Well, the best way I could sum up today's events is "unexpected".

I spent a good hour or two sitting in my parked car, in front of the courthouse. I had bought a sketch pad, some pens, pencils and colored pencils at a nearby Wal-Mart. (They really have those everywhere now, don't they?) I guess I was in an artsy mood, which surprised me, since the last time I put pen (or pencil) to paper for the purpose of drawing something was quite a few years ago. (Everything's all computerized now, you know.)

As the afternoon wore on, and I realized I had done as much as I could with the drawing in my car, I took it back to the motel room to finish it up and get ready for the 5pm performance.

Another hour or so went by as I sat in my room, working on the drawing with a local AM radio station on for background noise, when I hear a huge thunderclap looming overhead. I look outside. Rain. This can't be a good thing.

So I hop in my car and drive the short two blocks back to the courthouse and run inside. I ask around if anyone works there, and a woman comes up to me and says "You must be Henry!". Taken back a bit, I acknowledge that I am, indeed, the one and only. She brings me into the office and explains that she received the phone message I had left yesterday (I asked whether photography was allowed), and she was hoping she'd run into me. Apparently, I was supposed to mail them a check for the ticket, but no one informed me of that. It turned out to be alright, anyway.

ACK! Newsflash. A tornado has just been spotted in the Evergreen area, which I drove through to get here. Evergreen is 22 miles east of Monroeville. I'm shutting down, just in case.

----------------------------

Well, we just had a bit of excitement here. (See? Unexpected. I had to open my big mouth.) No tornado. Dang close, though. A little too close. Turns out it's heading east at 40 MPH. Fortunately, I'm currently west of the Evergreen area. (Phew.) It rained, stopped, then rained again, and stopped again. Throw in a little thunder, and some hellacious looking lightning, and you've got the basic idea. Well... that was fun.

Anyhow, where was I? Oh yes. The play. So I pay for my ticket, and as she's handing it to me, a rather hefty, mustached police officer comes up to me, and asks if I'm in the police force. I realize I'm wearing my NYPD baseball cap (a souvenir from a trip to the Big Apple last year). I laugh and explain the cap. He then asks if I'm there to see the show, and much to my surprise, asks if I'd like to be one of the jurors. Well, hell yeah! He introduces himself as James Maples, who plays the part of the Sheriff in the play. Obviously, he studied very seriously for his role, as he is the real-life former Monroeville City Police Chief. He's performed the part of Sheriff Heck Tate more than 30 times since the play began in 1991.

The first half of the performance takes place outside, with three makeshift houses constructed to look like old 1930's southern homes. Porches, picket fences, tire swing and all. A fifteen minute break, and it continues upstairs in the courtroom. Sitting in that jury box was a bit otherworldly, especially since I had just rented "To Kill A Mockingbird" prior to leaving DC. (I was juror #2, not that it matters.)

The play lasted roughly two and a half hours, and was beautifully acted by local folk. The man who played Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck's role in the movie) is actually the pastor of Excel Church of the Nazarene in Excel, a town 5 miles south of here. Verrry deep, booming Southern voice. Must be an awfully good speaker at church! The children in the play were wonderfully portrayed by local students. They were all nice enough to get back in costume after the show so I could snap a photo.

So, it's been an interesting day, especially with the recent.. uh... weather. As morbid as this sounds, I was partly hoping it would head this way! YEEEEEEEEHAW!!! Ah well... I'm not in a Tornado Chasing mood tonight. I'll catch the next one. :::smirk:::

Tomorrow... N'Awlins!

See you on the road...

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