Serenity at the Square

Early Reward

As I approached Shallowford Square early on the morning of our recent snowfall, I was surprised to see not a trace of footprints in the beautiful snow around the Square. “Wow,” I thought, “It looks like I’m the first one here.”

Pure, unblemished snow is not only a serene sight, but for me it holds a hint of the sacred. As I made my way around the perimeter of the Square, photographing from various viewpoints, I just couldn’t bring myself to transgress the white beauty. I surely did want to move into the scene and take some close-ups here and there, but I hesitated to mar the perfection before me.

Why not simply enjoy the beauty from afar and allow others to experience the same serene sight? That’s what something deep within urged me to do. So I moved on, leaving the scene as I’d found it — pure and unblemished.

Perhaps on the next snowfall I’ll dare to move in and get the shots I relinquished that morning at the Square. Nevertheless, on that particular day, not violating the serenity at the Square seemed more important than the photos I might have taken.

Photo Gallery

Please visit the Shallowford Square photo gallery to enjoy a few more serene photos of the Square. Any thoughts you’d like to share in the Comment section?

Back to 1859

Lewisville Celebrates 150 Years

On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Town of Lewisville, North Carolina celebrated its 150th anniversary with the Lewisville Sesquicentennial Celebration at Shallowford Square. Members of the Lewisville Historical Society had worked for more than a year on the celebration plans.

Despite the cloudy, cool weather, the celebration began at 11:00 a.m. with an old-fashioned vehicle parade, followed by a variety of activities, exhibits and tours until the celebration ended at 4:00 p.m. Some of the activities and exhibits included:

• Bluegrass music
• Brass band
• Square dancing
• Storytelling
• Wagon rides
• Post Office memorabilia & the 150th year commemorative stamp
• Genealogy and Lewisville history exhibits
• Poster and essay contest awards presented to local school children
• Nineteenth century craft exhibits
• Flower show
• Historic sidewalk tour
• Old-fashioned children’s games

The Big Wedding

The final and defining event of the day was the reenactment of the 1859 marriage of Lewis Case Laugenour to Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Nissen. The talented members of the West Side Civic Theatre gave a most engaging rendition of the marriage, complete with children and the sounds of brass music by the Brookstown Band. The cake and ice cream reception following the wedding put the finishing touch on the Sesquicentennial Celebration.

For more on Lewisville’s Sesquicentennial Celebration — including lots of PHOTOS — please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more on Lewisville’s 150th anniversary

Simply the Best

First Things First

Time flies when you’re having fun! In my case, though, a few demands and obligations over the last few weeks put me dreadfully behind with my Lewisville photos. For those of you who have been awaiting shots of several mid-September Lewisville events, I do apologize. Hopefully, I’ll be getting back on track.

The Best of Lewisville Festival

It’s one thing to know Lewisville is a special town, but it’s wonderful to celebrate some of what makes Lewisville a great place to live, work or go to school. The first annual Best of Lewisville Festival took place in Shallowford Square on September 19, 2009. The four-hour event was sponsored by Karate International of Lewisville and MediaFit.

You might say the festival’s atmosphere was akin to a mini-fair, with varied energetic activities, along with food, pop music, and a number of local vendors. Plus, contests were held for the best flowers, art, food, essay, citizen — and even the prettiest baby.

As I strolled through the Square, the sights and sounds of the festival were delightful. Children were playing on the big blow-up, or they were competing in laser tag, the three-legged race, or the cornhole tournament. Some even crawled into the hamster ball and took a rolling adventure across the Square. Other children and adults participated in karate and clogging demonstrations.

Looking Ahead

The word is that this is only the beginning of the Best of Lewisville Festival. With the great organization and enthusiasm that went into this first celebration, we can eagerly anticipate what next year’s celebration will bring. Thanks for a great day in Lewisville!

To see a few more PHOTOS of the Best of Lewisville Festival before clicking on a LINK to get to the full gallery, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more of The Best of Lewisville

Lyrical Love Story

The Pirates of Penzance

I guess I just don’t get out as much as I should! You see, I’ve never been to an opera before, much less to a comic opera. At least not until I spent several recent September evenings photographing The Pirates of Penzance at Shallowford Square in Lewisville.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of this classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. But any doubts I had about the musical quickly evaporated as the talented cast of the West Side Civic Theatre began unveiling a truly delightful and entertaining story.

Plus, there wasn’t a single word of Italian to be heard! So the lyrics were easy to understand and were laced with humor. The music was also wonderfully performed, with the musicians seated in an orchestra pit at the front of the stage.

For more PHOTOS and a link to the extensive PHOTO GALLERY of the musical, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more Pirates of Penzance

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