Photoessay #863 - Going to Jacksonville

Today, the general group is going to Jacksonville, a national historical landmark 20 miles or so north of Ashland. One of our party is ill, so we're taking care of her first. Later in the day, we will have dinner at the Lark and then to Don Quixote in the Shakesperian Theater. Weather has been beautiful for October throughout the trip but the temperatures expected to drop into the 30s tonight and this theater is outside. We brought lots of warm stuff. The nice weather is supposed to end as we go home with a big storm. Maybe we won't go over Mount Hood.

I finished "Hospital" by Julie Salomon. Very interesting piece of non-fiction about the Maimonidies Hospital in Brooklyn. A look of the workings of a large hospital through profiles of the main administrators and doctors.

I'm now reading "The Hemmings of Monticello" a Pulitzer prize award winning book about the family of mixed race 'slaves' that lived with Thomas Jefferson in his household. Really more of his entourage and extended family rather than slaves. Thomas Jefferson lived with his 'substitute wife' Sally Hemmings for many years and had many children with desccendants today.

Convincing me to stay with non-fiction but we'll see. I think sites exist where people share their reading lists but have not looked into it.

Ilana and Teddy doing fine back home....

Update: Just returned from Jacksonville. What struck me so strongly was the resemblance to the Gold Rush towns of the California foothills. Which I dutifully visited many times as a child in the 1960s. Coloma, etc, the big bronza statue of John Marshall pointing to the place on the American River where he found the gold. Sutter's fort in Sacramento. Same sort of semi-arid hills with oak and other bushy landscapes. Jackson. Apparently the railroad passed Jacksonville by and the town languished. The preserved buildings echo the mining towns way to the south and from the exact same era. Now, tourist oriented businesses occupy the street. I found this authentic in that legitimate commerce was taking place just as in the earlier period. Also, all local businesses, no chains. We had a lovely lunch at the Jacksonville Inn.