Balloons Over Mukwonago Event Sunday Morning

     Getting up early on a Sunday can be worthwhile! After waking up at 5 a.m., we drove to Mukwonago, Wisconsin (about 10 miles from home), arriving just before 6 a.m., in time to watch the filling and launching of 12 hot air balloons as part of the Balloons Over Mukwonago event. As usual, Garry had his camera and videorecorder with him. 

We parked near the school administration building. 

Just before 6 a.m., balloons are being filled. 

Just after 6 a.m., launching began! 

The winds were calm, and the balloons headed southwest towards Phantom Lake. 

Because Garry lived in Mukwonago for more than 25 years, he knows his way around town and the surrounding areas. We drove west towards Phantom Lake, following the flight through town. 

Some balloons coasted along very close to the lake, along with the boats!

Tomorrow morning, Garry & his friends will be fishing in this spot.  

Balloon reflections in the still lake. 

Several motorized parasails were following the balloons. 

One landed alongside a balloon in the landing area. 

Balloons heading southwest of Lower Phantom Lake. 

Balloons heading towards safe landing spots in nearby farm fields. 

Descending into the field.

Garry also took video of launching and landing. 

It was amazing to see how softly the basket and balloon landed in the field. 

The team of helpers met the balloons after following in the "chase truck". 

After this balloon landed, the team helped an older woman into the basket and she went for a short ride, tethered to the truck. 

After landing, as the pilot controlled the balloon, the team walked the basket to the truck, while floating about a foot off the ground. 

Good skilled teamwork is essential! 

The team was able to set the basket down very close to the truck! 

Starting to deflate and pack up. The 2 balloons in these photos landed about 30 yards apart. 

Following another balloon west. 

Beginning descent along Stringer's Bridge Road near Lake Beulah. 

Deflating procedure

As we watched, we learned how they use straps to contain the balloon as it was deflated. 

    We've seen some hot air balloons in flight in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but this was our first experience with watching the balloon launch and landing, and it was a lot of fun, and interesting to see the process. We'll be sure to watch for this event next year. 

History of Garry's Taxidermy Methods for Fish Reproduction Mounts

Garry found some old photos that showed how he developed his methods for fish reproductions and skin mounted fish with cast heads. He thought some people might like to see how this is done. 

In 1983, Garry had a client who was a fish collector for the aquarium trade. While in South America at the headwaters of the Amazon River in Peru, he collected a specimen of a Tiger Striped Catfish, which was recently discovered in that area. When he returned to Wisconsin, the specimen died and he brought it to Garry to do a reproduction. The fish was approximately 27 inches long. 

SPECIMEN BEFORE FINS AND WHISKERS REMOVED

REFERENCE PICTURES OF THE ADIPOSE FIN AREA

FIN REFERENCE

NOTE THE LONG TRAILING TAIL FIN TIPS

WHISKER DETAIL. NOTICE THE SMALL EYE.

HEAD REFERENCE

WHISKERS REMOVED FOR CASTING 

PECTORAL AND VENTRAL FINS REMOVED AND THE FISH
 IS POSITIONED IN A BED OF HI-FIBER CASTING MATERIAL.
NOTE THE ROUND KEYS PRESSED INTO THE HI-FIBER.  

HEAD DETAIL IN HI-FIBER

TAIL AND ANAL FINS POSITIONED

A SPLASH COAT WAS POURED OVER THE WHOLE FISH, THEN
A SECOND, HEAVIER COAT OF PLASTER WAS USED TO THICKEN THE MOLD.
HE USED A HYDROCAL DENTAL PLASTER. 

AFTER HARDENING, THE MOLD IS FLIPPED OVER.  

TAIL DETAIL 

BEFORE POURING THE SPLASH COAT, THIN LAYER OF LIQUID SOAP WAS APPLIED TO THE EXPOSED PLASTER FOR EASE OF SEPARATION. 

AFTER THE SECOND HALF OF THE MOLD WAS CURED, THE FISH WAS REMOVED FROM THE MOLD. 

THE VENTRAL AND PECTORAL FINS WERE CAST SEPARATELY WITH A SIMILAR PROCESS.  AGAIN, NOTE THE ROUND KEYS IN THE MOLD. 

THE FINISHED FIN MOLD, AFTER IT HAS DRIED AND HAS BEEN COATED WITH 3-LB ORANGE SHELLAC. 

GARRY DIDN'T TAKE ANY PHOTOS OF ASSEMBLING THE FISH. THIS IS THE FINISHED REPRODUCTION, TOP VIEW SHOWING SUPPORT WIRES ATTACHED TO DRIFTWOOD. 

FINISHED TIGER STRIPED CATFISH.
 THE WHISKERS WERE RECREATED USING WIRE AND ALL-GAME SCULPTING PUTTY. THE LONG, FLAT HEAD OF THIS TYPE OF CATFISH
 IS INDICATIVE OF THE FAST WATER HABITAT THEY LIVE IN. 

TIGERFISH CAUGHT BY GARRY IN THE ZAMBEZI RIVER IN ZIMBABWE. HE BROUGHT PLASTER ALONG TO DO MOLD MAKING, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY TO BRING A FISH BACK FROM AFRICA. 

REFERENCE PICTURES OF SOME TIGERFISH GARRY CAUGHT. 

HEAD DETAIL 

BECAUSE VERY LIMITED SUPPLIES WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN AFRICA, GARRY BROUGHT HYDROCAL PLASTER WITH HIM. GARRY USED RIVER SAND TO SET THE FISH UP FOR POURING THE MOLD. 

PLASTER WAS LIMITED, AS HE WAS ALSO USING IT FOR MAKING BIG GAME DEATH MASKS, SO HE DID NOT CAST THE FINS ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS TIGERFISH MOLD. HE BROUGHT ROLLS OF PLASTER MUSLIN GAUZE USED IN MEDICAL CAST MAKING. THIS MATERIAL WORKED GREAT TO STRENGTHEN MOLDS HE MADE. THIS IS THE MOLD AFTER HE RETURNED HOME AND APPLIED SHELLAC BEFORE MAKING THE POSITIVE OF THE TIGERFISH REPRODUCTION. 

RAINBOW TROUT HEAD REPRODUCTION

In 1982, Garry began to experiment and developed his method of casting fish heads with plaster molds for skin-mounted fish. In 1984 he began using Alginate for a casting material, as it picked up better detail. He also began using flexible polyester resins for the head reproduction. Various methods were experimented with, including mixing Bondo with the polyester resin. At that time, he also developed a method of pouring a plaster mouth plug in the fish's mouth and using that negative mold to make a latex duplicate of the inside of the fish's mouth. The rainbow trout head below shows the latex mouth attached to the polyester resin reproduction. The reproduction fish heads were attached to the skin-mounted fish, eliminating the shrinkage of the fish head. This method is the standard way most fish are mounted today. 

The rainbow trout head in this picture was cast by Garry during a seminar at the 1985 World Taxidermy Championship. He also did a seminar on mounting fish with head reproductions at the 1986 World Taxidermy Championship. He has written articles about his methods for Breakthrough Magazine and the Breakthrough Fish Taxidermy Manual. 

THIS HEAD REPRODUCTION WAS FOR A YELLOW BULLHEAD. GARRY USED HIS REFERENCES TO RECREATE WHISKERS FROM WIRE AND SCULPTING PUTTY. 

FINISHED 2 1/2 POUND YELLOW BULLHEAD

REDHORSE SUCKER WITH CAST HEAD