With school still more than a week away, the LEAP Ambassadors still have time for some fun learning before the semester gets underway. So, six LEAP Ambassadors and friends traveled to Houston to visit Murder by the Book and enjoy a presentation by author (and family-law attorney) Wendy Walker.
Ms. Walker has written several books, but her reputation as a writer was largely established with the publication of “All is Not Forgotten.” The book, addressing “memory science” and the affect that it can have on personality and the legal system, was a hit, and it prompted Walker to adopt a similar theme for her latest, “Emma in the Night.” By “similar theme,” we don’t mean to suggest that she wrote “All is not Forgotten” part 2; rather, she is continuing her exploration of how cognitive or personality disorders can play out in families and in the legal system.
In “Emma,” Walker explores Narcissistic Personality Disorder. As Walker notes, her books are a mix of psychology, family relationships, crime, and the legal system, and that is a good description of “Emma in the Night.” It’s an engaging book. In fact, it is so engaging, it has even prompted to Christina to read it!
Walker did a fine job of describing the book and her career at Murder By the Book.
She discussed her various careers, her slowish path to becoming an attorney, and—most interestingly—her foray into writing. Her first books didn’t sell well (“friends and family”), and her agent told her to adopt a new approach to her plots. Taking a step back, inspired by a NY Times article on memory science, and working more closely with her agent, she produced “All is not Forgotten.” With that hit—and the film rights picked up by Reese Witherspoon—Walker got the sales and publicity needed to become a full-time writer.
Walker was more engaging than most authors, and she was particularly gracious in reaching out to us during her presentation, asking us what we were studying, what interested us, and thanking us for coming.
We had time for a nice group photo…
–she even indulged us in a selfie–
…and she spent time discussing her travels and career after her presentation.
We thought about inviting her to dinner with us, but she had previously mentioned her crazy book-tour schedule, and we didn’t want to impinge upon her sleep availability further. So we headed off to Azuma on our own, to continue to expand our cultural horizons with six types of sushi!
It was also a chance for us to catch up—four of us work full-time, two of us work part-time—and to begin some preliminary plans for our trip to Big Bend National Park next week as well as the beginning of the fall semester.
The night was a nice break from the summer job grind, and many thanks to Wendy Walker for an educational and entertaining evening!
In order to work off the food, the Leap Ambassadors parted ways to see the seashore while exercising. Professor Yawn and Ryan went on a gator excursion, where they fed gators and got to “pet” them. The girls, however, went a much simpler route by doing a variety of safer alternatives.
The first of which was, of course, shopping. Being at Beau Rivage, we decided to, briefly, get a glimpse at the casino. Being that not all of us were of age, we moved on to the shops and away from the casinos.
Along the way we happened to chance upon a face painter and of course Christina and Beatriz got their face painted.
Later, after touring the rest of Beau Rivage, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our next excursion.
Part of the city of Biloxi’s recreational/ tourism efforts were incorporated in a bicycling program that you could use in order to cycle across most of the city of Biloxi. The three of us: Makayla, Christina, and I, took advantage of this opportunity and used it to ride 4 miles along the beach.
Part of Biloxi’s charm are the sea-themed sculptures along the shore. Made from trees damaged in Hurricane Katrina, the community brought in artists to turn the dead trees into beautiful art.
It’s a classic case of making lemonade from lemons, and we enjoyed the sculptures (Galveston adopted this program after Ike).
After more than 1 hour on the road, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for another night of fun.
Family Night, by Makayla Mason
With a beautiful sunset and perfect weather luring us into the Southern Legislative Conference’s Family Night, there was excitement in the air. To start the night with a hit, Jackson State University made a grand entrance.
The crowd was cheered with approval as we all enjoyed their enthusiastic dances and electric music.
Their balance, elegance, and strength were amazing!
For the rest of the night, we enjoyed a picnic-on-the-beach style dinner with many items to choose from such as hamburgers, corndogs, nachos, cotton candy, and s’mores!
While enjoying our tasty dinner, we enjoyed live music by Steve Azar.
Steve Azar, a Mississippi man, fully hit the country scene in 2002. His song “I Don’t Have To Be Me til’ Monday” was the first single to reach #2 on the national country radio charts.
We were lucky enough to sing along with him as he played that very same song that is still popular on the radio today.
As the night grew late, we played a few beach side games. We even played a tournament of bean-bag toss.
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Playing Horseshoes in the dark was interesting. Half the fun was trying to find where the horseshoes had buried themselves after we had thrown them. Makayla was the only one to get a ringer but Ryan had a few close throws.
We were sad to leave the Fun Zone, but it was off to get sleep for the next day’s adventures.
Biloxi, Mississippi is known for its delicious seafood, beautiful sunsets, and of course its lighthouse. The Biloxi Lighthouse is the signature monument that has withstood many sunny days and several stormy nights, as the city grew around it. It all began in 1847, when the US Congress authorized funds for a lighthouse to be built in Biloxi. By 1848, it was ready for operation.
Today, the Leap Ambassadors climbed its 57 spiral steps to the top that many keepers have had the task of climbing.
Inside of the lighthouse are the water marks of where the high waters of certain storms reached.
The most damaging of all was that of Hurricane Katrina, whose waters went up to 21.5 meters above sea level. Although the high waters and high-speed winds damaged most of the city, the lighthouse stood firm, a (literal) beacon of hope through all the disaster. As we reached the lantern room, we could see the mesmerizing glass lens that had illuminated the town through every situation imaginable.
The tour guide shared many fun facts about it and the lighthouse in general. Through the windows we could see miles and miles of sand, as well as people enjoying a day at the beach.
We also had a chance to explore Biloxi’s interesting Visitor’s Center, which has art…
…exhibits…
…and a nice porch for observation and relaxation.
Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint, by Makayla Mason
For lunch, we decided to go to Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint. A family style diner, it had a character all of its own. As a starter, we snacked on Hummus with Brick Oven Flatbed as well as Portobello Fries. Both were delicious. After thoroughly contemplating the menu, we finally decided on two of Sal’s Selection Pizzas: the Rockaway Beach and the Gambino. After trying each, the savory Gambino was the resulting table favorite. Following soon after was our dessert. We ordered Crème Brûlée for those who have never tried it before. We also ordered the Grand Central Station. What pulled up to our table was 10 scoops of 10 different flavored ice cream balls with 10 different toppings. Afterwards, we had to ask ourselves “Did we conquer it, or did it conquer us?”
Gator Ranch, by Ryan Brim
As some of us spent time roaming the beaches, riding bikes along the coast, combing the beach, and relaxing this afternoon, two of us rode a bus to Moss Point, a town about 30 minutes away, to go on an airboat tour excursion at Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tours.
The airboat tour of Gator Ranch was less a gator-spotting adventure, and more of what can be described as the nautical version of an ATV driving through mud.
The trip was not a complete loss for those who wished to see an alligator while out on the murky waters.
We saw what our tour guide estimated to be a three-year-old gator, which was around three feet long. He (our tour guide, not the gator) also said that female alligators grow up to nine feet long, and that male alligators will continue to grow their whole lives.
Surprisingly, alligators really seem to enjoy marshmallows. When we asked who found this out, he said that some poor guy must have dropped his snack and the gators tore it up. That poor fellow’s sacrifice was surely a noble one, and now our tour guide had something to lure the little reptile to the side of our boat for a better photo-op.
The fact that we only saw one or two gators was fine, though, because after we finished our thrill-filled boat ride…
…we visited the gator ranch side of the facilities, where around thirty alligators were visible in a sectioned off part of the bayou.
With gator ranch under our belt, we returned to the hotel, eager for a “family-night” evening on the beach with more than 500 state legislators!
On Sunday, July 6th, the LEAP Ambassadors were enthusiastic to return to Houston. One of our favorite stops in Houston was the Moody Art Gallery, which Betty Moody generously opened to us on a Sunday.
As on our previous visit to the gallery, Ms. Moody treated us to a great tour. The works exhibited in her gallery were from Flatbed Press in Austin, with work by some of the most talented of artists: Luis Jimenez, Terry Allen, and Mary McCleary, among others.
Ms. Moody, displaying her immense knowledge in art, explained to us the various forms of printing showcased in the exhibit.
To begin her tour, Ms. Moody pointed out one of Luis Jimenez’s prints, Abu Ghraib. Reminiscent of Francisco de Goya’s “The Disasters of War,” Jimenez took to oil-crayon to sketch out this depiction of contorted, enslaved bodies.
Notice the mediums that he used to make this print. Jimenez, as Ms. Moody described, used a form of printmaking called lithography. In this process, the artist uses an oil-based crayon to draw onto Bavarian limestone (this limestone offers the greatest porosity). The surface is then washed with water. Following this rinse, an oil-soaked paper is placed on the surface of the limestone, pressed, and then removed from the stone. The reverse image from the limestone is then permanently inked on the paper. However, not every print in the exhibit was conceived through the same process.
A series of small Terry Allen works, for example, were printed through line etching, aquatint, and chine collé.
If these terms are foreign there is no need for alarm. For us, we had limited to no knowledge on print making. Thankfully, Ms. Moody had the patience and enthusiasm to describe all these various print-making processes. As complicated as these are, one thing that each print showed us was that, like any painting or drawing, prints are just another form of expression. No print is the same since each has wonderful, subtle differences that set them apart from each in the series. Similarly, our second visit to Ms. Moody’s spectacular gallery was filled with new attractions that we all marveled at.
For one of our alumni (Alex Galvan), it was her first trip to the Moody Gallery. Ms. Moody took her to behind the scenes, where Alex had a chance to see (and hold!) a Picasso…
…and a wonderful bird created by Moody’s husband, Bill Steffy.
One of the more interesting pieces she saw was a work by Luis Jimenez. The piece was given to Steffy following his heart attack, and it depicts Steffy punching death, with an inscription to Steffy saying something to the effect of, “Congratulations on kicking death to the curb.”
After visiting Moody Gallery, we drove to one of the Ambassador’s favorite Houston restaurants, the Black Walnut Café. There we met Junior Fellow/LEAP Alumni Austin Campbell, Justin Beiser and his fiancee Chelsea Halblieb. Ms. Moody and Alex Galvan also joined us, which added to the conversation and fun! Ambassadors sampled dishes such as the French dip sandwich, the signature grilled chicken breast topped with pico de gallo and walnuts, as well as the spicy chicken jalapeño pasta. Our group enjoyed visiting with alumni and sharing stories over a tasty meal. Some even decided to indulge in dessert! After our bellies were full, we headed to the Alley Theatre, eager to see The 39 Steps.
Written by Patrick Barlow, The 39 Steps is a satiric farce of all things Alfred Hitchcock. Bearing the same name as the Hitchcock thriller, the play The 39 Steps loosely follows the same plot of the movie: an innocent man is framed for a murder he did not commit and must now clear his name, revealing the mystery of the allusive ring of spies “The 39 Steps” along the way. There are 150 roles in the play, but only four cast members, making for a whimsical adventure full of laughter and fun.
Some of us had never been to the Alley Theatre and this performance made the visit all the more special. In the intimate setting of the theatre, we had the chance to appreciate every comic bit with more enthusiasm.
As said before, the play was performed by four actors (three male and one female). But that did not mean that there were only four characters. These four actors wore many hats (figuratively and literally). Incompetent cops, murderous spies, farmers, and other comic personas were all played by this small team of actors. The ability of these actors to switch roles from one line to the next, personified at times by the mere switch of a hat, made the performance a spectacular scene of comedy. But apart from the physical humor and comical bits, what added to the comedy of the play were the occasional references at Hitchcock films. Through satiric recreations of the shower scene from Psycho, the plane scene from North by Northwest, or references to Vertigo, Strangers on a Train, and other classic films from the “Master of Suspense”, the play kept Hitchcock fans entertained with the cleverly incorporated puns.
The play’s non-stop silliness kept us at a state of uninterrupted guffaw for the whole two or so hours. Alex was even heard saying “it’s not only the play making me laugh, hearing your giggles and chuckles makes me laugh even more.” Whether she was referring to Professor Yawn, Brian, Beatriz, or all three combined (all three could be heard laughing throughout the play) we are not sure of. What we are certain of is that The 39 Steps was a performance we will not so easily forget.
At the end of the play, we caught our breath from the continuous laughter and grouped together for a photo-op with Alfred Hitchcock. Well, in reality it was just his famous silhouette, but we could all feel his imposing presence in the theatre.
We said our farewells to our fellow alumni with a sense of melancholy. For Ryan Brim, who is heading off to college, we wished him luck on his notorious voyage to Arkansas. Without a shadow of a doubt, we are sure that his time in college will not make him psycho. And even though we do not encourage him to dial m for murder in case he feels vertigo on his first day of school, he is well aware that the LEAPsters are more than strangers on a train and can always count on us to cast a rope to pull him into our lifeboat.
For the rest of us, we headed home after a fun-filled Sunday.
Hopeful that we can come back for another visit to Moody Gallery and the Alley theatre, we now look forward to our next adventure at Big Bend. The summer is drawing to a close, but not without the LEAP Ambassadors making the most out of the last few days before the Fall semester begins.
When the Wynne Home Arts Center and the LEAP Ambassadors join forces, good things happen. And Saturday was no exception, as the two collaborated on a “Huntsville Luau,” a Hawaiian-themed event on the grounds of the historic home.
Norma Vazquez and her daughter, Mia, at the Wynne Home Luau
The event had plentiful opportunities for children to have fun. Children had the opportunity do a ring toss on a shark nose…
…or to play limbo…
…to do “seahorse races.”
HEBuddy, the mascot for one of the generous sponsors of the event, even got in on the action.
The hula hoop contest was also popular, with one very clear expert among the bunch…
One of the major hightlights, though, was Ballet Folklorico de Huntsville, starring Mia, Sarah, Gloria, Diana, Iveth, Itzel.
Eros, a local resident from Samoa, also performed solo dances, turning in excellent performances.
It was a fun day.
And for the LEAP Ambassadors, it became more fun, when they had a chance to partake in the many activities. Brian, who earlier in the day, contented himself with beating little kids at games…
…had the satisfaction of beating Professor Yawn.
The Ambassadors also had the chance to compete at Limbo…
…a contest that Staci Antu won, the last girl standing.
Kaitlin, however, was the best at LEAP hula hooping…
This was definitely not Brian’s forte, as this photo from approximately two seconds into the contest depicts…
He did redeem himself by winning his third horse race of the day…
As we noted, it was a fun day, commemorated by an end-of-day selfie.
Our first day in Biloxi, Mississippi began in a typical LEAP fashion: getting to discover what the variety of local attractions the Magnolia State had to offer. Having gotten to Biloxi late last night, we were unable to even glimpse what this new state was all about, but today we took full advantage of what it had to offer.
Half Shell Oyster House, by Christina Perez
Our first stop was in a quaint, local restaurant called Half Shell Oyster House. Nestled in Mississippi’s downtown area, this refurbished bank turned restaurant, was a hidden pearl. Surprisingly enough, about half of the ambassadors had never tried oysters, so the main course of our cuisine consisted of just that, including both raw oysters and grilled oysters.
To make it even more of a MS treat, we had fried tomatoes and crab cakes, The first timers prepared their oysters, and together took their first bite. All were glad to try it, but some proved more adventurous than others.
Next, we decided to partner up and share a plate so that we could save some room for dessert. Beatriz and Christina ordered a Seafood Sampler which included oysters, crab cakes, shrimp, and two sides: Sweet Potato Crème Brulee and Fried Okra. I couldn’t wait to taste the scrumptious Sweet Potato Creme Brulee. Ryan and Makayla decided to also be adventurous by ordering a Big Easy Surf and Turf which included a 6 oz filet over a crab cake. Strong reviews were given on the variety of seafood plates and then it was time for dessert.
We all decided on the Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding and the Bananas Foster Cheesecake. The Bread pudding was made with cinnamon rolls and topped with Homemade Spiced Rum Sauce. Professor Yawn, being the bread pudding connoisseur that he is, began to compare it to other bread puddings. It was delicious. So delicious in fact, that many of the Leapsters ended up burning their mouths due to their impatience for another bite. Everyone left happy and with full bellies towards the next adventure which would be a good compliment to the food.
Chandaleur Island Brewery, By Makayla Mason
As part of the Southern Legislative’s Conference first event, we went to tour the Chandeleur Island Brewery. We were greeted at the entrance by some sweet artisan ice pops, handcrafted by Pop Brothers.
After a day in the hot sun, we thought the popsicles were heavenly! There were even some pleasant surprises such as an entire Oreo on the inside of the “Cookies and Cream” popsicle!
After enjoying our ice pops, Chris Vignes, the City of Gulfport’s Public Information Officer, gave us some of the brewery’s backstory, and he explained the City’s economic development philosophy and vision for the future.
Once behind the the bar, one of the owners supplemented the tour, and we learned about the interesting history behind the building, the background of the company, and process of composing the beer.
Instead it was meant to revive the interest in hand-crafted beer and be a place where families could relax. Bringing the community together was crucial to the existence of the Brewery. Their beer cans were designed by a local tattoo artist, which we all thought was an interesting fact! Over the years it has grown to be quite popular and in the 14 years of the Chandeleur Brewery bartender’s experience there has never been a fight.
Wanting to partake in the famous reputation of this Brewery, we sampled some of their beers (by “we,” we mean those of age). Out of the 5 samples that we could try, the popular vote went to the sweeter blueberry-flavored beer. After that, we played a couple of games ranging from Jenga…
…and Bean Bag Toss, or “Corn Hole,” as Christina and Ryan call it.
As part of the advertising the many treasures hidden downtown, we learned about Fishbone Alley.
Just a block away from the Brewery, this alley had a charm all of its own.
Once an plain-looking alley, it had gotten a touch up by many local artists from the area, decking it out in a variety pieces of art.
This also enhanced the community bonding that the Brewery was trying to promote.
This alley created a space where people from the community could get together for music, peace and quiet, expressing themselves through the medium of art, or some of the rather odd games the city sometimes hosted. The alley is a continuous project in which locals are excited to see grow.
Jet Ski Adventure, by Ryan Brim
After getting back to Beau Rivage from the Chandeleur Island Brewery, we still had some time before attending the welcoming reception. Quickly, everyone decided to take the extra time to change at the hotel into some more beach-appropriate attire and drive the short distance to a jet ski rental stand right off the beach. None of us had ever ridden a jet ski before, and we were very excited for the opportunity.
First, we paired up, with Christina being Makayla and Ryan partnering with Beatriz. We donned our life vests and waited a few minutes for the jet skis to get set up. After a 2-minute training, we were off. Time seemed to rush past us as we zipped every which way, skimming along the waves.
Both teams switched drivers, taking turns and experimenting with the jet ski until they felt comfortable on maneuvering the machine around.
It was easy to get the hang of, and a whole lot of fun!
Finally, our time was up. Sadly, we trekked across the sand back to the shore…
…and even found a small crab which Beatriz had accidentally taken for a ride throughout the entire jet skiing experience. After a couple more pictures…
…it was soon time to head back to the hotel to prepare for the day’s next event.
Opening Reception at Jones Park, by Beatriz Martinez
Thirty minutes later, the LEAP Ambassadors were headed on their way to Jones Park where the Opening Reception for the Southern Legislative Conference of 2017 was being held. Music reached our ears as we walked across the “Front Yard of Mississippi”. We were greeted by a very Southern “Welcome Y’all” sign at the main entrance of the Barksdale Pavilion.
Of course, we could not help but take a picture with it. As famished as we were, we decided to explore the tantalizing food options available. With a very Southern theme mixed with some of the more coastal delicacies, we were served Bayou rice, a variety of local seafood (no oysters this time), and of course some good old-fashioned barbecue. In the meantime, we were enjoying the night music by Bobby Rush.
With over 17 blues awards in his lifetime, 364 records, and 66 years in the musical career, Bobby Rush was a sight to behold. At his early age of 84, he had the crowd grooving to his music pulling in people of all ages.
Not only did he present himself like the “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit” that he is…
…but also did other king impersonations such as the “King of Pop” (Michael Jackson)…
and the “King of Rock and Roll” (Elvis Presley).
To end the evening with a bang, we were dazzled by a firework display that lighted the dark, night sky.
After celebrating the beginning of the Southern Legislative Conference, the Leapsters headed home to rest for the upcoming days filled with adventure.
This past Saturday, the LEAP Ambassadors were called on to do some very special volunteer at the Wynne Home.
Recently, the Wynne Home found boxes of special material. These special items required proper preservation and cataloging. Most of these artifacts belonged to the Wynne family, and the combination of volunteerism and education made us happy to help.
We began our beautiful Saturday morning with coffee and pastries, courtesy of Dr. Ralph Pease. This breakfast was accompanied by pleasant conversations before getting started with a tour of the Wynne Home, one led by Victoria Mcclendon-Leggett. Victoria is a former intern and frequent volunteer for the Wynne Home. She proved her knowledge with interesting facts about special items around the home, as well as fascinating background on the Wynne family that proved helpful during our archiving.
Next, we moved to the fun work. Brian, as the current Wynne Home intern, explained our duties at each different station.
Each station had specific tasks: (1) cataloguing letters dating back to the 1800s; (2) sleeving nitrate film that was potentially explosive;
(3) and protecting newspaper articles, many of them featuring the work of Samuella Palmer; and
(4) foamboarding labels for the home’s many artifacts.
While volunteerism is part of the LEAP Center mission, education is, too. And the day was nothing if not educational. We learned about the history of Huntsville, but we learned it through a unique perspective: the view from two leading families in the community. John Thomason III married Ruth Wynne, and their letters to their family (and to each other) offered a unique take on community happenings.
The learning also involved the news of the day on a more global level. When the Thomasons went to India, for example, Mr. Thomason interviewed Ghandi. Knowing that, we searched the photos we were cataloging for photos of the meeting. Despite a fruitless search for that, we did find much else of interest in the photos.
Finally, we are group that visits many museums and historic homes, but we typically see the artifacts on display–not behind the scenes. Today’s volunteerism allowed us to see the work that goes into such venues, while also learning of the special care that artifacts need to be preserved.
And, of course, it was an opportunity for our group to come together in the summer–when our get togethers are more rare–and to visit with the Peases, who joined us for lunch. It was a day of good company and education, with much accomplished!
The sun slowly peeked its rays through the cypress trees, and the glow from the horizon steadily became warmer and stronger. As the light spread across the land below, the Leap Ambassadors began waking up from their groggy states–as did the wildlife that surrounded them. It was the LEAPsters’ second sunrise at Caddo Lake. This time, Mr. Burns and the others sat in the still water, waiting for the golden-hour (actually about 20 minutes) of warm lighting.
Suddenly, red, orange, and purple flooded the sky.
The perfect lighting was upon us. Mark reached for his Nikon and began to shoot.
As the sun emerged from the horizon, Mark continued to shoot…
…and we joined in, pausing to enjoy the prettiest of the tours on which we had gone.
Mark then directed the captain to a new destination…
…one we had seen several times with productive results. Once we arrived at the spot, the area’s salvinia invasion was noticeably present. Benign as these water herbs may seem, they pose a true threat to the ecosystem of the lake. This floating fern has endlessly propagated itself throughout the lake causing many problems over the past years. Stealing precious oxygen from the waters, making boat travel impossible in some areas, and having them at every corner has created an overall nuisance for the prosperity of the locals. Wes, enthusiastically explained how local and state entities are currently attempting to develop an effective method to eradicate this pest. Although it is our hope to see this threat neutralized the next time we visit Caddo Lake, it seems that a successful extermination strategy has yet to surface.
Egret Surrounded by Salvania
However, Caddo Lake perseveres, and is in fact, teeming with life of all shapes and sizes, even wing spans!
As we were wrapping up our tour, we pleaded to our captain to take us to a location where we could catch one last glimpse at the wildlife. It didn’t take much pondering before Wes quickly turned his boat and lead us to the perfect location.
Crossing an archway of cypress, the woods resembled an aviary sanctuary. A blue heron soaring over the water one second, a white egret creeping through trees the next, or the vanishing sight of flying black-bellied whistling ducks, made for sights begging to get photographed. With cameras to spare, everyone was quick to photograph or record this bountiful wildlife.
Egret Surrounded by Salvania
Wes also provided more of his knowledge of the lake, showing the students lily pads, and the way that they react to water.
We really can’t say enough good things about Wes or his Caddo Lake Tour Co. We heartily recommend his tours to anyone contemplating a Caddo Lake visit.
After a couple hours of floating on the river…
…we stopped our photography, enjoyed the ride…
…and we returned to terra firma and drove to our next shooting location: the Caddo Lake State Park.
Although Burns was not going to shoot any film this time, but instead be filmed as he walked us through the process to prepare a shot with his 4X5 camera. He explained that, on average, this procedure lasts around 15 minutes.
Every component should be set with extreme caution as it is imperative that the camera stand absolutely still. With a self-deprecating smile, Burns told us how after tedious preparation of this same camera for a photo session of Reliant Stadium, it all went to waste when his leg got tangled with the camera, knocking everything into a state of disarray. As Burns had no film or intentions to photograph anything, he was comfortable letting us approach the camera to look through the view-finder.
Under the hood of the camera, we all took turns to look at this upside-down, inverted image of the scene created by the optics. Walking through every step in how the camera functions and how to set it, Mark Burns held the attention of the Leap Ambassadors captive. Even, Sierra was fascinated, as she approached the camera to record the aperture in motion.
Finally, it was time to depart from Caddo Lake.
After carrying the bags of camera gadgets and lenses, we said farewell to Mark. Although our scouting trip at Caddo Lake was temporarily over, we looked forward to seeing Mr. Burns again soon. He had opened up a whole new world to us. One in which we did not just gaze at the wonders the world had to offer, but were able to capture it.
We were sad to leave this magical place, but we had to perk up as our adventures was far from over!
Kaitlyn- The Grove
This trip has been full of many new and exciting experiences. Our next stop was no exception. We traveled a short distance from Marshall to Jefferson to visit the Grove, also known as the Stilley-Young House. Registered in the National Registry of Historic Places and recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark, the Grove was built in 1861 as a wedding gift for Frank and Minerva Stilley. Small, this home had the exterior of a Greek Revival architecture, while the interior was in a French Creole style.
However, it was not necessarily the architecture, or its age that lead us here. No, it was something much more than that. You see, the Grove was one of the top Haunted Houses in the Lone Star State. For the first time in LEAP history, the ambassadors were going on a historic home/ghost tour!
Our tour began on the front porch, where Mr. Mitchel Whitington, the current owner of the house, greeted us. He briefly introduced us to the history of the different generations of families that had lived at the Grove. Everyone waited outside semi-impatiently. We were about to enter in a widely-rumored haunted house. It didn’t help that it was scorching hot outside and we were dripping in sweat. Thankfully, after putting our medical booties on, we were moved out of the East Texas heat and into the formal dining room and parlor of the home. Not only did the tour guide describe the history of the Grove’s numerous owners, but he also discussed interesting ghost stories during the first stop of our tour. Although any mention of ghosts made some LEAP Ambassadors uneasy, the tour guide tried to put us at ease by explaining that all the ghosts in the home so far have been friendly.
Since the home is over 150 years old, it’s history is rich and fairly-well documented. Throughout its entire life, the home only had two major renovations completed throughout which helped preserve the original style of the home. Each room of the home, was particular to a family member. Throughout the tour Mr. Whitington enthusiastically told us the ghost stories and tales which allowed visitors to gain a sense of understanding about the homeowners who had cherished their home so much that they still returned to this day (now as ghosts) to make sure that their beloved home was still in good hands.
We toured the informal dining room, family room, and utility room before finishing our tour in the kitchen addition. Interestingly enough, the house surprised us with two different items. One of them being an art piece by George Rodrigue, the Blue Dog. This particular Blue Dog was depicted in a dark, gloomy forest to go along with the theme of the haunted house. The second item was a statuette nicknamed the “Bird Girl”. The Bird Girl was first introduced to the LEAP ambassadors, Brian Aldaco and Kaitlyn Tyra, when they read the book “Midnight in Garden of Good and Evil” as preparation for their Savannah trip. Rumored to only be 4 original statues created, finding even a replica was astounding.
It’s safe to say the Ambassadors had never visited a haunted historic home before and certainly not one that was recognized in by magazines such as Texas Highways, or the Dallas Morning News! Although some enjoyed the tour more than others, we left with much to talk about and an appetite ready to be fulfilled by lunch!
Christina- Downtown Jefferson and the General Store
Just before heading home we decided to visit the City of Jefferson, Texas. Jefferson is a small town perfect for a leisure-filled weekend. Its architecture is, in places, similar to New Orleans, with its shops, antiques, and family-owned restaurants. Our lunch stop was Kitt’s Kornbread Sandwich and Pie Bar, which is known for its diverse options of Cornbread Sandwiches. My sandwich was called “The Irish” and contained corned beef, tomatoes and onions in between two slices of cornbread. We couldn’t leave without trying one of the many pies listed on the menu. We ordered chocolate pecan pie, very berry pie, and bread pudding all with a scoop of sweet vanilla ice cream. Surprisingly, Chocolate Pecan won the most votes in favorite flavor.
It’s also worth noting, that we saw a Charlie Chaplin image, of note because Brian dresses as Chaplin each year for Halloween. Aldaco good-naturedly posed with the sign, contorting himself to cover “restrooms.”
We also decided to stop at the Jefferson General Store before getting back to Huntsville. The General store sold many old school items including Candy, socks, shirts, toys, home décor, and many other objects. Some of us bought candy to cure our aching sweet tooth, while others bought toys. Overall, our stop in Jefferson was a success and finally it was time to go to our own small town of Huntsville.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 