Once again this year, I had the good fortune to document the happenings at Georgetown’s Blue Santa distribution, held Saturday at the Public Safety headquarters.   Blue Santa is an annual event hosted by the Georgetown Police Department that pairs pre-qualified  families with gift boxes for the Christmas season.   This year’s numbers were great: 533 families, including 1,553 children, were  served.   The opening two photos show an excited 2-year-old, anxious for the doors to open to get things started this morning.   This  event, as always, is made better by the many volunteers who freely give of their time and caring to help make the season happier for families who might otherwise have a hard time providing the joy families crave.  The last photo shows a Santa who came on a motorcycle, one of almost 100 motorcycle riders who spent their morning riding around the area, collecting gifts for the families.  The ride was sponsored by Georgetown’s Central Texas PowerSports.  Note that some of the those pictured wear bright smiles, while others are more reserved.  This is a time of the year that brings to light all sorts of emotions.   Blue Santa programs can be found throughout Texas.   In all my 29 years in Atlanta I don’t recall a Blue Santa event.   Maybe that’s changed.  It’s such a positive endeavor that puts some of our finest first responders in the positive light so many of them have earned.  Most of the folks you see toting gift boxes are volunteers.  This couldn’t be the well-oiled machine it is without their help.   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.  Happy Christmas, friends. 

Taylor’s Murphy Park is a place you’ll see photos from time to time.  Part of that is that it’s close to home, about a mile away.  Beyond that?   It’s a lovely place.   The small lake, home to the park’s rookery, is serene.  We all need a little peace in our lives. 

One of the first beautiful sights I noticed when we moved home to Texas in 2009 was this church, New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church.  The congregation of Swedish immigrants formed in 1876.  The structure pictured here came along in 1922.  For many years, services were conducted in Swedish.   But here’s the thing, folks.  On this expansive prairie land northeast of Austin, you can see its spire from a far distance, poking into the heavens.   While I’ve photographed it a few times, it was not until this week I decided to see what it looked like at night.   I’m happy to report it’s just as enchanting.   The final photo is included as a teachable moment:  when you can, use a tripod.   The opening photo, taken while standing in the middle of a dark road, was NOT taken on a tripod.  Some things are best not tried on a dark country road.  

In late-1972 and early into the next year, I worked on a picture story about life in an Austin fire station.  Not the firefighting part, but rather the communal living aspect.   In this photo, a firefighter relaxes and reads in the large room designated for sleep.   Back in those days, I don’t think there were any women firefighters, at least not in Austin, Texas.   I wonder how these things are approached today?   This was for a class project at UT-Austin.  It’s likely I was also inspired a little by the work of Alfred  Stieglitz.

Travis County is home to Austin, but it spreads out a bit, too.   This farm scene was taken this evening in northeast Travis County, Texas.    The thing is, I didn’t have to travel too far from our Taylor home to see this.  I’m guessing it’s about 12 miles from my doorstep.    It’s a big, spread-out state, very urban, but also quite rural.   Thank goodness for that.

On a recent warm, cloudy autumn evening I decided to take a stroll on the trail that borders Lake Georgetown.   The initial idea was to look for some autumn color.   I did find a little splash here and there, but what really got my attention was not colorful leaves, but the trees, or remnants of trees (stumps) along the path.   Honestly, I can’t name the type of wood.   For lack of a better word, I’m calling it driftwood.   What you see here are color  images, followed by their black-and-white counterparts.   Don’t get me wrong, friends.   I like color.    On this foray along the trail, however, I found the simplicity of monotone more to my liking.   These were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

Tonight’s just some rambling along bits of the Blackland Prairie.   The places might be familiar, but hopefully different, too.   The opening photo is on a county road between Taylor and Hutto.  That tree is kind of crowding the old barn, but the barn is steadfast.   The others take us about 10 or so miles east, to Wuthrich Hill, where I visited Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Cemetery, with its stately tree.  The light in the lower right apparently shines on the gravestone each night.  That’s kind of neat.   Then there’s the church itself, up on its hill.  It IS Wuthrich Hill, after all.     It’s facade is getting encroachment from those trees, but it’s still with us.   And yes, that’s my Honda in the last photo.   Sometimes, it’s hard to move everything.  And I don’t remove things with software.   Not gonna happen.

For several years, I make my own pilgrimage just up the road from home, to Taylor’s Immanuel Lutheran Church for their amazing and inspiring live nativity, Pilgrimage to Bethlehem.  Each year it is performed over two evenings.  Every year brings more guests.  While I’ve been working on these photos tonight, my wife took a drive there mentioned just how crowded it was.   The feat is coordinated by Immanuel, but several churches in the area, not all Lutheran, help bring it home each year.   There are no live animals, but the life-size cutouts of sheep and camels is very realistic!   Last night, when shooting the photos, I had to touch one just to be sure about it.    The last image is kind of unusual, one of the costumed  docents walking down a hallway.   From a distance, the red light appeared to be forming a cross.  Maybe I’m seeing something not there, but it got my attention.  Donations were collected for Taylor’s Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry and the Hutto Food Pantry.   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

Although mighty chilly at 7:30 this morning, with temperatures in the mid-upper 30s, a nice crowd turned out at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas for the annual Fishing Derby hosted by Georgetown Parks and Recreation.   The tournament, which awarded prizes for fish caught, was open to everyone, but was definitely a kid-friendly experience.   I did, however, meet up with a 77-year-old angler who was getting in touch with his inner-child!   The parks folks stocked the San Gabriel River with 1200 rainbow trout.   Even those not catching a fish appeared to be having a good time.  It’s a nice thing to see kids enjoying the outdoors .. even when cold.   These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

“A Christmas Carol” begins its run tonight at the Georgetown Palace Theater.   Director Ron Watson has assembled a wonderful cast, including Curt Olson playing Ebenezer Scrooge.     While the cast and crew are first-rate, I am always grateful to see the name Faith Castaneda as lighting designer.   She knows light.    Go see this production if you’re in Central Texas, friends.  The uplifting production runs through December 30.