Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Outdoor Wednesday and My Prize

Today on our way over to Riverhead, I stopped to take a pic of this Long Island landmark.  For years, kids have lined up in front of the duck to have their pic taken. 

This is from Wikipedia…

The Big Duck is a  building in the shape of a duck located in Flanders, New York, on Long Island. It was originally built in 1931 by duck farmer Martin Maurer in nearby Riverhead, and used as a shop to sell ducks and duck eggs. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

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The Big Duck is a prime example of literalism in advertising. The building measures 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, 30 feet (9.1 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) tall to the top of the head. The duck's eyes are made from Ford Model T tail lights and the interior floor space is confined to 11 feet (3.4 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m). The wood frame, wire mesh/concrete surface building was designed in the shape of a Pekin duck in order to house a retail poultry store.

 

Owner Martin Maurer had The Big Duck building constructed in 1930 and 1931 on a prime spot on the busy Main Street in the town of Riverhead on Long Island, New York. The builders Smith and Yeager completed the concrete finish work on the Big Duck which was featured in Atlas Cement's 1931 calendar. Merlin Yeager noted that most of the duck is actually finished with Portland Cement, but they ran out and finished with Atlas Cement. The Big Duck was also featured in Popular Mechanics magazine.

In 1937, Martin Maurer moved the building four miles (6 km) southeast to Flanders, where it occupied a prominent location near the duck barns and marshes of Maurer's new duck ranch. The entire area, including Flanders and Riverhead, was the center of Long Island's well-known duck-farming industry. By 1939 there were about 90 duck farms in Suffolk County.[3]

The Big Duck's unusual building and prime location helped garner much customer attention until it closed in 1984. In 1988, Suffolk County acquired The Big Duck and moved it to Route 24 on the edge of Sears-Bellows Pond County Park between Flanders and Hampton Bays on the eastern part of Long Island. The building houses a gift shop operated by the Friends for Long Island Heritage.[3] The duck was returned to its original location in on October 6, 2007; nonetheless it is still called the "Flanders duck" for the intermediate location. Suffolk County continues to own it, maintains its interior and pays for staffing; Southampton Town maintains the exterior. The original 27 acre duck farm was purchased by the town in 2006. [4][5]

 

  At Christmas, they decorate the Duck and sing carols at the lighting..Just ducky!  :)

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And I think I found a job I could do..

 

Blog Labor 434I could be a duck sitter!  It isn’t very busy..mostly summer . 

I bet Cass,Tara and Stephanie have been to the Big Duck..

And I wonder if my fellow NYer Pat has been there?

She takes you to such beautiful spots in NYC, and I take you to the duck..

That’s just fowl..:)

Last week I won a give away from Gail at Faithfulness Farm..

Thank you, Gail! Stop by her blog for some wonderful recipes..

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A sweet homemade apron with big pockets, a lovely hand stitched kitchen towel, a great hot pad, and 2 cookbooks that are such fun to read..

Such lovely gifts!

A preview of my new side door painted red..9 more coats and it may be just right!

 

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Please visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for all the  other entries..

Remembering all our Veterans Nov. 11th.  Thank you for your service to our country!

Thanks for stopping by..

33 comments:

  1. Oh Kathleen!
    I love this tour. What a fun time I had tonight. A duck sitter, know that would look good on a resume for the last several years, being a duck sitter. I think it would quite interesting. The history is just awesome, and I so love the lights around it at the holiday. Just looks beautiful. What a beautiful picture it would take. Thanks for sharing tonight. Stop by soon. Country hugs, Sherry

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  2. What an informative post. I just knew the Hamptons were swanky!! And to brag at one of Ina's dinner parties that you got a job duck sitting...oh my!!

    Seriously, thanks for including the history of this landmark. It is incredibly cute and I bet it does make for some great family photo album pics!!

    Your red door is looking good. Please come knock at my door soon, I am having a giveaway!!

    xoxo
    Jane

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  3. What a cute building - I could see you as a "duck sitter" as long as you didn't hav to 'clean up' after him!!

    The door looks good - but I couold see maybe a few more coats to get a deeper color... Mike will be thrilled!

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  4. My kids would have loved this when they were young. I'm still somewhat shocked that there are/were duck ranches?? Something we don't have around here.

    Sue

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  5. LOL! Now that would be a fun babysitting job :0)

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  6. Kathleen, this informative tour was just "ducky"!! And you "quacked" me up with your thoughts to be a duck sitter... I'm surprised, though, that you didn't include a recipe for roast duck...

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  7. Now that is about the coolest building I've ever seen a pic. of.
    Pretty neat and I loved the info you gave us.
    Also love your sweet treasures !
    Be sure and come look at the yummy pecans I put all over my store-bought cinnamon roll...
    hugs, bj

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  8. Loved the tour and all the info. You'd be a perfect for the job, in your 'spare time'!!

    As many times as I've been out there, I've never visited it.
    Looks so cute at Christmas.

    Love the red on the Door..
    9 more coats!!

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  9. OH he's cute!! I love him at Christmas Time and that would be an interesting job. The red door is fabulous~ looks like my back door! Cindy

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  10. Not fowl at all Kathleen. I love it.
    I lived in Long Island for awhile, in Huntington with my sister and BIL. He played for the N.Y. Islanders for 25 years. I would have loved to have seen Mr. Duck.
    OH an BTW... All my doors and my guest cottage and everything else outside is your lovely apple red. Love it.
    Happy OW
    Love Claudie
    xo

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  11. Hmmmmmmmmmm, now that duck is just fowl!!!! LOL But, I love it.

    And congrats go out to you for winning the prize.


    My O W is a nearby marshland with waterfowl and Autumn colors...and a surprise L N Monster visit!!!

    Come by and see

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  12. Very big duck, thanks for the informative post!

    I explored the Jogging trail this time.

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  13. Cute post and photos of the the big duck. I like the Christmas duck photo.

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  14. Cute post - I love wayside Americanna! He is pretty handsome all dressed up for Christmas. I like the red door too :)

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  15. Love your red door, Kathleen. I have one also and always think it's so cheery and welcoming. What fun photos of the duck.

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  16. I remember the duck! I haven't seen it since I was a kid! Somewhere in my dad's house there is a picture of me at about 4 years old with my brother and sisters in front of the duck. They were munching on these potato chips we used to get out the island that came in a tin ... this was the early 1970's ...
    Thanks for a good memory!

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  17. Duck sitting...that is a new one! Bet your grandkids love going to see it.

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  18. I had never heard of this tourist attraction. I'm glad you posted it and the history to go with it. It is so interesting to learn these things about other places.
    Mama Bear

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  19. How fun to see that duck building! And yes, I'm sure YOU would make a great "duck sitter", Kathleen! You could cook up some lovely meals for him! Your new red door is looking great! I know those dark colours take a lot of coats!

    DD

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  20. Do they mean duck sitter as in you would be sitting on the nest to keep the little eggs warm?
    That could be quite the gig. They imprint on who they see first don't they? You would have a trail of little ducklings following you everywhere. Quack, quack.

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  21. The duck has had quite an adventure. I hope he's finally found a spot he can call home. Have a great Outdoor Wednesday.

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  22. Hi Kathleen!

    What a cute building! No, I've never seen the duck store but now that I know about it I'd love to see it in person. I don't get out your way often..it is about a three hour drive if there is traffic, which there always seems to be these days. My daughter took a trip out to Montauk recently, and it made we want to go again! Long Island is really one of the best islands in the world!

    I love your new red door and congrats on winning that nice give away! I love cookbooks ..I can never have enough of them. I'm curious..what is your all time favorite cook book?

    Happy Veterans Day and Happy Outdoor Wednesday!

    Hugs, Pat

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  23. Well that is all just DUCKY applying for a job at the Duck store:) I have never visited the Duck or heard of it and my college roomie was from Riverhead and never mentioned the duck. It is cute and I bet all the kids just love the duck. We have the Big Chicken here in our area:)
    Joyce

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  24. I had never heard of the Big Duck. I kept giggling as I was reading it. It's a funny name but what else would you call it? That job might be a little too boring for you!!!
    Cute post!
    xxx........C

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  25. Loved your post, it is too cute! Duck sitter... what a job.

    Thank you for sharing the Big Duck with us!

    ~ Tracy

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  26. Have to tell you I love the napkin on your header. It looks like the rooster is handpainted. Really nice!

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  27. What a great building and such a fun post! Duck sitter, that sounds like a fun job! I love seeing these fun old buildings. When we drive through Florida there is an old ice cream shop that is shaped like an ice cream cone. Just fun! Kathy

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  28. Kathleen, I've seen a picture of that duck before ... maybe from you. Who knows?

    I think duck-sitting would cut into your bargain shopping. That wouldn't be good. ... I couldn't live vicariously through your wonderful buys.

    Love the red door and congrats on the win.

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  29. Kathleen, always get educated when I visit your blog. Never knew about the duck, and I won't soon forget. If you end up getting the duck-sitting job, it will be good blogging material.

    Love the red door and congrats on the win.

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  30. Well, I've certainly been to the duck, and I'm delighted that you did this post. It really is something...Nancy
    PS: I think you'd make a wonderful duck sitter!

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  31. Oh look at all of the fun things I've missed. I do think you should become a duck docent! And you won a giveaway! I love that sweet apron. Cute! Lucky you. The door looks great :-)

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