TOUR AMERICA 2019: SWEET HOME ALABAMA

Home Is Where We Park It:  Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale Alabama

Date:  May 20, 2019

Odds and Ends

Doctor Appointment

Homes Medical Museum, Foley 

The heat is now on.  At 8 am this morning we were already at 80 degrees and it was only supposed to go up from there.  Time to move North and so we shall within another week.  First, it’s New Orleans next week and then it’s northward ho!

Another great breakfast to get me going.  Two eggs over easy on toast, spam on the side, a glass of juice and a couple cups of coffee.  Oh yea, the breakfast of champions.  Tummy full it was time to get busy and take care of business.

I completed a couple of items on my maintenance list such as painting the frames around the outside lockers, treating the rubber gaskets with 303, and cleaning the front windows.  I also, finally, was able to get the very top of the front cap cleaned.  It’s not perfect, not yet but it sure looks a lot better than it did.  All things in due time.

Barbara had an appointment with her new cardiologist in Foley for a routine checkup.  It is shaping up that we are going to have to spend some time in this area on an annual basis since she has finally found doctors that she is comfortable with and will work with her.  So we will plan on coming  back here, definitely for a month or maybe longer.

While in Foley and with the day still young we happened to spot this sign on the corner of a downtime building.  We had to investigate.  Come along and let’s see what we find.

Around the corner and we were at the front door.

Inside we learned that this was the first hospital in Baldwin County.  It was completed and opened in 1936 by Dr. Holmes.  It served the Baldwin area from 1936 to 1958.

Time to step back in time and see what an early hospital was like 75 years ago.  Let’s go.  The first thing I noticed was this and my first thought was Keep this crazy thing away from my broken finger!

This was the office of Dr. Holmes.

This is where the first hospital nurse stayed while she helped Dr. Holmes set up the hospital.

This was the day nurses station.

This was the waiting room.  Though no one was turned away, the waiting room was segregated.

This is some of the original equipment from the lab and pharmacy of Dr. Holmes.

This is a diabetes testing kit.  A lot different than a finger stick and a simple meter for testing.

This door originally led to the lab where Dr. Holmes did a lot of his lab work.  It was built on stilts and separated from the hospital in case of accidental fire.  What in the world was the good doctor mixing up?

This was the original operating room.  It was used for minor surgery and for delivering babies.  A far cry from the operating rooms of today.  But I’m sure that for the residents of Baldwin County it was a God send.

Some of the early surgical instruments.  I wonder what in the world that saw was for?

The Surgical Sterilization Room.

This is the examination room which was used for major and minor medical procedures.

Early X-Ray equipment.  Definitely a lot different then the X-Ray equipment that was used when I broke my finger. 

This room was used by mothers and their new babies.

Prior to the invention of heating pads this domed hood with light bulbs was used to provide heat treatments.

Can you guess what this was?

I found this fascinating.

And this is Jane one of God’s beautiful people and our hostess who had a wealth of information regarding the hospital.

The museum was small but definitely fascinating.  It shows just how far we have come in terms of medical care.  Thank goodness for those who continue to push the envelope and bring about major advancements in medical treatment.

Doctor’s appointment finished, sightseeing over we headed to Camping World to pick up a few odds and ends.  We picked up some fitted sheets, caulking, and other odds and ends.  I got out of there as quickly as possible because I know the longer I stay the more I spend.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  It was our kind of day with a little of this and a little of that.  Tomorrow if all goes according to plan we’ll be back in Pensacola to finish up some sights we missed a week ago.  Since this is going to require an early start to the day it’s time for me to call it a night and get some sleep.

Thanks again for joining us today.  Have a good night, catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road