The Ducks Explained
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?
The Ducks
The photos do not do the bathroom justice. There is nothing like seeing them in their natural habitat. Lonnie only has one steadfast rule: The ducks must never duck out of the bathroom!
Why Rubber Duckies?
In 2002 we remodeled our master bathroom with white tile and black accent tiles. There is a walk-in shower so deep it does not need a door and a wonderful glass block on the edges of the shower stall walls. While the bath was clean and sparkling…it was a bit boring. I had a Daffy Duck (in the shape of a rubber duck) for years and put him up high on the glass block. I can easily anthropomorphize anything, so in my mind, he looked so lonely. I immediately got on eBay and bought a lot of 10 duckys…then a few more and more and more.
Once you begin collecting, your friends/family know exactly what to buy you for every holiday and even just plain days. All of a sudden my dozen or so morphed into hundreds. We (the ducks and I) have appeared on KVIE (our local PBS show) that was featuring a show on crazy collectors. So more ducks landed here on Donner. I have found duckys on my front porch, in front of hotel rooms, and in my mailbox at work. Pretty much anywhere.
With a hefty PayPal account (long since gone) a glass of wine, and a good mouse…I got busy on eBay and other sites became my best friends. More and more ducks were purchased. Now the collection exceeds 1,000.
Lonnie has enabled me by building custom made shelves for the duckys to my very specific specs. It is great.
People of a certain age will remember one of the best cartoon series ever created Rocky and Bullwinkle. I always remember a quote by one of the series creators Alex Anderson after his partner, Jay Ward, died. Anderson said of his friend, “How do you thank someone for a million laughs?” That’s how I feel about my duckys. They make people laugh and smile. Little kids are in awe. They are known around our region because of frequent newspaper and TV appearances and a stint in the CA State Fair in 2009.
Lonnie often says that everyone in the greater Sacramento area has seen his crapper. He is right.
I think my ducks are fun, however, I have slowed my acquisitions down considerably…but when I see one I can’t resist I go for it. A rare London landmark Harrods Department Store duck set me back 17 pounds ($25 US). He is pretty cool.
★★★★★