Georgetown’s Palace Theatre is finishing up 2013 in high style as they present “Peter Pan, The Musical” on their Springer Memorial Stage through December 30.   The play is directed by the Palace’s Ron Watson, who has put together a fine cast, including Rose Yurcina in the title role of Peter Pan, and Scott Shipman as the evil Captain Hook.   What’s really neat about this production is Peter Pan actually gets to fly!   This is a production that obviously has taken a lot of work.  As someone fearful of high places, I have to applaud Ms. Yurcina for settling so well into this role.   Cast members playing the Darling family children, including Jayda Cournoyer as Wendy, Bryce Keesee as John, and Ella Rutman as Michael, also get an opportunity for flight, too.     The music is good, the dancing is great, and the theatrics are outstanding!   Give this family-friendly production  a nod this holiday season.   These photos accompanied a review in the Williamson County Sun

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My little town of Taylor celebrated its first Dr. James Lee Dickey Day on Saturday.   Events included a parade through downtown, followed by a get-together at Fannie Robinson Park.   Dr. Dickey was an African American physician who lived with his family in Taylor until his death in 1959.   He contributed much to the community and was rewarded with the Taylor Chamber’s “Man of the Year” in 1952, an unheard-of thing in the segregated South for  person of color.  When I hear people criticize Taylor for being a “redneck” area, I’ll remind them of Dr. Dickey.   On Saturday, people turned out in good numbers to honor this man, including his  76-year-old son, James Lee Dickey, Jr. (the dapper-looking fellow in the cap), now an Austin resident, and his wife,  Mae Etta.  Both were raised right here in Taylor.  Among the public attendees were Williamson County Commissioner Ron Morrison and Taylor Mayor Jesse Ancira, Jr.   The celebration was spearheaded by Taylor resident Jennifer Harris.    If the money can be raised, Dr. Dickey’s family home, on Burkett Street, will someday be a museum and community center.   It’s good to see folks come together in unity.  These are photos I took for the Williamson County Sun.

The Georgetown-Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza at Sun City, Texas was the setting for another respectful Veterans Day tribute to our nation’s veterans on Monday.   A huge crowd filled the space to hear speeches, patriotic music and perhaps just to visit.   Among the group: 100-year-old Howard Franks, a World War II army veteran.   Retired U.S. Army Colonel Richard Gilbert, 96,  shared space with Renie Gormley and her husband, Kenneth.   Renie was one of the Navy’s  WAVES  during World War II while Kenneth proudly served in the Navy as well.   WAVES, for those too young to recall, stood for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services.   Providing the musical selections were members of Georgetown’s East View High School band, orchestra and choir.  As the ceremony ended, retired Army Lieutenant General Chuck Graham, the Master of Ceremony, gave a stern salute as TAPs was played near the program’s end.    These were taken for the Williamson County Sun

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The Austin American Statesman’s

Claire Osborn had a Veterans Day story I was honored to photograph last Friday at Hutto High School.    On this day, the school was all about honoring our nation’s veterans, complete with  four separate assemblies and a dramatic flyover of vintage military aircraft at the end of the day.   Claire’s story focused on two veterans, Jim Farmer of Lake Travis, who served in World War II and won a Purple Heart at Iwo Jima.   He’s in the opening photo.   The other gentleman was Korean War veteran Bud Farrell of Georgetown, who was aboard B-29 bombers as a waist gunner.   He’s in the second photo.   The day honored numerous other veterans, too, including Korean War veteran James Jenney (in the shirt with the flag) and Navy World War II veteran Wilburn Krusz, shown in the closing photo as he is assisted by Hutto High freshman Ryan Perry, a member of the school’s Air Force Junior ROTC cadet corps.   Throughout the day, every veteran and their family members were provided with a cadet to help make their day at the school go well.   They  were an incredibly-disciplined group of cadets, no more so than cadet Imani Christopher, standing at full attention while she helped oversee the veteran exhibit area.   I’ll post another set of photos from an actual Veterans Day observance, but wanted this one out there first.

The tiny community of Walburg, Texas is quite German.   As a part of that rich culture, each year Zion Lutheran Church and School holds a Wurstbraten celebration.   And every year, the crowds come, the roads filling up with cars and trucks well before time for things to begin, everyone interested in enjoying the homeade sausage made and smoked right there on the premises.   This was the 42nd year for the feast.   12,500 pounds of sausage were smoked behind the church in their huge smoking pits, continually stoked with plenty of hot coals.    The pit master again this year was longtime church member Frank Herzog, pictured in the opening photo.   When not manning sausage creation, he’s the church’s offficial bell ringer for Sunday services.   While patrons could get their plates to go, many preferred to stand in line and enjoy visiting inside the school’s huge gymnasium, long tables filling the floor.   Church members dressed in straw hats and bright red and white vests acted as traffic cops, letting diners know when a spot opened up.   While most everyone loved the sausage, 2-year-old Tenley Springfield was initially a bigger fan of her bread slice, but her mom, Mary Helen Springfield, finally coaxed Tenley into a few nibbles.    4-year-old Sophia Ziegler, however, dug right into the meat, with dad Ken Ziegler right there to help.   This year’s fundraiser sold close to 4,300 plates, quite a success considering that it was a rainy Monday night.

After a productive Saturday morning at the All Soul’s Day celebration, I was off to Georgetown Municipal Airport for a great free event, AirFest.   There were vintage aircraft to enjoy and sometimes touch.  One little guy who impressed me was 3-year-old Callen Jacques of Georgetown, who showed up wearing his own flight jacket and captain’s hat as he offered up a stern salute in front of World War II-era B-25 Devil Dog.   Callen’s mom, Shuana, is a flight attendant for United Airlines and he just loves everything aeronautical.     The final photo in this post shows 14-year-old Jesse Hohman holding a bright yellow model of a Navy T-34 Mentor built over a two-year period by his friend, 16-year-old Wyatt Talbot.   Both young men are members of the Civil Air Patrol cadets.   Jesse was holding the plane while Wyatt located tools to remove the plane’s wings so it would fit in the family car!   It’s a big model, folks.   These photos were taken for the Williamson County Sun

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Last Saturday I had the honor of visiting Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery and Prayer Gardens for an All Soul’s Day celebration conducted by Georgetown’s Saint Helen’s Catholic Church.   This beautiful cemetery, as I’ve posted here before, is one of the most peaceful spots anywhere in Central Texas.   The Our Lady event was preceded by an All Soul’s Mass at the church.    At the cemetery, family members were joined by Father Brian McMaster in addition to nuns from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, plus some others from a convent in north Austin.   This was a quiet celebration where family members visited the graves of loved ones.   Blessings were bestowed, but the neatest thing was the scattering of wildflower seeds throughout over the resting places of loved ones.    If you’ve ever been here, you’ll know Our Lady’s reputation for their wildflowers.    One attendee, Betty Stone of Austin, makes weekly visits here to visit the resting place of her husband, Bob, who died three years ago.   After a blessing, she was comforted by Sister Maria Guadalupe.   A byproduct of so many flowers, of course, are butterflies galore.    After this spreading of seeds, more are sure to come.

This collection of photos taken for the Williamson County Sun are from the Halloween Festival sponsored by Georgetown Parks & Recreation (the first four photos), then from Halloween evening festivities along historic Main Street in Georgetown.   7-year-old Samantha Guarnere, in the opening photo, was a great Corpse Bride.   The little lion cub, 7-month-old Chadley Guner Jackson, didn’t appear too happy to be in his costume, but mom Selva Guner did her best to cheer him up.   Chadley’s beginning to teethe, which of course didn’t help his mood!   The folks along Main Street really go all out to decorate their yards and welcome trick-or-treaters.    I really liked the spookiness of Betty Finn, carrying a bundle of bloodied roses in her blood-spattered dress, a great Zombie Bride!  P.K. the cat also looked really good by his jackolantern.    It’s fun to see the adults come out for these things, telling us it’s okay to be kids as long as we like.

The tiny community of Walburg, Texas, in north Williamson County, has a rich German heritage.   My neighbor, in his 70s, grew up there, and speaks fluent German, as do a number of the townfolk of a certain age.   It’s thus appropriate that The Walburg German Restaurant hosts its annual Oktoberfest celebration, continuing this year through November 9th.   The main restaurant, right there on Main Street (or County Road 972, if you prefer), is an architectural delight and hosts diners as well as groups like the Sieker Band (in the opening photo), that includes Rolf Siker, his wife Beate on the guitar, and bassist Lenny Nichols.   Rolf and Beate are from Germany, but now live in Round Rock.   In the back of the restaurant is a gigantic tent that’s home to their biergarten.  During Oktoberfest The Walburg Boys, the house band, perform lively music there.   Here are some photos taken for the Williamson County Sun

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The historic Chisholm Trail’s path goes right through the heart of Georgetown, Texas.   To celebrate, each year the Williamson Museum hosts Chisholm Trail Day at San Gabriel Park.   The day is full of activities for kids and adults, including a cowboy breakfast.   4-year-old Kasi Davis, joined by her father, Roger, enjoyed watching Lanny Ottosen maneuver his big cast iron skillet to make country gravy and biscuits over an open fire.    Connie Gonzalez, a member of the Southland Living History Group, demonstrated how to make beef jerky.  Eddie Bunton was joined by other members of Camp Mabry’s Buffalo Soldiers to give folks a good dose of history.  Jacqueline Schroeder loved sitting inside the Wells Fargo stagecoach replica with 2-year-old Niko Schroeder.   There was a Sam Bass shoot-out, which calls attention to the famous outlaw who left his mark on Round Rock, Texas, just south of Georgetown.   Duane Silkett was among the actors playing a part in the shoot-out, using blanks, of course.   3-year-old Uriah Valdez, joined by his mom, Valerie, and older brother Joel, 6, really got into the shoot-out, Uriah toting  his own toy pistol.  Since it was a chilly morning, 2-year-old Austin Titzel was glad to have a blanket for his wagon and Gable, his loyal canine friend to watch over him.   10-year-old Lane Phillips relaxed with her horse, Duke, while her father, cowboy storyteller and musician  Russ Phillips entertained the crowd.   The day was topped off with a Texas Longhorn cattle drive through the park.   These photos are among those taken for a story by Joyce May in the Williamson County Sun

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