On a return road trip recently, I made it a point to go a few miles out of my way for a visit to Caddo Lake State Park, in Karnack, Texas.   Until is was artificially dammed in the early 1900s, for oil exploration and flood control, the lake was the only naturally-occurring lake in Texas.   A visitor to Caddo Lake State Park, where I took these photos, mentioned it was not only the state’s only authentic lake, but the only one in the entire southern United States.   I’ll leave that to the experts.  Whatever the case, this beautiful body of water in  Northeast Texas, which also flows into Louisiana, is magnificent, taking in 25,400 acres.  It’s also home to the largest cypress forest in the world and has abundant plant and wildlife, including owls, herons, eagles and yes, even a few alligators.   During my brief visit, a heron, intent on breakfast, was my only feathered encounter.  One famous part-time resident of the area is the Eagles’  Don Henley, raised in nearby Linden, Texas.   And don’t forget Karnack’s famous duaghter, Lady Bird Johnson.

At one time, the area was inhabited by the Caddo Indians, one of many tribes forcefully removed from their homes during the 19th century.  Much publicity is given to the Big Bend area of the state, but let me tell you, friends, Caddo Lake is magical.

When we returned to Texas a few years ago, I’d never heard of Blue Santa.  Could there really be a “Blue Santa?”   As it turns out there was, and is.  Blue Santa is an annual holiday effort by local police departments and their helpers to make the season brighter for families who might otherwise go without.  Georgetown, Texas has had a Blue Santa program for several years, conducted jointly by the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association with help from the Georgetown Police folks.  I attended the group’s distribution to families on Saturday morning.  This year, 700 Georgetown families received over 1800 gift boxes.  There were plenty of volunteers to help out, among them policemen like a lively hula-hooping Sgt. Erik Grasse, who was there with his family to help.  And of course, an actual Blue Santa was there to see kids, like the one-year-old experiencing her first wide-eyed Christmas.   And two siblings, one named Lyric, 5, and  his brother, Loyal, 10.    The county sheriffs department here also conducts their own program, called, appropriately, “Brown Santa.”  It’s all good.

In West Taylor, Texas, along County Road 401, you’ll find Immanuel Lutheran Church, known around these parts as “The Church on the Hill.”   Each year since we’ve been back in Texas, Immanuel presents their live nativity, their Pilgrimage to Bethlehem.  My concern this year was weather.   You see, it’s always been on the church grounds, but we’ve had a wet autumn.  Not to be deterred, Immanuel, with a new Fellowship Hall at hand, moved things indoors, except, of course, for Nellie, the sweet donkey who belongs to church member Cecil Remmert.  Note that Immanuel gets plenty of help each year from other churches in the area, and not just Lutheran, either.   You’ll find Methodists, Brethren, and even Baptists as active participants in making things work.  Immanuel was founded in 1888 by German immigrants.  Its beautiful current sanctuary has been in place since 1916.  These are a few photos from my visit last evening.  Forgive that I spend so much time with the angels, but they are completely adorable!

Along County Road 366, in Eastern Williamson County, Texas, is an old truss bridge.   It sits peacefully next to its replacement, a modern structure built of concrete and steel.   I have no idea how long it has been at rest, but I’m glad it remains, elegantly  passing over the San Gabriel River.   Thankfully, the state’s Department of Transportation has let it be.   The wooden planks of the truss are weathered, with a few boards missing, but it stays the course.   On a recent evening, I sat down on those planks and admired the stars.   I like that it’s still with us.  Some things are worth keeping.

This is one of those occasional forays into a small Texas town.  This time, it’s Coupland, Texas.   According to the latest census figures, Coupland, in Southeast Williamson County, has 298 residents.   It’s interesting to note, however, they do have their own post office.   From my home in Taylor, it’s only 8 miles south via Texas Highway 95.   Railroad tracks go through the town, but I’ve not seen much train traffic in visits there.  Coupland is home to the Coupland Inn and Dance Hall, which closed for a few years, but is up and running strong now.  There’s a caboose and depot station.  The local folks are in the process of raising funds to bring this bit of history to life again, thank goodness.  The town is also home to sculptor Jim Huntington, who you can find more about

.  Huntington was born in Elkhart, Indiana, in 1941, and spent years in New York, San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles before slowing his pace and landing here in 1994.  He does gargantuan sculptures, many of them visible right there in in his Huntington Sculpture Garden.  Those lucky enough to have  seen the 2003 movie, “Secondhand Lions,” starring Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, Kyra Sedgewick and Haley Joel Osment,  might recognize some of Coupland in the movie, although a resident I chatted with last evening mentioned the producers misspelled the town’s name, calling it “Copeland.”  The last photo in this post is of the old truss bridge just outside town.   If you watch the movie mentioned, that’s the bridge at the end.   I pulled this frame from a 2014 visit to the bridge due to current construction on that road.  Hopefully, they’ll keep the bridge intact.

The town square in Georgetown, Texas was a grand place to be this weekend for the annual Christmas Stroll.   Temperatures were still a tad chilly at the start of Saturday morning’s parade, but a little extra wrapping made it all good.   The parade, as is tradition, concluded with Santa Claus, this year his ride a horse-drawn carriage.   Adding to the Stroll’s fun was Whoo Village, sponsored by Grace Bible Church, where you could get a Whoo hairdo, have fun on a bungee ride, or any other number of activities.   Georgetown Church of the Nazarene brought its Bethlehem Village to the square again this year, too.   Here are a few photos I snapped during my Saturday visit.   It’s good to see the older folks among us showing some Christmas spirit, too.

For the past several years, it’s been an honor to cover Southwestern University’s Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent.  Each year, in early-December, two services are held in Lois Perkins Chapel.   I attended the first service last evening.   This annual service began one hundred years ago this year.  In its first year, 1915,  it was called the Christmas Carol Service, then under the guidance of Mrs. C.M. Bishop, wife of University President Bishop, with help from Laura Kuykendall, teacher and expression, later to become the Dean of Women.   If I’m stressed, or sad, this peaceful gathering is a somnolent balm for the senses.

Just the other day, Thanksgiving in fact, I decided to take my daily 5-mile stroll in Georgetown, at the San Gabriel River Trail.   It was a cloudy and cool  day, with intermittent rain showers.   What got my attention, however, was the lovely palette of colors along the way.   In South Central Texas, we don’t get the the splashy color you might see in New England, but it’s there.   After my walk, I spent several hours, cameras and tripod in hand, traversing areas I found inspiring, including San Gabriel Park, Rivery Park, Chandler Park, Bootys Road Park, and a few areas in between.  At Chandler Park, a dad and his son shared a kayak, while Georgetown Fire Chief John Sutton enjoyed a Thanksgiving afternoon run with family members at Bootys Road Park.   On Saturday, after another assignment fell through,  the trail wandering continued, where I even spotted a buck crossing the trail at one point.  He didn’t stay in my sights long, preferring the peacefulness of the woods.   The clouds and rain, if anything, enhanced the experience.   The San Gabriel River Trail is a little slice of heaven.

Once again this year, I had the honor of photographing Georgetown’s annual Lighting of the Square.

Although cold and pretty wet, the crowds came to take in the magic of one of the most beautiful town squares anywhere.   Rather than get wordy, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

This may or may not be common in other places, but farmers getting together for a friendly game of dominoes has been a tradition in many parts of Texas.  When not in their fields, it’s been a good way pass the time and catch up with old friends.   My wife had childhood memories of the farmers on her mother’s side getting together in their little domino hall in Streetman, Texas back in the 1950s.   In Granger, Texas today, a group regularly gets together for a few games at the Blackland  Co-Op  Gin.    The fellows I watched figure their games date back to at least the mid-1970s, so long, in fact, the dominoes are personalized with the gin’s name on them!   When weather slows down farm work, it’s a good place to be.   I do like that some of these venerable traditions continue.