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| Duckies on my Dashboard
by trapperjohn at 4/23/2008 5:47:16 AM
Several friends have asked about the rubber ducks on the dashboard of the ol’'51 Chevy. I thought I would use this forum to answer all and clear this up. Yes, there are three rubber ducks in varying sizes sitting on my dashboard. These are like the ones that kids play with in the bathtub. So, let me try to explain.
The first duck came from a car show in Gadsden, Al. that was held at Noccalula Falls in 2004. There were several vendors on hand that weekend and while visiting among them the lady that I was with spotted the duck in a big cardboard box of mostly junk. She inquired as to price and the vendor said $.25…….Sold, you can’t go far wrong for a quarter. This is the largest of the duck collection and is about four inches long. This was the one that reminded me of the old C.W. McCall song from the seventies, “Convoy”, where C.W. says: “Pig Pen, come on, this is the Rubber Duck” or something like that. So the duck went on the dashboard and many thousand miles later is still there.
The second duck just showed up unexpectedly one day. I was walking out of the local Wal Mart toward my car when the second duck appeared laying on the pavement right next to my car door. It was a little smaller and much dirtier than the original duck. I think it must have fallen from another car parked next to mine at some time but which was now long gone. Some child would have to just get along without their bathtub duck from now on. It went home with me and the next time I cranked up the washing machine that dirty duck went for a tumble and a spin or two. Let’s see now, that would have been in the spring of 2005 and now therewere two ducks on the dashboard.
As an interesting side note, that summer of 2005 I took my Grandson, Cory, to a "Cruise In" in Sylacauga,Al. about 65 miles north of here. It was a warm afternoon/night and we had all the windows down to get some breeze blowing into the car. Cory noticed that if he played with the vent window on his side, pushing it all the way out and then bringing it back, the ducks on the dashboard would dance in the wind. This childs play kept us both entertained most of the way to the Cruise In that afternoon. As you see it does not take much to keep either of us entertained.
The third duck came as a complete surprise this past Christmas. It was presented to me as a Christmas gift from a good friend who had ridden in the car many times and knew the story behind the two ducks and the Cory story also. This one is a little smaller than both the others and it also lights up and blinks when squeezed. So now there are three, I guess they could be Papa, Momma and Baby Duck, the Duck family.
They have kept me company on many a long trip when I was traveling alone to a car show or to Cruisin’ the Coast and had only Willie, Waylan and the boys to ride along with me. They have been conversation starters when somebody new would ride in the car. They have been a source of much entertainment for me during the four years they have been riding with me as a single duck until now that they are a family of three. It’s nice to watch a family grow and all stay together, at least for the past four years. I think I’ll keep them all together at least for as long as I own that old car.
Happy Trails,
Trapper John
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