Most of my posts focus on a particular theme or event.   Sometimes, I break the rules and just throw a few things out there.    Thus, a few things I like that don’t necessarily fit into that format.   10-month-old Presley Dean, from Dallas, enjoyed being the center of attention as she enjoyed the pumpkin patch at Georgetown’s First United Methodist Church.  Presley is teething and found the smaller pumpkins just right for trying out her first two teeth!    At San Gabriel Presbyterian Church’s pumpkin patch, 4-year-old Bentley Bailey was up to the task as he pulled a little red wagon around to get just the right pumpkins for his family, and 7-year-old Alex Mann picked out a good carving pumpkin.   From there, we find ourselves at San Gabriel Park the Chisholm Trail Barbecue Cook-off, where Lee Davis, a youthful 104-years-old, enjoyed dancing to the singing of master Elvis impersonator Mike Elliott.   Davis walks 2 miles every day.  I’m very impressed.   In the final two photos, we’re close to home in Taylor, on one of my favorite stretches of road, County Road 366.   In the second to last photo, I found Heath Yeoman and his wife Genee as they complete a bike ride near sunset.   And the final photo , taken at dawn, leaves us with a full moon in retreat at the beginning of a Saturday morning while two donkeys find ample grazing delights.

It’s hard to run out of rodeo events to cover when you live in Texas.  One that I enjoy each year that we’ve been back home is the Clayman Rodeo, a rodeo comprised of students and former students of Kelly and Jim Bob Clayman and held each year at Windsong Farm, their little slice of heaven in Georgetown.  This was the 20th year for this fun event, which includes barrel racing, pole bending, calf scrambles for the kids, and plenty of pomp and circumstance.  Some folks, like 5-year-old Thayne Schlaffer of Midland,  shown with his grandfather, Bo Robinson of Snyder, were there to be a part of the rodeo’s grand entry.   13-year-old Shelby Motz, from Cedar Park, enjoyed lying atop her horse, Lizard, before the action started.   And 3-year-old Caden Fawver came to watch the action all decked out in his boots, cowboy hat, jeans and big belt buckle.  It’s a fun event which I photographed for the Williamson County Sun

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Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown, Texas  was the setting Sunday morning for the church’s blessing of the animals, an opportunity to remember the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.   Bestowing those special blessings was Father Trey Garland, the church’s rector.   Father Garland has done this service a number of times in the 12 years since he’s been ordained.   A notable event was in Greenville, South Carolina, where he blessed, among other things, a giraffe!   He says his favorite, however, was in Marble Falls, Texas, where he blessed a pair of horses pulling an antique carriage.   Sunday’s was special, too.   Griffin, a bearded monitor, was the only lizard in attendance, but received his blessing calmly!   A few random barks never once took away from the solemnity of the occasion.    Some of these images accompanied a story I wrote for the Williamson County Sun

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When we lived in Georgia, National Night Out was generally an August event, but in Central Texas, it’s pretty hot then so this event is held the first week in October, still warm, but better!   I visited Georgetown’s Stonehaven Apartments on Tuesday night and met many nice people, including Georgetown police officer David Scurlock, Norma Perales (the lady giving a big hug to 6-year-old Juilette Dimas), 2-year-old David Sanchez, happily enjoying a cookie, and many others, including my friends from Taylor’s Folkloric Dance Collaborative, some seen in this post’s opening photo.   National NIght Out is an opportunity for neighbors to get together in a relaxed and fun setting and also get to know some of their area’s public safety officers, like officer Scurlock, as friendly as fellow as you’re likely to meet anywhere.    These are a few photos taken for a story by Brianne Tolj in the Williamson County Sun

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The Palace Theatre’s 2013-14 season is off to a rousing start with “The Music Man,” directed by artistic director Mary Ellen Butler.   It’s a big cast with plenty of music and dance.   David Sray takes on the leading role of Professor Harold Hill, with Evelyn LaLonde playing Marian Paroo.    All are good in their roles, but it’s really fun to watch teens Brice Rafferty and Sam Menke perform their light-footed magic on the Springer Memorial Stage.   These young men almost seem to sprout wings  when they perform.   Another youngster to put on your radar is Diego Rodriguez, playing Winthrop Paroo.   He’s the little guy playing the horn in this post and is the son of Palace regular Art Rodriguez, also in this show.      This is a good, family-friendly offering and will be available for audiences every weekend through October 27.  These are a few photos taken for the Williamson County Sun.

The Sparklers, East View High School’s precision dance team, conducted a clinic last weekend for young ladies from kindergarten through the 5th grade, instructing them in the fine art of putting one foot in front of the other in addition to wearing a big smile.   The little girls are called the Lil Sparks.   Next week they’ll get to dress up like the big girls and show what they’ve learned at the Georgetown School District’s Halftime Showcase.    Watching the interchange was a lot of fun.   Although all the girls were engaged, perhaps the most excited was 5-year-old Lauren Smiley, the girl with the big red bow in her hair.   She was enthralled by her teacher, East View freshman Aelissa Vasquez.   These are some of the photos I recorded for the Williamson County Sun

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In most parts of the country, flying a kite is a pastime set aside for March, when the winds are stronger.   In Taylor, Texas, however, kite-flying can be enjoyed all year long, thanks to a whole lot of windy days on the plains.   It’s an activity Arthur Hernandez has practiced throughout his 60-something years of life.   On a recent evening, rain was threatening to come down if the lingering clouds were any indication.   So Arthur, accompanied by his wife, Dolores, and his grandkids, 3-year-old Mari Hernandez and 4-year-old A.J. Sanchez, headed to Taylor Regional Park to enjoy the night.   They spent about an hour there before calling it a night.   Mr. Hernandez has about 50 kites at home, he says.   He’s been flying kites since he was 5.   When growing up, he made them himself.  These days, he picks up bargains at yard sales and thrift shops.    He’s a kid at heart, a good thing.   Go fly a kite!

Last Saturday the Austin American-Statesman dispatched me to the Kolache Festival in Caldwell, Texas, an event that celebrates the kolache, a Czech pastry that’s been quite popular in Texas for many years.    The festival included ample samplings of Czech culture in the form of their music and colorful clothing as well.   Jim Matcek and his wife Claudia were joined in the Parade of Costumes by their 23-month-old grandson, Cooper Matcek.   Edward Kopecky, a member of the Fun Time Czech Band, did great work on both his trumpet and accordian.  Rita Janak was there to lead the Shiner Hobo Band.  17-year-old Anna Faust of Snook, Texas was crowned this year’s Kolache Queen.  Just up the street, at Caldwell’s First United Methodist Church, judges poured over entries in the kolache-baking competition.   Among those entered was 11-year-old Kaitlyn Kindt, who awoke at 4a.m. to bake the creations she and mom Shayna made.   The judges obviously took their work very seriously, but did seem to enjoy their task.   Back outside, Rachel Avecedo and Kenny Wilson were among the entrants in the kolache-eating contest, where entrants had to devour the pastries faster than their opponents, a sometimes messy affair.   This was a whole lot of fun!   Jak Se Mas, by the way, asks “How Are You?” in Czech.    The great state of Texas celebrates its diversity in so many wonderful ways.

In the 4 years we’ve been back in Texas, my little town of Taylor, population about 15,000, has been having a Patriot Day observance each  on the anniversary of 9/11.   It seems to get bigger each year, with fire departments from around the area to take part in the parade.   This year, the Taylor Fire Department has been lucky to have in its possession for a number of weeks FDNY Rescue 4, one of the New York City fire engines that responded to the World Trade Center attacks.   It was the centerpiece of this year’s event and is pictured in the opening photo.   The fire engine is under the care of the Remembrance Rescue Project and makes its way around the country throughout the year.   In Central Texas, there’s always plenty of wind, enough to tangle up a giant American flag hanging between fire trucks from the Taylor and Georgetown Fire Departments.   Georgetown firefighter Garey Jackson quickly came to the rescue and fixed the problem before the parade got underway.  He’s also pictured here.   These are a a few photos taken for the Williamson County Sun

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Bull Branch Park in Taylor was the place to be Saturday morning for KIDFISH, a friendly gathering of kids 16 and under (along with moms and dads) on hand to try their luck at nabbing some of the 300 pounds of catfish stocked the night before.   The KIDFISH Foundation is an outreach program designed to educate and provide hands-on fishing experiences for kids.   At KIDFISH, the children first attend KIDFISH College to learn a little about fishing, but also conservation and respect for the environment.   Kids catching the longest fish, like 9-year-old Ivan Verdin, shown in the opening photo with a fish over 24 inches long, got the chance to go to a big KIDFISH event next June in Corpus Christi.   What I really like about this program is that kids who can’t afford their own fishing gear have everything provided for them.   That’s nice.   Most of these photos made it to an online gallery at the Austin American-Statesman

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