The San Gabriel Kiwanis Club in Georgetown hosted their 27th Annual Special Olympics on a chilly Saturday morning on the track and field at Forbes Middle School.   Despite dropping temperatures and the threat of rain, these 54 outstanding, inspiring athletes bundled up and gave it their all.    Travis Jasek, in the opening photo, is a perfect example as he blasts forward to win a 200 meter race.  Travis is part of a team from Down Home Ranch, near Elgin.    The Special Olympics first came to Texas in 1969, at summer games in Waco.   They (and the competitors) have been going strong ever since.    These are a few images I shot for the Williamson County Sun

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Mitchell Elementary School in Georgetown has a tradition called Stomp Day, held each year on the last day of school prior to Spring Break week.   This is a late posting from the event, something I shot for the Williamson County Sun.  The event is geared toward kids from kindergarten through second grade.   The children have fun, do lively dances like the Chicken Dance, but it’s also a way to engage them in a fun activity that also gets their little hearts pumping in a good, healthy way.

How many states are so proud of their heritage that they celebrate it so fully?   I’m guessing not too many, right?   Is there a Maine Day, a Wisconsin Day, an Oklahoma Day?  I sure never covered a Georgia Day while in Atlanta.   Well, folks, kids growing up in Texas celebrate Texas Day all over this great state.   I visited Georgetown’s McCoy Elementary School last week for their Texas Day celebration, a day-long event.   What great fun it was, too!    Even McCoy’s principal, Alma Guzman, really got gussied up.   She’s in this gallery, too.

The Georgetown Independent School District’s orchestra departments recently held their Orchestra Instrument Fair for kids in the 5th grade considering playing in orchestra when they enter middle school next year.   The event, held at Georgetown High School, gave the youngsters the chance to touch and actually play some great instruments, including the viola, violin, cello and bass.   One of the most excited young ladies was 11-year-old Regan Daly, a student at Village Elementary School.   She’s the first four photos in this post.  In the featured photo, Regan learns about a cello from Mary Powers, Georgetown High School’s orchestra director.   Regan was loving all the instruments, but was partial to the cello and viola.   The photos right after Regan are of Oscar Garcia, who loved the bass, but found it a bit large!   His favorite was the cello.   Let’s hope the school systems continue to offer these wonderful programs.

I love antique cars and trucks, making it a pleasure to photograph the Second Annual Georgetown Airport Classic Car and Vintage Plane Show held at Georgetown Municipal Airport last weekend.   The event is a fundraiser for www.helpourwounded.org and www.flyingvikings.org.   The opening photo shows a 1936 Auburn Speedster, a really cool automobile.   I never heard of one, but since my son got his MBA from Auburn University, it seemed fitting to photograph it!   After his son, Hunter, won a raffle ticket for a flight in a 1964 Chinese fighter trainer piloted by Barrington Miles,  dad Paul Meding actually took the the ride and had a grand time.   Check out the sites on the links  for more information about these good causes.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” recently began its run on the Springer Memorial Stage at Georgetown’s Palace Theatre.   The play, adapted from Jame Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific,”  will be entertaining audiences every weekend through March 24.    Playing a leading role as Ensign Nellie Forbush is Christine Jean-Jacques (opening photo), recently coming to the Austin area from Orlando, Florida.   She’s joined in many scenes by Bob Beare, cast as Emile de Becque.  Both actors do a great job.   Another standout, playing Bloody Mary, is  Julliard School graduate Michelle Hache’.   And you can’t get more adorable than 8-year-old Madeline Rodriguez and 7-year-old Diego Rodriguez, real-life siblings who play Emile de Becque’s children in the production.    It’s a long production, but moves well and keeps the audience engaged.   These are photos accompanying a Williamson County Sun review being published later this week.

I had the pleasure again this year to attend the 9th Annual Jonah Chili Supper, a fundraiser aimed at keeping the Jonah Community Center going strong.   In a previous life, the community center served as the Jonah Community School, built in 1922 in this idyllic farming community between Georgetown and Taylor.    45 gallons of chili and all the fixins’ were served up.   While enjoying their chili, diners savored the music of the Taylor Czech Chorus Band.   As I was getting ready to call it a night, my best image literally danced into my camera lens as Carl Lidell and his wife Grace(opening photo) waltzed to the band’s rendition of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”   It was magic, particularly considering that Mr. Lidell, a former Williamson County Commissioner and Jonah farmer, will celebrate his 90th birthday February 23.   Mr. Lidell attended school here in 1929 and was certainly in his element.   Posted here are photos I shot to accompany a short story I wrote for the Williamson County Sun.

Southwestern University freshmen buddies Jade Garza and Lauren Childers enjoyed Valentine’s Day relaxing on the soft grass at the academic mall.   Temperatures rose to 70 degrees this afternoon, warm even for Central Texas.   Joining the friends was a gigantic teddy bear Jade’s boyfriend sent her all the way from Happy, Texas!   I never knew there was actually a “Happy” Texas, but apparently it’s near Amarillo and boasts about 650 residents.