The photo posted of the Lampasas River last evening was taken from this  abandoned, but (somewhat) intact bridge built in 1914, commonly referred to as  the Maxdale Bridge.   The location is northwest Bell County, Texas, a little over ten miles south of Killeen. I’d tried to find it a few months ago, but on this slow Saturday, luck was with me.   It’s a popular destination for those like me, who love old truss bridges, but apparently it’s a hit for those who crave ghost stories, too.   One story about the bridge says that if you park your car near it’s entrance and honk your horn, you’ll see breathing on your windows, from the outside.   These “breaths” are the ghost of children who were said to have perished in a school bus accident on the bridge.   Another story tells of a man, despondent after his girlfriend perished in the Lampasas River, hung himself from the bridge.   He’s another ghost presence … or so the story goes.   For the record, I didn’t honk my horn, or see anything unusual, but by dark, I was well away from it!   Also included in this post, not far from the bridge, is a vintage church, Maxdale Baptist Church, now home to Maxdale Cowboy Church.   Compared to some of the impressive churches I’ve documented, this one’s simplicity was nice.   There’s a large structure adjacent to it.  My assumption, if correct, is that it’s the fellowship hall.    It’s actually much larger than the church itself.  Before leaving, I watched the sun go down behind a nice tree on the church property.   Wandering, or rambling, is fun at times.

This is a photo I took of the Lampasas River late Saturday in Bell County, Texas, just south of Killeen.  A future post will give you more details about the visit there,  but for tonight, it seemed like a good image to close out the evening.

These first four photos were taken on Saturday, near the Lampasas River, in Bell County, Texas.  They were late on a day where temperatures soared to 78 degrees.   What’s happening here, with those skies, is the transition …. a cold front literally moving in before your eyes.  By late Saturday, into early Sunday, temperatures had plummeted into the low-mid 20s in Central Texas.   The last photos were taken today in the Georgetown area, Salvation Army volunteer staying on task despite a windy day, with temperatures well below freezing.  Then onto Berry Springs Park $ Preserve, where Ena and Shawn Bichsel were walking their dogs, including Boomer, an Australian Cattle Dog, and Woodrow, a Husky.   Boomer is quite amazing.  Born both blind and deaf, he responds wonderfully to both scent and touch.  Ena and Shawn are members of Texas Differently Abled Working Group, dedicated to helping make lives better for disabled pets.   I love people, like Ena and Shawn, who care so very much for their four-legged friends.   We need more like them.

A few years ago, I became acquainted with a Georgetown, Texas-based group, Miniwonders, founded by Wendi Threlkeld.   Miniwonders is a non-profit that brings the world of miniature horses to us through their outreach.  They make appearances at churches, schools, nursing homes, or anywhere their special type of therapy might help.    On Thursday, Wendi, along with her staff, brought two of her little ladies, Mercy and Treasure, to The Worship Place, in Sun City, where they paid a holiday visit to the church’s Special Friends group, a part of the church outreach for memory care.   Treasure, the white horse pictured, is an American Miniature, while her Thursday companion, Mercy, is a Falabella miniature horse.   This was Treasure’s first public appearance, but she was a hit!   She didn’t however, cotton to the booties.   That will come in time, I think. These are a few photos I made for the Williamson County Sun.

Between assignments on Thursday, I decided to stop by the San Gabriel River for a look.   The stay was not long, but sweet.  We’ve had a couple of days of cloudy weather, but the sun’s rays managed to peek through before the last light of day faded away.   The first photo in this post is also presented in black and white, just because.

For some reason, I haven’t done much in the way of holiday lights this year, but determined to rectify that tonight with a stop at the quite beautiful Georgetown square.   It’s out of character, but I’ll just stop verbalizing now and let the photos do the work. 

The City of Georgetown’s Parks & Recreation folks held their annual Fishing Derby this past Saturday  at San Gabriel Park.   Prior to the event, organizers unloaded 1,300 trout into the chilly water.  The derby, which began at 7a.m.,  was open to both children and adults.   When I arrived the air temperature was in the low 30s.  Now I know you folks from up north don’t see that as cold, but let me tell, it was frosty!   Thankfully, the anglers were prepared.  One little fellow, not suited with just his own jacket, borrowed another belonging to his daddy.  It was a tad large, but it got the job done.   One young lady, after catching her limit, decided to wrap up under a blanket and chill out.  Maybe “chill out” isn’t the right thing to say about a cold morning, but there it is.   I took these for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

Occasionally, when a change of scenery is needed for my daily long walks, I find myself in Georgetown, at the San Gabriel  River trails.  From there, I wander all over the place, to Blue Hole, Old Town Georgetown, Southwestern University, etc.   It’s a long walk!   Monday was a Georgetown walk day.   The first thing I noticed, when starting my walk at San Gabriel Park, was the sweet late-autumn color.  In South Central Texas, our fall comes late, right before the Winter Solstice (December 21).   After the walk, I decided to stay in Georgetown, spending a couple of hours at the library, then ambling over the river when the light started getting good, a little after 4:30.   I ended up staying until a little past 6, when pleasantly surprised by a full moon shining on the river’s surface.   For me, photography has been a profession for a long time.  These days, it can be much more  … a therapy, and a form of meditation.   At times, I really do go blank when focused on something sweet.   Monday was definitely something sweet.

One of the joys of the holiday season is my annual visit to Immanuel Lutheran Church, just outside Taylor, for their live nativity, Pilgrimage to Bethlehem.   Or, as local folks call it, The Church on the Hill.   If you’re driving east on Highway 79, coming from Hutto, you’ll understand how it got its nickname!   As it is each year, Immanuel is in charge, but this excellent  holiday treat is held with the help of several area churches.   I won’t say more, but let the photos do the work.   Okay, I’ll say one more thing:  the angels, each and every year, are wonderful, whether they’re warming themselves by a light on a cold, drizzly night, or resting in the comforting arms of mama angel.

When we came home a few years ago, I had not heard of Blue Santa.  If we had that in Georgia, it was unknown to me.   Since returning to Texas, however, I’ve grown to know the program well, through my coverage for the Williamson County Sun.   In Georgetown, Blue Santa is a program coordinated by the Georgetown Police Department, with a host of volunteers.  Through Blue Santa Georgetown, families who might otherwise not have a merry holiday season get the help they need.   On Saturday, I spent part of my day at the police headquarters.  Families who qualified came there to fill a void so cherished by children.   Thus, the photos posted here might have a few adults, but mostly, it’s kids.   The last photo, by the way, is one of the police department’s officers, spending time with her own children when not doing volunteer work.   She and her husband are both career police officers.   There’s a lot of negativity regarding police officers around the country, but I’m happy to know a number of compassionate ones.  And yes … there is a Blue Santa.  I know him.

A Boy Scout volunteer at work.

One of the volunteers on hand.