A leftover photo from Thursday evening’s ramblings.  

On this very chilly night, I stopped to look out my window at the Christmas light display on our lawn.  It’s odd what I notice at times.

On this second day of winter the cold weather has arrived.   As I write this our temperature in Taylor is 17 degrees,  with a low by morning around 13.   I drove around Coupland and Beyersville this evening, observing horses and cattle.    It was in the low-20s when these were taken, with a biting wind.    The horses didn’t seem to be bothered, but the cows weren’t impressed at all.  The horse with the Texas flag structure isn’t quite sharp, but I like what’s going on.   Every animal I saw appeared to have places to get out of the wind.   While I like cold weather, when you add wind, that’s not nice.

The darkening skies over Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Corn Hill  held their color for a few minutes past sunset.   The church congregation was formed in 1889 by those moving here from Moravia and Bohemia, later adding German and Irish parishioners to their number.   The church as seen today was dedicated in 1914.   It’s quite a beautiful church, with commanding views of North Williamson County, Texas.

Just a sunset photo taken tonight near Bartlett’s City Cemetery as winter begins.   By Thursday evening it will really feel like winter!

While in Georgetown’s San Jose neighborhood tonight for something else, I noticed lights shining nearby, people gathering in quiet contemplation.   I met a mother whose daughter had died  in a an auto accident on the interstate  one year ago today,    She was 26.   Her mother wanted to honor the child she lost.  Also there were the daughter’s two sons, ages 4 and 8.  The 4-year-old is included here.   As many prepare to travel this holiday season, remember that life can be  tenuous.  Be careful, my friends.

Hawks are wonderful subjects, but challenging subjects for this photographer.  Most of the time I see them perched on utility poles, in places where I can’t pull over and take a photo without getting  flattened by oncoming cars.  I’m always envious when seeing  photos  from people’s own back yards.  We do what we can though.   Only the first photo was taken while driving around.   All the others were made during daily walks in Taylor.

There’s a stately tree on the grounds of the Jonah School.   The school, now a community center, was built in 1922.   I’ve photographed the structure a number of times, but am always impressed with this tree, particularly when winter’s approach (on Wednesday here) allows us to see its fine bones.  This is from Sunday evening.  So I concentrate on the tree, but include a swing set to give it context.   There’s also a rudimentary merry-go-round, probably here since the school opened.  That’s  for another post though.   This is about the tree.   One wonders how many times it’s been threatened by storms?   Yet it stands.   Wintering. 

An impressive menorah shines near Grace Heritage Center in Georgetown  on the first night of Hanukkah.   The menorah was placed by Georgetown’s Messiah Echad.   Light will be added to the menorah each evening beginning at 6p.m. through December 26th.

A long thin cloud briefly engaged my attention early this morning in Taylor.   At first I thought it was something leftover from a fire, but it was really spread out.  It happened to hover over a field and farmhouses along our loop.   Less than a mile from home, I pass it  every day.   From the road it looks like two houses, with a barn in between.   Since we moved here in 2009, it’s appeared uninhabited.   A few years ago, a farmer was working the field.   I pulled in, asking if it was okay to snap a few photos.   He didn’t live there, only leasing the land for a crop.   For a while a large real estate sign sat in that field.   The sign is gone now.  With all the chip factory-related growth coming here, I wonder if this place has become even more valuable?   Next to it is Taylor’s middle school.   What does the future have in store for this beautiful piece of Blackland Prairie land?   It was beautiful when we moved here.   It still is.