In keeping with National Adoption Awareness Month, the Williamson County Justice Center in Georgetown held adoptions this morning in the courtroom of Judge Brandy Hallford  for four area families who were  adopting six children.   I always enjoy attending these adoptions.  In fact, it’s the only time I find courtroom photography worthwhile. Among the adoptees were a 14-month-old, a 6-year-old, a 10-year-old and three siblings, ages 10, 14 and 15.    The mom of the 14-month-old will soon have more kids.  She’s pregnant with triplets, due very soon!

It’s been several months since my last visit with these Norman’s Crossing beauties.   I made up for that earlier this week on a sunny night before the rain and cool weather moved in.    They love each other’s company, but humans are okay, too.    I need to remember to bring them treats next time!

It’s been raining here most of the day, as it still was when these photos were taken early this evening.   I like the way rain can sometimes create a monotone image from a color scene.   That was true in the first three photos, all south of Granger along our ocean of land.   The last couple are along the wonderful  cobblestone street in downtown Granger.   While it always looks nice, a rain, especially at night, enhances it even more.  

This one’s about murals adorning the walls in downtown Bartlett, Texas, a community of a little over 1600 in both Bell and Williamson Counties.  Like Holland, it’s neighbor just north of here, Bartlett was founded in 1881.  The addition of railroad lines through the state has created many small towns.   While I’ve seen some of the these murals, the one in the opening photo is new to me.  When I inquired about the new mural, some folks on an evening stroll said it was painted to accompany a movie being filmed here.   That must be “Chocolate Lizards,” currently in production, starring Bruce Dern.   It’s based on a 1999 novel by Cole Thompson, a writer from Abilene (Texas, not Kansas).  I may have to read this book!   Some other movies filmed here include “The Stars Fell over Henrietta,” (1995), “The Whole Wide World,” (1996), “The Newton Boys,” (1998), portions of the remake of “True Grit,” (2010), etc.   The town was also the setting for the NBC tv series “Revolution,” (2012-14).   Since baseball is interesting to many right now, it’s worth noting  that in 1914-15 Bartlett had a minor league baseball team, the Bartlett Bearcats.   Ross Youngs, who played there in 1915, is a Baseball Hall of Fame member. It’s easy to see why movie producers like Bartlett.   If you take away the cars and trucks, West Clark Street, with its 19th and early 20th Century architecture, is nearly perfect.

Wurstbraten is back at Walburg’s Zion Lutheran Church.   Church members were very busy, smoking 12,500 pounds of sausage in the large pits behind the church.   The pandemic cancelled the event last year.   Wurstbraten normally offers to-go plates for visitors, but also indoor dining inside the church’s large gymnasium.   To be on the safe side, only to-go plates were offered.   Holly, a Miniature Pinscher, was among those most excited about the aromatic sausage.  Her mom said Holly would get a little taste once home.  The Gideons of Williamson County offered New Testaments to those waiting in line.   It’s a nice thing, this Wurstbraten.  I hope they’re able to return to their full event in 2022.

A few scenes from this evening in the Old Town area of Georgetown, along Main Street.  It’s always a fun time in the city’s historic district.

I’d planned another post, but the quality of this evening’s light changed my mind.   Is there something about autumn that adds intensity to light?   I haven’t a clue, but tonight was interesting here on the Blackland Prairie.

Nothing much to say here, just something relaxing from the village of Coupland, Texas.  That’s St. Peter’s Church of Coupland in the photo.

Holland, Texas is a community of a little over 1100 people in Bell County, Texas, about halfway between Taylor and Temple.   It’s a straight shot up Texas 95, an easy destination for me.    In June of every year they hold the Corn Festival, several days of food, music and fun.   We grow a lot of corn around here.   The community, dating before the Civil War, was called Mountain Home.   In 1870, a post office was added, but it closed the following year.   In 1881, a railroad line was extended from Denison to Taylor, thus creating Holland, named for James Reuben Holland, born in 1847 in Clairborne County, Tennessee.   He and his family first settled in Belton, but later purchased land in the area, building a steam-powered cotton gin in 1878.   These are only area impressions.  I like the bank building quite a lot.  Opened in 1905, it still operates today, but under different ownership, of course.  The row of grain elevators are downtown.   The vintage tractor and the small pond are just south of town.   As mentioned, just impressions.  

Whenever discovering a field of  Texas Longhorns not seen before, I try to document what’s there.   These lovely creatures were spotted last night near Coupland, Texas, just a few miles south of home.  There wasn’t a really good place to photograph them, but I did what I could.   The poor cows were fighting off flies, not an uncommon thing for them.   They would’ve appreciated a few cattle egrets to help get those rascals off their backs.   Regarding the opening photo, at first I thought the dots in the sky were a distant flock of birds, but they were just dang old flies.