Our New Goose – in 13 Days…

 

Saturday morning… the day looked good, but just after 8 a.m. the skies opened up and it began to rain. Not a drizzly rain, but a full on rain. The only good thing really was that there were no flies!

 

The rain continued on Sunday, lots and lots of rain; work continued though despite the rain. The new support system has been bolted to the original concrete base, and the first piece is bolted in. On Sunday the second piece was installed (facing the T.I.C.). It is fascinating to see the panel bolted to the base. It is a jigsaw puzzle!

 

It is quite the process to bring those pieces from the trailer out to the Goose. The photos in the gallery show that process.

 

In a sad note, Dr. William Sladen passed away May 29th, 2017 at the age of 96. He was a physician by training and zoologist by choice, becoming a leading expert on the libido of Antarctic penguins and the migratory patterns of endangered birds in North America.

 

Why is he of interest, you ask? Dr. Sladen was a technical adviser to “Fly Away Home”, the 1996 film starring Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin, a fictionalized version of his joint venture with William Lishman (played by Jeff Daniels) to teach young Canada geese to fly their migratory route south by leading them in Lishman’s ultralight aircraft in the lead position of the traditional “V” formation. The film was inspired by Lishman’s autobiography Father Goose, Adventures of a Wildlife Hero. Bill Lishman, “Father Goose” as he is known, was the keynote speaker at the EDC Business Awards.