaiting a new dawn.

Georgetown’s Palace Theatre is taking a walk on the wild side with their current offering, “The Full Monty.”   This lively undertaking, directed by Mary Ellen Butler, takes place in present-day Buffalo, New York.   It’s a tough play to photograph without giving a sense of its theme, but I tried my best to keep the images PG.   The Palace is clearly indicates these performances are not for children, but from my time taking photos recently, I think it’s more the language than the lack of clothing that would be a cause for concern.    Have fun if you go.  It’s on the Springer Memorial Stage through September 21.    These images were created for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

The start of a new school year usually creates a very long day for me, but it’s one I particularly enjoy.   This one began even earlier in Georgetown, Texas, as  Williamson County Sun writer Jonathan Adams  and I shadowed the Georgetown Independent School District’s new superintendent, Dr. Fred Brent.   He’s included in the last two photos from this post.  The other photos are my usual fare, but I hope you enjoy them.   One pretty cool thing happened at Mitchell Elementary School, where principal Rob Dyer, answering the call to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, allowed himself to have large tubs of ice water poured atop his head.   He did this not once, but three times today, for three separate school pep rallies.   He’s a pretty cool dude (is that a pun?).   Anyway, teachers, parents and students, have a grand year.

For a short time, folks in Taylor, Texas weren’t sure the town’s Taylor International BBQ Cook-Off would continue, but the Taylor Chamber of Commerce came to the rescue last year, providing area residents with a lot of competition and fun at this year’s 37th annual event, held at Murphy Park.   40 teams competed in categories that included beans, seafood, poultry, pork, wild game and beef.   4-year-old Chance Michna was there with his own miniature smoker, a gift from his grandmother.   The little smoker was cast iron and looked like it would do the job, but Chance was just having a grand time.   The judges had a good time, too, particularly the ones judging wild game.  “Wild game” can be just about anything.   The most interesting wild game this year appeared to be frog legs, which everyone seemed to enjoy, despite some interesting facial expressions!   Taylor’s mascot is the duck.  It was interesting to note a duck ensconced in a tree as she took care of her babies high above the action.   Thankfully, she didn’t become an entry in the wild game category.   In Taylor, of course, ducks are revered.

While on my daily 5-mile stroll through Taylor this week,  I noticed work crews toiling at their task, scraping weathered, peeling paint from the facade of St. James Episcopal Church,  a beautiful, iconic structure built in 1893.   When I shot these photos, the late-day sun cast a long shadow of the steeple across a steep roof as David Lopez continued his  task. The church was formed in the 1870s, the current structure following its congregation.    Miguel Zuzinga,  who lives just up the street, is overseeing the work.    The church has been in front of my cameras a few times before.   I particularly like the peaceful courtyard and the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi.   It’s a contemplative place.   It’s hard to resist the way the light plays on its surface of any area of this building.    One of these days, maybe I’ll visit the sanctuary and take a few photos there, including images of their 1914 organ.   It’s nice to see history preserved.

Unless you’ve been living in a climate-controlled cave, you may notice our traditional Texas summer heat is coming on strong.   For the last several days, temperatures have been teetering in the 100-degree range, not enough, of course, to deter a group of strong-willed ladies as they did their hour-long  boot camp workout at San Gabriel Park recently.   They get together 3- 5 days a week as part of Carole’s Funky Fitness Gym, based in Georgetown, Texas.   Smartly, they took regular hydration breaks.   And on Saturday, I trolled around the Georgetown square, finding a father-daughter duo relaxing in a spot of shade with their old-fashioned fans during Market Days on the square.   Just down the street, at the Georgetown Art Center, welcome relief was readily available at their free splash pad.   If I didn’t have cameras with me, I’d have joined in the fun!   Stay hydrated, but don’t let the heat keep you indoors.  There’s too much to see and do.