Jacksonville Road Trip · · PAGE 288. 

December 14, 2008:  After taking the photos of the hospital helicopter, I walked over to the west end of the top level parking deck to get this view from the Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville.  One lonely sea gull is flying over the river in the photo below.

Jacksonville is the home to several major branch offices of insurance companies.  The building in the middle from the photo above reveals itself to the telephoto lens as the Blue Cross Blue Shield facilities.  Although I did not take a photo, the Aetna building is directly behind my position as I took both of the photos seen here.  That expressway overpass at the left side of the photo is the beginning of Interstate highway 10 as it begins its long route to the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica, California.  That distance is 2,459 miles if you stay on I-10 all the way without taking I-12 to bypass north of New Orleans, or the other routes around downtown San Antonio, Texas.

December 15, 2008:  By Monday, the number of tubes and wires is getting less as our patient gets better.  I learned something about open-heart surgery and "cabbage" -- coronary artery bypass and graft (CABG).  The heart surgeon came by to visit and introduced himself to our patient with "You don't know me, but I know you very well.  I held your heart in my hands on Friday evening."  He described the procedure he performed and was the first to talk about the "Miracle Woman" who defied all the odds and came through with no damage to the heart muscle.

December 16, 2008: Tuesday was a day for me to do some things to make life easier when our patient gets home.  I changed out the shower head for a shower massage hand-held sprayer on a five-foot-long hose.  I also found this sturdy stool with a wide-stance of its legs to use in the shower.  The shape of the seat is a rectangle suitable to sit on while allowing one leg to remain essentially straight after the recent hip surgery.

This lovely flower arrangement from very good California friends was delivered today.  Thank you!

By Thursday evening, our patient was moved to regular quarters from the coronary ICU.

December 19, 2008:  With the crisis past, I had to get back home and take care of the usual things there.  With no rush to get home, I took the direct route on US and Georgia highways north from Jacksonville back to the Chattanooga, Tennessee area.  I was driving in Georgia on US 341 between McRae and Hawkinsville when I spotted this bit of artwork on the side of the road.  Could this bit of angling artwork be a metaphor for being in a "rat race" even when we try to take some time off.  The large-mouth bass is made completely from metal, as is the eagle in the center.  The fisherman appeared to be a store mannequin in a hand-made boat with a real electric trolling motor on his water craft.  The entire structure is subject to movement by the prevailing winds.

Just below and to the right of the fisherman is this old satellite antenna serving as an umbrella.  Unfortunately, the mesh panels won't stop the rain.   With the oxygen and acetylene tanks located here, this could be where the artist works.

Just west of the fisherman stands this "horse and wagon" ready to deliver water to the fields.

A few "sun flowers" stand ready to absorb some rays.

This "artillery piece" serves a more practical purpose for US mail deliveries.  It's wheels are made from a new style of cable reel made from composite materials instead of wood.

I was happy to have found the roadside artisan and taken the photos above.   I continued up the road a mile or so when something odd caught my eye and I had to turn around and come back to make sure I was not having a joke played on me and all the other folks passing by.  Yes, it is an orange tree in Georgia.  How it survives the frost in winter is a mystery to me.  I asked the lady who lives here.  The tree was there when they bought the place and they do nothing to protect it in winter.   The nearest orange groves in Florida are 300 miles south of this location.