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When the Atikokan Intergenerational Centre Clown Troupe trooped off to participate in the Fort Frances Bass Classic parade, little did Hala Dee Chumway know what an adventure was in store for her.
Hala Dee was there with her children Cyndel Lee and Lawrence and the rest of the clowns (Jennifer Garrett, Alanna Mahronic, Gabrielle and Joe Mahronic). Hala Dee, who was costumed and on stilts, danced her way along the approximately three mile long parade route on the Tuesday evening. She was up on the stilts for over two hours. It was the next day when the adventure began to unfold. Unbeknownst to Hala Dee, she had caught the attention of an American photographer who was in the Fort to participate in the fish derby with his father. Bill Lindner, a professional photographer from Minneapolis, MN got a note to Gabrielle asking to be put in contact with Hala Dee. He wanted to take her picture – but not just a picture of a boisterous clown on stilts – oh no, he wanted to take her picture with her costumed, on the stilts, standing in a boat, on the water, holding a fishing lure. (The photos are for a catalogue for Storm fishing lures.) Now, anyone who knows Hala Dee knows she is not one to shy away from a challenge – but on stilts, in a boat, on the water? She had her doubts, but gamely gave it a try. It took a bit of doing and the help of Cindel, Bill's dad, holding the boat and Jennifer and Alanna, helping her stand up, but she did it. The next challenge was to stand still, in the boat, on the stilts. I don't know how much you know about walking on stilts, but Hala Dee tells me that standing still on them is much harder than moving or dancing about. She used a long staff to steady herself while she stood still, holding the lure as Bill, laying down on the dock, using a wide-angle lens, aimed his camera up for the shot. He took a number of pictures of her standing still and then more shots of her moving around, on the stilts, in the boat, on the water. The whole thing went off well; she didn't fall in the water, and Bill got the pictures he wanted. He has graciously allowed us to run one of the photos he took that day. You can check out his website at http://www.blpstudio.com/ to see examples of his photography. When I was talking with him, I told him briefly about the media tour Atikokan had hosted in June. He has visited the Fort Frances region, and Thunder Bay, but has not yet investigated our area. Perhaps, after meeting one of our more high-energy ambassadors, he will visit and find out more about what this area has to offer. As for Hala Dee, she has a great story to tell, and a great adventure to remember -- the day she stood on stilts in a boat, on the water. After that, the impossible (like skiing through a revolving door) might take her just a little longer to figure out. |
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