[yellowmininy]

Edit-to make the story clearer, now that several years have passed.

Quack Quack Jack is a traveling memorial to a wacky, much loved Mini owner named Ed Smith (Maxamini), who spent many hours on MINI2, and who was known for giving away small rubber ducks at Mini events. We have tried to keep Ed's spirit alive by passing a large rubber duck around from Mini owner to Mini owner, and this thread is to record the travels of Quack Quack Jack.

Original post from 2005-
Over on NEMINI, Wingnut had an idea about passing an item around from Mini owner to Mini owner, and one logical idea (for us) was a rubber duck. Since I knew I could find one at the toy store I found ducks at before, including the bride duck I gave to Kate, I went there first.



Edited 12/19/06, to include Quack Quack Jill, a memorial to Ruthie Christopher, who loved to travel and meet Mini buddies from many lands.

Ruthie spent time traveling with Quack Quack Jack, and her love for her family and friends was as boundless as Ed's was. Quack Quack Jill reminds us of Ruthie's kindness, and will travel, like Quack Quack Jack, as a reminder to us all to keep her in our hearts.

[yellowmininy]

Once Quack Quack Jack gets tagged, the idea is to send him off on a cross country journey, hopefully to meet up with Amy Marie in California, who will send him back east, maybe for the Hudson Bay run, or to come back for MOT 2006. He has a journal to take with him with a notebook, and pages for photos, business cards & miscellaneous pockets for stuff to describe his adventures.

His first trip was to the Watkins Glen Vintage Grand Prix, 9/9-11/2005.
Hanging with the pace car at WGI

[yellowmininy]

Visiting with the crew of the Stat Medevac helicopter (who seem to have painted their copter to match his checkered tie)

[yellowmininy]

We watched the classic Minis race, including an EB/W

[yellowmininy]

Alfa was the marque this year, and Quack Quack Jack made the acquaintance of an Alfa named Sofia who races with a rubber chicken hanging from the boot, and the inscription "Faster Than A Speeding Pullet".

[MetalMiniMayhem]

good idea.. I was thinking of doing something very similar... I was thining kinda like "flat Stanley".. one of those things they make the kids do in school where they take this little cardboard cut-out and send him all over the world and get pictures taken of him wherever he goes...

[yellowmininy]

Great idea! Quack Quack Jack is a little large to send around the world, but if he makes it to California & back, who knows where he'll get after that? I'd really like to see a picture of him at Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia
http://www.terragalleria.com/pacific...yers-rock.html

[yellowmininy]

Quack Quack Jack is on his way to San Francisco, California with Franz & Mary King Gruswitz (part of the Hudson Bay 2005 run). Then they wil hand him off to Amy Marie to begin the West Coast part of his adventure. I have duck tags for him, though his neck is big enough he's going to need 2.

I was at the toy store last night where I got him, and the woman who sold him to me asked how he was! I had told her the story of Ed, and she was happy to be part of the adventure.

[yellowmininy]

Quack Quack Jack is now in California, visiting with Amy & the Niner Cat, & contemplating further adventures. (I need to mail his tags! He'll be # 617, like the Boston area code)

[NinerCat]

Hey y'all!

Quack Quack Jack has had some SF adventures, and took a road trip to Arizona for Thanksgiving. Think I'll take him for photo ops at Laguna Seca for the Phil Wicks Driving Academy in a couple weeks. Unfortunately, he won't be able to go on the speed run, as there are "no loose objects" allowed in the car at that time. But, maybe we can get a shot during the "parade laps" before the MINI/Mini race!

Then, am trying to work out a Hawaii trip, which would HAVE to include a QQJ visit w/BellyBean and motor around some Oahu sights . Wouldn't be do-able though, if we want him back to NE for the "Arctic Run" to Newfie for Presidents' Day weekend. Unless we found a fast way to send him East -- wonder how fast we could coordinate a MINI chain to someone in this year's Arctic Run crew....

Pics soon -- as soon as I get time to download them to 'puter, shrink for posting, and upload....

[yellowmininy]

Bumping this back up for new use- hoping to send QQJ to the UK, now that he's been to Hawaii & Newfoundland!

[AprilWhine]

Cathleen, I may be able to help with that. He can be handed off during the CA Dreamin Run, to make it to Ireland, the UK, and on to Europe.

[Meg]

If at some point you can get him to me in LI, I will go out to Flanders and take a picture of him at the Big Duck...the inspiration for Ed's duck obsession.

[yellowmininy]

I think NoNo is going to mail him to Carlos, in exchange (ransom) for KitKats, but good to have a plan! I think he'll come home with Ruthie, so we can make sure he's here for MOT. Hmm, Ireland? When is that?

[AprilWhine]

CA Dreamin is in September, Aiden and ONED are coming over, among others.

[yellowmininy]

Just looked at the thread for the dates. I think Blake would have him home from Alaska by then!

Would like to get him to Australia some day. Personally, I'd really like to see Uluru (Ayer's Rock) but it might be hard to get a good perspective shot of both duck and rock.

Meg, great idea for the LI photo. I'll watch the LI thread for the run date.

[AprilWhine]

Have you talked to ScottyB?

[yellowmininy]

Not yet, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind a little duck company!

[Oldpaint]

It was an honor to have him in my car from New Brunswick to Hawkes Bay NF - the northernmost point of the trip - and then back to Deer Lake NF where Uppptick grabbed him from my moving car.

[benzamg]

Yes, it was an honor to travel with Quack Quack up North.. Here are some more from the Newfoundland Trip..

He's also visited....

Deer Lake, NL


Port Aux Basques, NL (Ferry Terminal)


MINI of Halifax


Magnetic Hill, in New Brunswick
[imghttp://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/353284773_d6f2fd3737.jpg[/img]

Calais, ME


Middletown, CT