At this point, I'm doing another locum, at Purdue University. I did one here last summer before we started blogging, so like the Michigan State trip, this second trip gets the description. So why the title of "Full Circle"? Purdue University is where I learned that veterinarians x-rayed animals. Now, I'm doing a locum here at the "cradle of my awakening". When I went to 
veterinary school in the fall of 1964 my view of veterinary medicine was the country vet, pretty much like James Herriot, only with the farm portion. A dog or cat at our place was something you honored and enjoyed, but never did you spend money on them. My second year in vet school, I got a work study job in radiology. During the next few years, I not only learned that people paid to have their dogs and cats x-rayed, I developed an interest in this mysterious craft. Last year while I was here, I had a Deja Vu experience while getting a drink from this fountain. I realized that during my time as a student in the large animal clinic, I drank out of this very water fountain. Several things here are just as they were those 41 years ago. (We celebrate our 40th anniversary of graduation for the class of 1968 this year.) However, the overall layout of the veterinary school has changed drastically. There have been some great upgrades since I wandered these halls during the Vietnam era. I believe we were the smallest class ever to graduate from Purdue as Veterinarians. Of course those of us who made it through have become super vets. (in our opinion). There are 2 classmates working at the vet school, one of which is a radiologist who has been the "main" radiologist at Purdue since about 1970 or 71. One point of interest is that although there are probably 10 or 12 veterinary radiologists who recieved our DVM from Purdue, there are 2 from our class and 2 from the class of 1969, 4 of us from 2 consecutive years. So I'm enjoying this locum as I did last summer from 2 standpoints; first just the fun of working "somewhere else" and secondly, getting to rediscover my veterinary beginnings. Because Purdue is relatively close to home and to Gas City, IN where Georgia's mom and sister live, rather than staying in a rented room, I am driving from home or from Gas City (about 2 hours). If you go back to "Perspective" (Feb 20), you will see a reference to Mulberry, Indiana, a small town that I traveled through last year as I drove from Gas City. I went this way because of serious roadwork on 26 east in Lafayette. That was about a year ago. I assumed they would have this finished, so expected to do a straight shot down 26 from Lafayette to Fairmount (where cool was born). In going to Gas City from home, we decided we should go via Lafayette so I could check 
the roads between Lafayette and Gas City. A really good thing we did. First of all, the work coming out of Lafayette on 26 is still in high gear and most likely will be so for another year. When we discovered this, I made the decision to go through Mulberry again. Perhaps I would run into Amanda Overmyer (american idol). As we drove on east on 26 we neared Russiaville and found another of what appears to be the most common sign in Indiana this summer, accompanied by these really interesting orange and white cylindrical pieces of roadside art. We were detoured all the way up to 22 which was good because it runs right into Gas City. The down side is that it runs through the whole of Kokomo. Because of 
this, I decided to go a proven, but longer route by going south on 31 to 28, then across to 52 and back up to Lafayette. About 20 miles out of the way. But it works. Being basically a morning person, I rather enjoy the drives to Purdue in the mornings, however a few mornings have been a bit testy because of fog. The worst was my first day. Others have been tolerable and some have been really mystical as patchs of woodland and farmsteads rise into sight out of the mist as I approach them. It's interesting to see the fog gathering around these larger parts of the landscape. One little aside was that while we were traveling from home to Gas 
City, we came on an area that appeared as fog, but really had an odor. Just before that, I had pointed out a low flying plane that was dusting bean fields.... It wasn't fog, the dust had drifted over the road. We haven't noticed the twitching of organophosphate poisoning yet. This picture is of true fog. Kind of neet! Before I forget it, another great place to eat. In the little town of Linden, Indiana, just north of I-74 on 231 is a tiny place called the Lindy Freeze. Great Ice Cream products and monster breaded tenderloins..... mmm good. http://web1.userinstinct.com/17053235-lindy-freeze-inc.htm
veterinary school in the fall of 1964 my view of veterinary medicine was the country vet, pretty much like James Herriot, only with the farm portion. A dog or cat at our place was something you honored and enjoyed, but never did you spend money on them. My second year in vet school, I got a work study job in radiology. During the next few years, I not only learned that people paid to have their dogs and cats x-rayed, I developed an interest in this mysterious craft. Last year while I was here, I had a Deja Vu experience while getting a drink from this fountain. I realized that during my time as a student in the large animal clinic, I drank out of this very water fountain. Several things here are just as they were those 41 years ago. (We celebrate our 40th anniversary of graduation for the class of 1968 this year.) However, the overall layout of the veterinary school has changed drastically. There have been some great upgrades since I wandered these halls during the Vietnam era. I believe we were the smallest class ever to graduate from Purdue as Veterinarians. Of course those of us who made it through have become super vets. (in our opinion). There are 2 classmates working at the vet school, one of which is a radiologist who has been the "main" radiologist at Purdue since about 1970 or 71. One point of interest is that although there are probably 10 or 12 veterinary radiologists who recieved our DVM from Purdue, there are 2 from our class and 2 from the class of 1969, 4 of us from 2 consecutive years. So I'm enjoying this locum as I did last summer from 2 standpoints; first just the fun of working "somewhere else" and secondly, getting to rediscover my veterinary beginnings. Because Purdue is relatively close to home and to Gas City, IN where Georgia's mom and sister live, rather than staying in a rented room, I am driving from home or from Gas City (about 2 hours). If you go back to "Perspective" (Feb 20), you will see a reference to Mulberry, Indiana, a small town that I traveled through last year as I drove from Gas City. I went this way because of serious roadwork on 26 east in Lafayette. That was about a year ago. I assumed they would have this finished, so expected to do a straight shot down 26 from Lafayette to Fairmount (where cool was born). In going to Gas City from home, we decided we should go via Lafayette so I could check 
the roads between Lafayette and Gas City. A really good thing we did. First of all, the work coming out of Lafayette on 26 is still in high gear and most likely will be so for another year. When we discovered this, I made the decision to go through Mulberry again. Perhaps I would run into Amanda Overmyer (american idol). As we drove on east on 26 we neared Russiaville and found another of what appears to be the most common sign in Indiana this summer, accompanied by these really interesting orange and white cylindrical pieces of roadside art. We were detoured all the way up to 22 which was good because it runs right into Gas City. The down side is that it runs through the whole of Kokomo. Because of 
this, I decided to go a proven, but longer route by going south on 31 to 28, then across to 52 and back up to Lafayette. About 20 miles out of the way. But it works. Being basically a morning person, I rather enjoy the drives to Purdue in the mornings, however a few mornings have been a bit testy because of fog. The worst was my first day. Others have been tolerable and some have been really mystical as patchs of woodland and farmsteads rise into sight out of the mist as I approach them. It's interesting to see the fog gathering around these larger parts of the landscape. One little aside was that while we were traveling from home to Gas 
City, we came on an area that appeared as fog, but really had an odor. Just before that, I had pointed out a low flying plane that was dusting bean fields.... It wasn't fog, the dust had drifted over the road. We haven't noticed the twitching of organophosphate poisoning yet. This picture is of true fog. Kind of neet! Before I forget it, another great place to eat. In the little town of Linden, Indiana, just north of I-74 on 231 is a tiny place called the Lindy Freeze. Great Ice Cream products and monster breaded tenderloins..... mmm good. http://web1.userinstinct.com/17053235-lindy-freeze-inc.htm
3 comments:
Just think how many students that water fountain has impartially served. There must be a lesson there somewhere. And it must be mind-boggling to compare the changes in your life and its since your first encounter.
Let's see, 41 times roughly 60 (conservatively) comes to over 2400 veterinarians who drank from the same water fountain as well as the fountain of knowledge surrounding it. How's that for waxing eloquent? At that time I was a simple farm boy learning how to be a veterinarian, with a wife and a one year old son. That education and the "plug ins" that followed have taken us literally from coast to coast produced 2 more sons, 9 grandchildren (and soon a great grandson) and contributed to the veterinary education of over 4000 men and women who are now veterinarians, including 12 or 13 who are radiologists like myself. That's just off the top of my head.. Yes it is mind boggling.
And that's only from one person think of how that tree will spread out in 50 years!
can' t wait til' you are back
love B-McKne
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