I spent a long, but pleasant evening last night at the dress rehearsal of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” opening tonight at Georgetown’s Palace Theatre. Later, I will post some scenes from the actual production, but before that, let’s go behind the scenes as the actors and staff prepare for this fine production, which will run weekends through January 15. If you’re in Central Texas, a visit to the Palace is worth your time. 
Sometimes it’s useful to look back. Mostly, I’ve posted those “throwback” moments on Facebook, but not here. Things look much better on the site. In 1973, while a student at University of Texas at Austin, I spent quite a bit of time documenting a few blocks of East 6th Street in downtown Austin. These are a few from that period. I’ve said it before, but it may be time to pay another visit. It’s changed.
The night’s little drive took me a few miles east, to the Wuthrich Hill area. En route there, I stopped briefly to enjoy a view of the vacant little farmhouse, regally resting in a field along County Road 413. The night’s journey once again returned me to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, but on this visit I walked down the hill a bit, to the church cemetery. The occasional car would pass, but didn’t take away from the scene. “Peace” the certainly the proper word for this bit of the Blackland Prairie. 
When making my way through the Blackland Prairie before dawn this morning, I was looking for moon images, but along the way I found a few other tidbits, including a pooch standing guard on the hay. Morning light is heavenly. I’ll leave it at that.
When sleep doesn’t take hold, as so often does these days (sigh), I find ways to be productive. Generally speaking, “productive” means taking photographs. I had awakened just after 4a.m. for one of those nightly calls of nature. After that, the night’s rest was over. By a little after 6a.m., I rose, threw on some clothes, slipped on a pair of Crocs, grabbed the cameras and out I rolled. Before going, however, I determined that the Super Moon, which really started Sunday evening, was still with us. That big old moon would go down at 7:59a.m. These photos begin about 20 minutes ahead of dawn, ending at the grain elevators of Taylor farmer Arnold Raesz, who was gracious enough to allow me to record the moon’s passage before returning to finish his breakfast. Thank God for the early-rising habits of farmers. The grain elevators were adorned with some lovely golden light just after dawn. Since this special moon wouldn’t be as close to the earth again until 2034, I felt the need to record what I could. The moon is worth the effort.
The Super Moon tonight was interesting, but I liked what I saw on Sunday night at Murphy Park a lot more. At any rate, I’m offering up some moon photos taken tonight, as seen through street and park lights in downtown Taylor. But you know what? Before all the Super Moon hoopla, the last light of day looked pretty nice, too. That’s included with this post.
Okay, so there’s a Super Moon on tap for Monday, but you know what? It looked pretty nice tonight, too. I wandered up the street to Taylor’s Murphy Park for a peek. The original plan was to just watch the egrets, but then there was the moon. I’ve been photographing the moon for 40-plus years. It never gets old. 
It’s been a day where I wish I’d felt better. The pizza consumed last evening, or some other bug, has been a chore. One thing that made me feel better, however, was wandering up the road to Taylor’s newly-remodeled Williamson County Expo Center. Firefighters were hopping on their ladder trucks to position a gigantic American flag at the center’s entrance. Once inside, I enjoyed watching kids from a dance school in Georgetown show off their moves. The big surprise, however, was the arena was hosting the Williamson County Hoofpicks 4-H Horse Show! It made a tough day a little bit nicer. 
On the way back to Taylor tonight, I noticed the moon was looking especially nice. The facade of Georgetown’s First United Methodist Church always looks grand, but add a moon to the picture and it becomes more grand. A Super Moon is forecast for Monday, but my feeling regarding the moon? Record it often. You never know when clouds will cover it up. Strike while the iron is hot.
On this Veterans Day I once again had the honor of attending the ceremony held today in Sun City, Texas. The photos mostly speak for themselves, but one of the moments I like a lot is from the first photo. That shows Army veteran Deleon B.L. Weston, 79, a Purple Heart recipient, taking the time to chat with 95-year-old Geraldine Knapp, a World War II veteran who served in the Women’s Army Corps. A few drops of rain fell, but not enough to put a damper on the day. I also found the intensity of Sun City resident Betty Schleder reacting as Taps was played. The post ends with Mr. Weston, donning his cap to head for home after the ceremony. It was a good day for honoring our veterans. I took these photos for the Williamson County Sun.
