Monday, August 23, 2021

16

Abundant Sunshine, Wind & Rain in the Afternoon, Temperature 91 Degrees

Memorial Park Jacksonville

Yesterday, we both decided we needed a day out. Therefore, we decided that after my doctor’s visit this morning

we would go for bagels and either eat in the car, or if the outside area was open

we would find a table for two. As you can see we ended up in the outside area since there was not a soul around. Smile, Ms. Barbara. I absolutely love her smile. Yes, we also purchased a dozen bagels to bring home and freeze for the future.

Breakfast over, our morning was just getting started.

The last time we were here we had noticed a park across the street that we wanted to explore called Memorial Park.

Well, by now you should know me. Not only did I want to explore the park, but I also wanted to know a bit about its history.

I first learned that Memorial Park is dedicated to the Floridians whose lives were lost in World War I (more about this later).

The park was designed by the Olmstead Brothers who were renowned for building national and city parks throughout the United States. Their father was the landscape architect who designed Central Park in Manhattan.

The park consists of six acres adjacent to the St. John’s River. The park was dedicated on Christmas Day, 1924.

There is a circular concrete walk that runs around the outside circumference of the park. It was the perfect place for our walk this morning.

Within the park there are also some notable statues.

However, the most notable statue in the park is this memorial called Life.

I did some further research regarding this memorial and discovered an article from which I learned the following.

Charles Adrian Pillars was a mature and nationally known sculptor who was chosen in 1920 by the park committee to design this memorial.

Furthermore, in the article Pillars stated that – , I constructed a sphere to represent the world, engirdled with masses of swirling water typifying the chaotic earth forces. In this surging mass of waters, I shaped human figures, all striving to rise above this flood, struggling for mere existence.

Last, surmounting these swirling waters, with their human freight, I placed the winged figure of Youth, representative of spiritual life, the spirit of these boys (soldiers who served in WWI) which was the spirit of victory. Immortality attained not through death, but deeds; not a victory of brute force, but of spirit. This figure of Youth Sacrificed wears his crown of laurels won. He holds aloft an olive branch, the emblem of peace.

Going back to the beginning of this blog, remember that this park was dedicated to the citizens of Florida who lost their lives in WW I. Well,

To further honor the fallen, the names of the more than 1,220 Floridians who died in the first World War were inscribed on parchment and placed in a lead box within a bronze box which was buried in the ground in front of the sculpture Life.

So that was our Monday on the Road of Retirement. We had a wonderful morning walking hand in hand around Memorial Park. Life is great. God has blessed us beyond measure and we are so grateful for every blessing we receive.

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Remember, take time to stop and smell the roses and live each day that God gives you to the fullest.

 Our continuing mission remains: Departing from our base as often as possible to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

Thursday, August 18, 2021

Cloudy, Temperature 91 Degrees

Halfway There

I’m finally on the downside in terms of treatment. I have only eighteen more treatments to go and then it will be my turn to sound the chime. I will say, it is a really great feeling.

I’ve learned a few things about cancer during my time at the center. Cancer doesn’t care about your age, it doesn’t care about what your occupation was, it doesn’t care how much money you might or might not have, nor does it care about the color of your skin. I’ve met and become friends with men from all walks of life. I’ve met math professors, engineers, construction workers and so many more. The one thing we all have in common is that we have cancer, but even more we are all fighters. There is not a one of us who doesn’t believe that we’re going to go on to live a long and healthy life. I know that I definitely will.

Then there is the center itself. Whenever I think of the Proton Center I start thinking of the TV series Cheers. No, beer is not served after treatment. But the words of the opening song to the show keeping running through my mind:

You want to go where people know

People are all the same

You want to go where everybody knows your name.

At the Proton Center you are not just another number, you are known by name. You are greeted each morning by your name by those who are there for treatment as well as the technicians in the gantry rooms. You are part of a community where everyone knows you and stops to talk to you. You are part of a community where everyone is genuinely interested in you as a person. I cannot think of a better place to be if one has to be treated for cancer.

In terms of what else is going on,

I had the opportunity to get my third booster shot the other day. The first day, just a sore arm. The second day, I had a severe case of the chills. I spent the day wrapped up in a blanket. The third day, no problems what-so-ever. I don’t regret for a moment, though, that I got the shot. Especially here in Florida.

So that is where we are at on The Road of Retirement. We’re still staying away, as best we can, from everyone else in the sunshine state. No need taking unnecessary risks. That of course means, we’re not going to a lot of places nor visiting local restaurants. Yet, no complaints from either of us, indeed, we’re still looking at the glass half full. We have each other and life is good. We hope it is the same for you.

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Remember, take time to stop and smell the roses and live each day that God gives you to the fullest.

 Our continuing mission remains: Departing from our base as often as possible to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

Monday, August 16, 2021

Overcast, Occasional Rain, Temperature 80 Degrees

Little Vehicle Repairs

Treatment over for the morning, time to head home.

Leaving the parking lot something didn’t look right on the dash. Well, will you look at that the check engine light is on. I honestly expected the car do die right then and there but it kept on going. I figuratively held my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop. Still, the car kept running. Maybe, just maybe we’ll make it home. But then what?

About then I remembered that there was an auto parts store on the route home. Perhaps they would be nice enough to scan for codes and let me know what was happening. Sure enough they were willing and able. The verdict? The thermostat was bad. Now, back in the old days they usually stuck closed and the engine would overheat. However, in this day and age I learned they now stick open so there are no real consequences. Still, all in all it had to be replaced.

Simple I said, it is usually two bolts, pop the old out and stick the new one in. I can do this in less then an hour. Then I opened the hood and tried to find the thermostat. It was, well, buried way down there surrounded by all manner of wires, tubes and what-not. This was not a job for me.

Time to find a place to get it fixed. On a Monday when everyone is usually very busy. In an unknown area. Ms. Barbara was up to the challenge. I went to take a nap.

When I finally got up I asked her Any luck in finding a repair shop? To which she replied Of course and only two minutes a way. She had called the office and they suggested taking the car to a local mechanic that repairs and maintains all the park’s equipment as well as their own personal vehicles.

That’s how we ended up here.

I will say my first impression left me wondering what I was in for. This was no polished shop with mechanics in uniforms. But it was this or nothing since no other shop would even look at it for a couple of days. But as I’ve said many times before Never judge a book by its cover.

Conrad, the supervisor was waiting for us. He plugged in the computer and confirmed that the issue was, indeed, the thermostat. Oh good I though a really simple and inexpensive repair. Not so quick! Above is what today is known as the thermostat module. If you look down deep into the inside of this module you will indeed find a thermostat. However, you can’t buy just the thermostat you have to buy the whole, blooming thing. So much for a simple, inexpensive repair.

I gave my consent for repairs and they went to work. Remember I said it was buried? It took the mechanic three hours to get it out and get it back in again. Whew, I’m sure glad I didn’t attempt to replace it myself. The car would have been apart for the rest of the week! So now it is fixed. Sort of, since they found and pointed out another issue which will be addressed later in the week.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement. Once again all is well that ends well. We are absolutely two of the most blessed and fortunate people in the world. We started out not knowing which way to turn to have the car fixed and we ended up having the problem resolved. Most definitely God Is Good All The Time.

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Remember, take time to stop and smell the roses and live each day that God gives you to the fullest.

 Our continuing mission remains: Departing from our base as often as possible to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Cloudy, Humid, Temperature 89 Degrees

Fort Clinch

This was the third part of our day out. It was amazing to us, because of my early treatment time we did a full day of sightseeing and were still home just a little after noon. That was really nice because we beat the real heat of the day.

The first part of our visit was to the small but informative museum that is part of Fort Clinch.

The Fort is located on the Northern tip of Amelia Island and was constructed to protect the entrance of the St. Mary’s and Amelia River, Cumberland Sound, and the deep water port of Fernandina. The deep water port, easily navigable channel and quiet anchorage were prime attributes for making ship repairs.

The fort is named after general Duncan Lamont Clinch who led the United States in the War of 1812.

The overall plan of the fort is that of an irregular pentagon enclosed by masonry walls about 4 1/2 feet thick and 26 feet high.

There were two distinct phases of construction regarding the fort. A relatively new material, cast iron, was attached in critical structural components such as second floor girders and columns.

Although the projected armament for the fort was to be 77 pieces of artillery, the actual armament never was greater than 29 pieces

One of the few armament pieces still left over and on display on top of one of the walls.

Note the large cannonball in the middle bottom, it took 40 lbs of gun powder to fire it over 3 1/2 miles!

At the start of the Civil War the fort came by default under Confederate control. As the Union started to gain control of coastal and southern Georgia, general Robert E. Lee gave the order to evacuate the fort, and Union troops arrived in March of 1862. However, by 1869 the fort was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

The fort was maintained by the U.S. Army on caretaker status until 1898,

when the sinking of the U.S. Maine, sparked the Spanish-American War and the use of Fort Clinch as a barracks and ammunition depot. Less than a year later hostilities ceased and the fort was again abandoned.

From 1898 to 1926 the fort was unoccupied and again fell into disrepair. The brick walls began to crumble and sand began to pile up inside due to Atlantic storms. Finally, in 1926 it was offered for public sale by the Federal government. After passing from owner to owner it was finally purchased by the state of Florida in 1935.

Recognizing the significance of the site, the state of Florida declared the fort a state park in 1936. Also in that year the Civilian Conservation Corps began restoring the buildings of the fort and removed massive amounts of sand and debris from the fort itself. They also constructed campgrounds, the museum and put in roads.

During WW II, the fort served its last mission as a joint operations center for surveillance and communications. At the end of the war it was given back to the state to open to the public.

One interesting note about the fort, it was involved in three wars – the Civil War, The Spanish American War, and WW II – yet at no time during either of these conflicts was the fort ever attacked. Thus, there were never any casualties incurred at the fort.

OK, time to visit the fort itself.

Approaching the fort from the museum.

The entrance which you access by walking over the drawbridge.

One section of the fort’s restored walls.

An overview looking from one of the parapets. In the middle, around the flag pole are the parade grounds. At the far end is the soldiers barracks. To the right is the storehouse. To the left is the prison and guardhouse. And immediately in front is the foundation for the officers quarters.

Looking out over Cumberland Sound which the fort was built to protect.

Armament representative of what would have been at the fort during the Civil War.

Typical ammo bunker.

Typical soldiers quarters.

So, that was Fort Clinch. I can now check another historical site off my bucket list of places to visit. I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of the fort and the park and its campgrounds. If you are ever in this area I would encourage you to take some time to visit Amelia Island and Fort Clinch State Park. You’ll enjoy it.

Well, another day is in the books on The Road of Retirement. Time for me to get to bed since my appointment tomorrow is even earlier. Tomorrow I’m being moved from gantry room 3 to gantry room 5. A new room, a new experience, but in many ways the same as before. As of tomorrow I’ve got only 23 more treatments to go. I’m getting there. Before you know it I’ll be ringing the chime in the lobby. Hey everyone have a good night’s rest. God bless.

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.  We always appreciate your company, your comments, and your suggestions. Remember, take time to stop and smell the roses and live each day that God gives you to the fullest.

 Our continuing mission remains: Departing from our base as often as possible to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!