The hike and bike trails were quiet places on this Christmas morning.  With wind,  and temperatures in the low-40s, I didn’t see many out, but these friends seemed to enjoy the serenity.

These grain elevators in Circleville, Texas are adorned with a beautiful star this holiday season.   The colors vary, but the red star against the blue night sky this weekend suited me just fine.    This time of the year can be hard on some of us.   Be as kind as you can, my friends.

My old self was on the way to Georgetown early this morning, but about 30 minutes before sunrise I stopped at Jonah School (now Jonah Community Center) to admire the elegant tree that graces the grounds of a school built in 1922.   It remained a school until the 1970s, when Jonah consolidated with Georgetown.   For years the school has been home to the Jonah Community Center.   I’ve been all over the interior of this structure, but continue to be enthralled by the tree that continues to thrive there.   The morning mist was just right for the tree, plus the merry-go-round and the swing set.  I’m pretty sure the merry-go-round is original to the school.    Although these were taken in color, black-and-white allows the subject matter to thrive.   At least I think so.   Just monotone, friends.

It was another very early start to the day this morning as I headed to the San Gabriel Community Center  in Georgetown for Breakfast With Santa, an annual event coordinated by the Sun City Rotary Club, the Georgetown Fire Department and the Georgetown Independent School District.   Attendees got to visit with Santa, but also enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes, breakfast sausages and juice.   Proceeds benefit area kids and families during the holiday season.   My favorite participant this year was a 6’11” firefighter playing the part of Buddy the Elf.   He was wonderful.  When Santa arrived, Buddy through up his arms and shouted “I know him!”   That big elf demonstrated a lot of  heart.

A few photos from  misty morning walks in Taylor the past two days, ushering in the start of winter season in Central Texas.    Leaves are falling quickly, but bits of autumn remain a little longer here.

Although we call it the first day of winter, the Winter Solstice was just minutes ago, at 9:27 p.m. Central Standard Time.   These six photos were taken this evening at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, a beautiful county park just east of Georgetown.  It’s been a drizzly day, with snippets of rain, enough to keep one’s windshield wipers working.   Temperatures remained in the 60s.   It’s 60 right now in Taylor.   The park’s   lights add a touch of embracing warmth after the sun goes down.   I like them a lot.

When I made the opening photo a while back, I felt a sense of pride for a farmer who continued to do his work despite a looming presence in Taylor.  It’s not meant to be a pretty photograph, just informative.    Area friends know about the six million square foot semiconductor plant under construction.     Land all around us is being sold and scooped up, but not for farming.    When we moved to Taylor in 2009, a friend questioned my choice.  “There’s nothing there,” he said.    Of course he was wrong.    As soon as we settled in I started taking long bicycle rides out into the countryside,  appreciating   the farmers tilling their Blackland Prairie  soil.    That wasn’t “nothing.”   Farming can be a hard life.  Consider this past summer, when cotton crops were almost non-existent,  thanks to our incessant heat and drought.   For now, the land remains.  So do a few farmers.    As growth continues, it’s a roll of the dice.  These are just some things I’ve seen as some of us  continue to mourn the loss of an agrarian landscape.  

A lot of my wandering is out in the countryside.   With Christmas coming soon, I’m seeing lights adorning spaces.  Three are included here, including one taken this evening in downtown Thorndale.   The one I like most, however, is the most subtle, a single star shining atop a pole on a farm west of Granger.    That is understated elegance.

Many of the landscape photos I take are made in the Coupland area, just a few short miles south of Taylor.  Although its population is a mere 300 people, this town has much to offer. Sculptor Jim Huntington lives here, as does Wells Mason, founder of Ironwood Industries, also lives and creates here.  And there’s St. Peter’s Church of Coupland.  The Coupland Dance Hall has been closed for a while, but is coming back to life soon.  When scanning Facebook early Sunday afternoon, an item from the Coupland Civic Organization caught my eye.   Not only would Santa be coming to the historic depot, arriving in a fire engine from the Coupland Volunteer Fire Department.   Horseback Carolers from St. Peter’s Church of Coupland were there, too.   This isn’t something seen often!   Santa was in his element once seated in the depot.   Some kids were shy.  One 3-month-old, obviously close to nap time, snuggled next to mama.   A 17-month-old fellow was probably seeing Santa Claus for the first time in his short life.   He was a little unsettled, but did enjoy getting free cookies and a candy cane.   The last photo shows Santa stretching between visitors well after sundown.    It’s a neat community.

A few photos from recent morning walks in Taylor, Texas.  As we near  the start of winter, a few examples of autumn remain.