Too Tuckered

FedEx flies all kinds of cargo.  Animals are among the most interesting.  I have flown sea turtles, horses, a variety of birds, and ferrets, and can now add a hippopotamus to that list.  This is Tucker's story.  If he could write, he would have painted a sign that read, "Eight Year Old Male Hippo in Need of New Home."  FedEx came to his rescue, donating their services as a hippotarian gesture to move him from the Topeka Zoo to the San Francisco Zoo.  Delivered under perfect flying conditions, Tucker is now busily exploring his new surroundings.

Tucker's story is as interesting as his journey.  Born in captivity at Disney's Animal Kingdom, he was destined to be relocated to the San Francisco Zoo over a year ago, but the timing wasn't right.  Instead, he was transported to the Topeka Zoo where he met a lovely mate with bountiful proportions.  They instantly fell in love and had a baby together on August 21, 2010.  But this miracle of birth proved to be Tucker's downfall, for the Topeka Zoo isn't large enough to accommodate three hippos.  One of his handlers told me that while Tucker is very docile, the handlers were concerned that Tucker would inadvertently kill his baby by playing with him.  Since the baby needed its momma, papa Tucker was being banished like Adam, except he would leave his Eden with a stock of apples.

Tucker was supposed to have been transported on November 30th, 2010, but this transportation fell through.  With winter now in full swing, an appeal was made for FedEx to fly him to San Francisco.  On January 6th, 2011, Tucker flew from Kansas City to Memphis, then patiently waited for me and my first officer to fly him to Oakland.  His oversize crate was approximately 1 1/2 times the size of a normal MD-11 pallet.  Loaded with hay and food, he was monitored by two handlers and a veterinarian.  Before we took off, they assured me he was comfortable as any hippo could be.  I nodded while detecting clear evidence that his internal organs were functioning perfectly.  Thankfully, our airplane's rigid cargo barrier confined his distinct aroma to the upper cargo compartment rather than invade the cockpit.  Otherwise, it would have been a very long flight.

Thanks to good weather, Tucker probably never knew he moved.  He was a perfect passenger throughout our entire flight.  Had he been upset, we definitely would have known since annoyed jumbo animals tend to bounce airplanes.  But Tucker did none of that.  Instead, our four thousand puppy seemed quite content.

On our initial descent into Oakland, the Oakland Center controller assigned a step-down altitude.  To make it easier on Tucker's ears, we requested a constant descent because of our special cargo.  The controller then asked if we had horses on board.  Upon hearing it was a hippo, he replied, "Cool."  From then on, we received special handling that never required us to level-off.  Tucker's information was passed from controller to controller to ensure our smooth arrival.

I elected to use the full runway length so our deceleration was gradual.  The taxi in went as smoothly as our taxi out.  From Oakland, Tucker's crate was transported to San Francisco via flatbed truck.  The SF Zoo was very appreciative of FedEx's service, and I was happy to be among those playing a part in his relocation.  Far more people were involved in this operation than I will ever know, but Tucker's transfer was successful because it was a team effort.  Now single again, Tucker is free to find a new mate while enjoying California's moderate climate.  Sand Francisco may not be Disney World, but it's far better than winter in Topeka.  As for FedEx - we again proved that we deliver the world on time.

Diablo's Shadow available at Diesel ebook store.

Every year that I've been a guest author at the Men of Mystery, "mysterious galaxy" books has done a terrific job of handling all the book orders for the authors.  They have done a tremendous job organizing the mayhem, keeping everyone happy and keeping the lines moving.  Check out their website.  Below is the specific link for the Men of Mystery event.

http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/men-mystery-2010-irvine-marriott

By Mark Danielson

 

At some point in time, most of us have heard opportunity knock, but rarely does it fall in your lap.  Through an unusual set of circumstances, I was invited to view an extremely rare 1936 Bugatti Atlantic (Atlantique.)  Pronounced Atlanteek, this car was the first of four built, and one of only two remaining.  So, how much value is there in this classic?  How does 32 million US sound?  In my neighborhood, that's hardly pocket change.

 

Without going into detail about my invite or the car's current ownership, I will say that it helps to be known as a car nut, which I suppose is preferable to being known as a nutcase.

 

 

This Bugatti, then owned by Dr. Peter Williamson, was completely restored to its 1939 configuration in 2003.  The car subsequently took Best of Show at Pebble Beach.  To put this in perspective, Best of Show here is comparable to an actor winning an Oscar.  At some point after that, Dr. Williamson asked Bugatti specialist and restorer Jim Stranberg, "How fast do you think this will go?"  Jim smiled, found a suitable location, and answered by accelerating the car to 100 mph.  Now, imagine driving this amazing car at 100 mph.  Who cares it had previously reached 130, the risks of even a simple rock chip are staggering.  But like Jay Leno, the good doctor and car collector liked to drive his cars.  Imagine that.  Should it matter that he paid $59,000 for this car in 1971?  Not when you consider the cost of the car's monumental restoration.  Just to name a few, new louvers, flip-up turn signals, and body parts had to be fabricated from scratch, and the rear windows had to be re-sized to make the car absolutely authentic.

 

 

It helps that Bugatti bodies are wood frames covered in aluminum.  As Jim told me, the Atlantic is a glorified buggy.  His reference made the car's wooden heritage understandable.  But what makes the Atlantic even more unique is its body and fairings were built in halves and then riveted together along central spines.  Rather than design around them, Bugatti left the spines exposed, which adds a unique element.  The Atlantic's ingenious flip-up turn signals are also found on some other Bugatti models.

 

The car's first owner was flamboyant playboy Nathanial Mayer Victor Rothschild, of the seriously rich Rothschild family.  Victor matured in 1937 when his uncle died, and he assumed the title as Third Baron Rothschild and sat on the Labour benches in the House of Lords.  His position, wealth, and intelligence led to him being recruited by England's M-5 agency where he became involved in WWII espionage.  The car went through several other owner's prior to Dr. Williamson, all of whom are registered with Bugatti.  This care was featured in the August 2010 issue of Octane magazine.

 

So, what does this car have to do with mystery writing?  No much, other than classic pieces are eternal.  Edgar Allan Poe may have been a pauper when he died, but his work is as timeless as this 1936 Bugatti.  In this sense, we should think about the permanence of our writing and do everything possible to make it worthy of classic stature.

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