This story almost didn't happen. First of all, Valerie Steele from "The Fashion Institute of Technology" almost refused to speak with us when she heard the name of our show. If I had known the way the rest of this story would unfold, I might have lied and told her the name of the show was ZooTV - because that's what it felt like to me.

Our other interview for the story was with Charles Panati, author of "Sexy Origins and Intimate Things". Charles fell ill on the day I was set to interview him at our hotel. While he was feeling a bit better a few days later, he was still not well enough to leave his house, so we made the long trip out to Long Island to meet him, just hours before our flight was set to leave.

Once we got out to Long Island, Charles picked us up at the train station and brought us to his beautiful country abode - where we met a strange and wonderful collection of geese, swans, chickens, pigeons and ducks who all gleefully scuttled around as we shot the interview. I was a little distracted, not only worrying about droppings on my head but also the big, hissing mother goose at my feet.

At one point, one of the ducks wondered out from the yard, on to the dirt road beside the house. Suddenly, as if spat out from the depths of hell, a mangy dog came bounding out and grabbed the duck by the neck. As if in slow motion, I watched Charles spring up from his chair and out of the interview, to wrestle with the dog and save the poor creature from imminent death. It was quite the scene, to say the least.

I am happy to report that the little duck survived and after Charles pulled himself together, the rest of the interview went off without a hitch.

Cynthia Loyst
Segment Producer, SEXTV