The Water Globe
This is a Christmas themed water globe I purchased over 30 years ago at Dillard's. It is not a great photo, but enough so you can see what I am talking about.
Anyhoo! I got it out for Christmas and the first thing I noticed was that water level was lower than I remembered and the water itself was cloudy, almost dirty. I took a closer look and discovered that the seal was a bit off center. Air had got to the water and water had dripped out which made the water dirty and caused the lower water level.
I managed to take the globe out and drain the water without losing the glitter that was in it. I replaced the water and got it sealed back down with wax. It now looks good again. This is the first time I ever fixed a water globe and now I know how to do it.
It's funny, but I've seen water globes at flea markets and similar places that had dirty looking water and low water levels and I always passed them right by thinking that they were cheaply made ones, but it now dawns on me that they could be very high quality ones that have simply had their seals broken or those seals wore out. Now I know how to fix one I am going to start looking at the dirty water ones more closely.
You learn something new from time to time! It's a good feeling - especially since my first impulse was to chuck the thing.
*chuckle*
~Symian