With childish, glee, I stopped the car and called Tom. He answered with “the mallards are back”, remembering seeing them earlier in the day and sensing just how long it took me to go down the drive and up the road, where I first saw them.
Actually, they were in the street. The pond, a messy bit of swamp and cattails and grasses, had melted its frozen self upon the road, where the mister and missus were happily courting, oblivious to the me and my auto machine as I braked, grateful that I saw them cavorting about in a fowlish way on the Cutoff.
We missed the Mallard family last year. There simply wasn’t enough water to paddle in. This year; well, this year the snow melt has provided a waterfowl haven. As I slowly drove away, muttering quack, quack, quack, I remembered a little ditty for McDonald’s that aired on television here in the 1980’s. It was a catchy little jingle about Nippersinkers and rain and waddling.
We eventually discovered there really was a Lake Nippersink, just over the Illinois/Wisconsin border. A golf resort/family vacation spot with little cabins, a big lodge for eating, and all manner of activities for young and not-so-young alike. Jennifer took arts and crafts lessons and was in a talent show; something with wishy washy washing machines. Katy, about three at the time, opted to take water aerobics with me. Tom took them canoeing, I went antiquing and we all ate and ate and ate . . .
. . . and we all sang the Nippersink song. Do any of you remember it? Did you ever go to summer camp?
We are Nippersinkers. We’re in luck. If it rains all week, just pretend you’re a duck. Quack, quack, waddle, waddle!
What an ad! How funny.
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It is funny, isn’t it?
Today, Taco Bell put up an ad of men named Ronald McDonald coming in for a breakfast burrito (or something like that). While the food isn’t good for us, the ads are certainly clever.
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Penny, you made me smile and chuckle. I can feel your delight at seeing the mallards, who are not complaining at all about all the water. Your childish glee is apparent & the McDonald’s ad is very cute.
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I’m pleased as punch to hear it – and that water is cold, mind you, but the mallards were not complaining. Thank you, Juliet. It is fun to be a child now and again.
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Gosh that would have been a perfect ad for us back when the kids were small in rainy rainy Oregon. How can I not remember it?
Glad your duckies are back. That makes rain worth it!
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The kids loved it, Sallie, and so did the adults. I wonder if the commercial aired in just this area, with the real Nippersink just over the border.
They were out paddling away this afternoon with the sun warming the water and good nesting material around. It does make the rain worth it.
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Had to look it up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efaBR8YfJw0 Can only presume I never saw it because by then my boys were long past the days when a trip to McDonald’s was a weekly treat. So, so cute. Isn’t it strange, the things we have tucked away in our gray matter that will suddenly, unbidden, pop to the surface. 🙂
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As I mentioned to Sallie, above, I wonder if it only aired in Illinois and Wisconsin. Adults hereabouts remember it as much as kids, just cause it’s so darn cute. Ah, yes, that gray matter that suddenly opens up. Just now, at your mention of it being a weekly treat for your boys, I’m remembering that I would sometimes stop at McDonald’s with the girls after we went grocery shopping for such a treat.
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I remember the commercial. It was very cute. I did go to camp. It was church camp for one glorious week every summer. The cost was $26,50 for the week. I remember because I loved the first week so much that I saved the money after that each year so I could go again. I know it rained when I was there, but that was just an excuse to get muddy as far as I was concerned. It didn’t stop the action except maybe kept us out of the pool for a bit. That camp is still there and still nestled on the far side of Lake Springfield and is covered still with the beautiful oak woods. However, the camp is no longer on the edge of some farmer’s timber. It is wedged between sub-divisions. The cabins are no longer the rustic screened in cabins of my youth. They are all closed in with air conditioning and ports for recharging electronics. Ugh, might as well stay home. I loved the hours spent on the paths through the woods or paddling around the lake. I especially liked upstaging the boys in boat rowing.
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Yea! I’m so glad you remembered! I’m thinking that it only ran in Illinois and Wisconsin. It was a fun place to spend a few days – and such a catchy little jingle.
Good golly, Janet, you even remember the camp cost; but, of course you would as you earned and saved the money to go. What fun memories for you, and a great way to learn the value of a money. Reading about your camp today is, again, reminding me of Virginia Lee Burton’s “The LIttle House”. The good news is that it is still there, with the ancient oaks, and children are still spending time there.
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, time to upstage the boys, and practice our rowing. (Sigh. I need some self-control here. hehe)
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Like you, I love looking at these older ads. They speak to me more than the newer ones somehow.
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They were more clever, I think, Andra, without all the glitzy, techno, aspects and there were so many memorable jingles. Taco Bell, however, just came up with a clever one. (Taco Bell is a chain that sells, well tacos, burritos, and such, if you don’t have one your area). They rounded up a few guys actually named Ronald McDonald for a commercial advertising their new breakfast sandwich. hehehe
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I don’t remember this ad, Penny. I wonder if it aired here. 🙂 It’s still nostalgic, if just because of its age. I went to summer camps all my growing up years, but they were a week at a time, and associated with our church. I loved them! Enjoy your waterfowl haven! There just has to be an upside to all that melting snow!
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From other comments, I’m thinking it only played in Illinois, Wisconsin, Debra. I’m sure there are many happy, fun memories of attending those church camps. They were out in the little waterfowl haven this afternoon, paddling about.
Hope all is well with you. We heard about the earthquake in LA. Take care, my friend.
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Charming little girls and the song does get stuck in your head! Don’t think they aired this in places where summer camp didn’t exist as far as I know in my world. The only camp I went to was a Girl Scout one and we spent the night, ate potatoes baked in the fire that were awful, and learned how to raise the flag. I couldn’t wait to come home!
So glad the Mallard family has returned. A certain sign of a good-bye to winter.
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We all thought it was a made up name, Marilyn, until we came to know that there really was a Nippersink. I’m sorry your experience was not very good. From the comments and what I know, the week long camps seemed to be lots of fun for kids. I never went on them, but, always wanted to – especially after seeing the movie “The Parent Trap”. ‘
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were the first sign that the weather is getting better. The second was a visitor who was sitting out in the arbor when we got home early this afternoon. A picture to follow, hopefully tomorrow.
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I can’t wait until tomorrow. Was the visitor who I HOPE it was???????????
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Yesterday got away from, Marilyn. I’ll post soon. Hmmmmmm?
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I loved Nippersink! Looks clean, smells clean…wishy washy wish washy….Good memories.
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I thought you might remember, Jennifer, and glad it evokes good memories. You surprised us at Nippersink with your stage presence that summer, wishy washing clothes.
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I loved this ad as a kid, and the song still comes to mind on big-puddle days. I can’t say for sure that it was a national ad, but I definitely saw it in Georgia. It’s possible I saw it on WGN, but since it was a superstation by that time, most cable subscribers nationwide would’ve had access to it. 🙂
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WGN reaches far and wide, and has for some time. It was such a catchy jingle, wasn’t it, and we all remember the words years later. Thank you, Ross, for stopping by.
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