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Wednesdsay May 2, 200 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A3 Celebrate the Mom in your life b y g iv in g h e r a R o s e w a te r e x p e rie n c e , w h e re sh e c a n c h o o s e from a v a r ie ty of se rv ic e s in c lu d in g : A n ti-a g in g fa c ia ls P a m p e rin g p e d ic u re s 3 o d y tre a tm e n ts R e la x in g m a s s a g e th e r a p ie s or o n e of o u r S p a Photo by Brent Foster Margrit Bennett attempts to touch the goose that is nesting on her 17th floor balcony. The goose landed in this unusual location and is incubating three eggs. if6 C h u r c h St. tj8-SPAH w v .ro sev a te rsp a.co m P a c k a g e s ju st to m e n tio n a few. Canada goose opts for nursery on building's 17th floor Condo resident plays waiting gam e with `M acey' By A ngela B lackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville's Magrit Bennett returned home from Denmark last month to receive a goose egg for Easter -- literally. Ever since, Bennett has been watching a neighbourhood goose hatch goslings -- on her 17th floor balcony. "It seems a crazy place for a goose to be. It's not natural," said Bennett who has lived in the Marine Drive condomini um for 15 years. This isn't the first time a goose has visited, but it is the first time one has taken up residence. Bennett, who's in her 70s, discovered the goose and her nest about a month ago when she returned home from a twoweek jaunt to Denmark where she was visiting her 101-yearold mother. "I had taken all sorts of precautions to ensure the goose wouldn't be comfortable and nest here," said Bennett, who had put glass jars and weighted pots to hold down plastic over the goose's favourite spots ... obviously to no avail. "She's got big feet, I guess she moved them. When I got back and looked outside, there she was," said Bennett.com "There are enough feathers here to make a duvet." It appears that the goose -- who Bennett has named Macey ("because it starts with `M ' like my name") -- is hatching her eggs in a large wooden barrel Bennett uses to collect water for the plants on her balcony. After a month of checking into what she could to do to remove the goose -- by calling building management, wildlife agencies, even the Town of Oakville -- it appears Bennett will just have to wait it out. It could take 35 days for the goslings to hatch, said Bennett, and who knows how long before they fly. "We may be almost there. This has been going on since April 8, but I've learned a lot about geese," she said. Bennett said a Toronto wildlife service has offered to take the goslings as soon as they're hatched. "I have to put pails out for them so they won't fall off the balcony because the chances of that are great," said Bennett, a retired editor with Canadian Homes magazine. "I don't want anybody to die," she confessed. Nor does she want to pay several hundred dollars to have the goose removed, she said. That appears the only solution since the goose situation isn't considered life threatening by any of the authorities. While Bennett admits that she has more to do than baby sit a family of geese -- her husband, who has had two hips replaced, is suffering with Alzheimer's disease and recently moved into a retirement home, -- she admitted, "It's like having a pet. When I get home, I can look out and say `Hello, duckie.'" A very messy pet, though, who allows Bennett onto her own balcony, but under strict conditions. "She's a very good mother. She doesn't want me near her eggs and if I get too close, she hisses at me." Her mate also keeps a watchful eye out for intruders. "The gander sits on the roof of the building across the street and when I go onto the balcony he flies over me very quickly," said Bennett, who has also learned that geese mate for life. "The poor goose is not getting anything to eat either," said Bennett, w ho's been told not to feed her as a means o f "encouraging" the bird to leave. However, B ennett said, "S he's very clever. She looks very knowl edgeable." Apparently the bird has stored up food or is being fed by her mate. She's not going anywhere. "The goose has a blue tag and a sm aller tag so somebody has been at her before, and is tracking her, but I've found her," said Bennett. Lots o f people are chuckling at the story -- other than Bennett. Not only is B ennett's daughter, a Belleville veterinarian, laughing at her m o th er's plight, but m any w ho've followed the tale covered by the Toronto media. foreyesoptical M o v in g S in g le V ision L enses & F ram es $ 9 9 c o m p le te I W e're s till in th e neighbourhood - ju s t d o w n th e s tr e e t, e ffe c tiv e J u n e 1 s t W e'll be m oving to s e rv e y O U b e tte r. C u rrent Lo catio n T ra falg a r V illa g e 1 25 Cross Ave. ggg 8 4 5 -9 9 0 8 18 tn c ross*A v e (D ire c tly acro s s from th e GO S ta tio n ) S A LE HAND CARVED 6 PIECE BEDROOM SUITE Q u e e n s le ig h b e d , 2 n ig h t s ta n d s , d r e s s e r , tri-v ie w m irro r, a r m o ir e R e g u la r p r ic e , $1 5 3 3 4 C h e c k o u t fro gs S a tu rd a y The Mounts berg Wildlife Centre is hosting its annual Frog Watcher's Hike on Sat., May 5 & 12, from 7-9 p.m. The male frogs are in full chorus in their annual bid to attract the mate of their dreams. The songs or mating calls are so distinctive from species to species that frogs can be identified by their voices alone. Admission to the Frog Watcher's Hike is by advance registration only and space is limited. Please call 905-8542276 to register. Adults: $10; Children $7. Mountsberg Wildlife Centre is located on Milburough Line, 5 km west of Campbellville, between Hwy. 6 and Guelph Line. For more information, check out the website at www.conservationhalton.on.ca 8 7 3 9 INTRODUCTORY OFFER 9 PIECE DINING SUITE B u ffe t & H u tc h L e g D in in g R o o m T a b le 2 A rm C h a irs 4 S id e C h a irs R e g u la r p r ic e , $11312 LOOK FOR ..... P a r ty P a c k a g e rs CRAZY 50 s a i . 4 Page Flyer in this Wednesday's * 7 2 9 9 1 0 7 5 N o rth S e r v ic e R d . W e s t, O a k v ille . T e l: (9 0 5 ) 8 2 5 -2 4 5 0 STO RE HOURS: M o n ., T u e s ., W e d . & S a t. 1 0 :0 0 a m to 5 :3 0 pm T h u r s . & F ri. 1 0 :0 0 a m to 9 :0 0 p m . S u n . N o o n to 5 p m 9 0 D A Y S N O IN T E R E S T OR, 6 O R 12 M O N TH E Q U A L PA YM ENT PLAN W IT H N O IN T E R E S T Oakville Beaver w w w .e n n is c la re in te rio rs .c o m O .A.C. Details in store.