After we nursed Gabby back to health, he became a part of our family.
In the first place, I found out that he was a Muskovy Duck, not a goose! No matter...we called him Gabby the Goose, anyway.
Duck feathers require a coat of oil to be water repellent. That's why ducks spend so much time preening and rubbing to distribute oil all over. Gabby's oil glands must not have been working too well. He was only partly hydrophobic.
When we placed him in the pool, he would paddle around squawking and chasing other swimmers (us). Gradually, he would sink lower and lower until he resembled the famous photo of the Loch Ness monster...just a long neck plowing through the water.
We'd have to get him out and dried off at that time since he showed concern about what was happening. Iit didn't seem to bother him too much, though. The next day, he'd be ready for another go in the pool.
The postman never got used to Gabby. Gabby knew that the postman was afraid of him, didn't like him and goose defense wasn't in his job description! Gabby loved to attack him with a gusto I thought was reserved for rabid coyotes. Fortunately, he limped badly and the postman was faster than he was in the straight out dash.
They never stopped delivering our mail, so I guess some vestige of the old motto remains..."Neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night keeps these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
In our original write-up about Gabby, I mentioned Christmas. Well, we found the picture. That's him, having a marvelous time with wrapping paper. Florence stuck a red bow to his head. Before the day was out, he was splattered with them.
I'm sure some of you have had a critical question pass your minds. The answer is "yes". That is newspaper you see spread out underneath him!