Some things DO change

If you go back to July 29, 2008 you will see one of the images below of the water fountain in the Large Animal Hospital at Purdue University that was the same fountain, I drank from as a student 1967-68.  They had remodeled much of the vet school, but that blessed water fountain was still there. Nothing gives you that deja vu feeling like drinking from the same water fountain... Well, maybe there are others, but the feeling was there. I pictured myself with black hair (hair) in my knee-high brown rubber boots and brown coveralls, with my stethoscope and hoof knife in my pockets along with my "little book" of important facts I was sure I would need on a daily basis.

 

If you've read this blog recently, you know that I have been again working at Purdue. Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to approach "that" water fountain again... Weird feeling... The deja vu wasn't there. I looked around and thought. This one doesn't look new, but I think it's different".  So for a few weeks, that thought ran through my head. I went back several times thinking it was different. I finally made the decision that it hadn't been painted and it wasn't the same, but the "spout" really looked like the old one. These things cause me undue  stress. I toyed with finding a building service worker or calling maintenance to find out what they had done with this revered fountain. One of the things I MAY be learning is that some mysteries can go unsolved and the world will keep on turning and I can stay on it.This may be one of those mysteries. I can be a "better man" by "letting it go", right? So you can share in my revelation that it truly is different. Maybe they found a new jacket to fit a 40 year old fountain??? Hmm. well here is a picture of it today from my old bar phone. Don't remember if I took the original picture with that phone or actually had a camera. The image today is a bit fuzzy. I was probably shaking with excitement. Here it is in 2012.

Now, I'm going to give you a taste of what I deal with when someone brings me poor quality "x-rays" and says, "is there any change between these two date?"... Here are "close ups" of the spout on the fountain in 08 and 2012. Is it the same spout or did they change the whole fountain??? I am looking at the green copper sulfate that seems to be crusting the spout.

So there is the green patina on both, right? Is it in the same pattern?? If not could it have changed over the 4 years of people slaking their thirst? You should be complaining that the pictures are taken from different angles and the definition isn't very good, and the lighting is different, and, and, and.... Yeah, yeah yeah... I'm not paying you tot critique my images, I'm paying you to give me an answer... Oops, sorry, I lapsed into some of the comments I have heard as I labored to give a correct answer.. I'm sorry that I didn't have the original picture in front of me and a good camera in my hand today, so I could make a comparable image. I could go back now that I have refreshed my memory of the original, but probably won't. 

You know this isn't over. No I won't go searching for a person with knowledge (maybe).. but I will keep my eyes and ears open just in case the answer is right there available.  Stay tuned... I'm not promising, but an answer may come.