D434 The Nutquacker and D435 The Sugar Plum Ducky were created  by Cheryl and Craig for the Ho! Ho! Ho! A Season of Caching event on December 17, 2011.

Created by Craig for the ornament exchange at the Ho! Ho! Ho! A Season of Caching 3 4 event on December 17, 2011.

Team-Ducky makes duckies for events they attend.  The Ho! H0! Ho! event traditionally has an ornament exchange.

Team-Ducky discovered at the first Ho! Ho! Ho! event they attended that duckies make great ornaments!

Cameo: Blue_Pfenix with her new Christmas Ducky Ornament

Congratulations to Blue_Pfenix for choosing the Sugar Plum Ducky in the exchange.

Created by Cheryl for the ornament exchange at the Ho! Ho! Ho! A Season of Caching 3 4 event on December 17, 2011.

Team-Ducky tries to make a ducky or two for every geocaching event they attend (attending events counts as finding a geocache, so leaving a ducky is appropriate–and fun!)

(Cameo: Monet 37 w/ her new Christmas Tree Ornament, La Vaca Verde in background.)

At the annual Ho! Ho! Ho! event, people are invited to wrap up an ornament for a secret exchange.  (This is Team-Ducky’s 2nd Ho! Ho! Ho! event, at the first one we attended, we made Jingle and Jangle, Ducky Elves.)  Congrats to Monet37 for picking up the Nutquacker for her tree.

The classic (egg) shell game... which shell has the smiley?

Created by Craig as the First To Find prize for Team-Ducky’s 28th cache hide, “Another (Egg) Shell Game.”

One Smiley, Two Frowns... move the (egg) shells round and roun'

This cache is a replacement for the original (Egg) Shell Game, which was busted by the man.

Follow the Shel with your eyes and you'll claim the smiley prize.

The cache is made up of three identical magnetic reflectors, each attached to one of three identical road signs.  The trick is guessing which cache holds the log book.

 

Once a geocacher has made the find and signed the log, they can shuffle the containers and replace them so the next cacher can guess as well.

Conrgrats to Tundra Wolf for being the First to Find!

(photo by Tundra Wolf)

Created by Craig as the First-To-Find prize for Team-Ducky’s 27th cache, “The Empty Nest.”  Published on December 17, 2011.

(photo by Tundra Wolf)

The Empty Nest is a cache placed in tribute to the best cache we have put out, The Hatchery, which was lost in the floods of 2011.  The 5 gallon bucket contained a camera, a large vinyl MaMa Ducky that served as the sign-in log, a bag of sharpie markers, and a bunch of duckies and ducky eggs decorated by cache visitors.   All washed away in the flood….

(Photo by Tundra Wolf)

BUT, imagine our surprise when we hid the The Empty Nest and found The Hatchery back where it started, sort of.  Some anonymous person found it and returned it to the tree beside its previous location.  The contents were a bit damp and mildewy, but the film in the camera was mostly salvageable and MaMa Ducky was returned to the Ducky Pond.

There will be a new Hatchery some time next year.

Congratulations to Tundra Wolf for the First to Find on this cache.  (Thanks for the photos.)

Created by Craig for El Fartero’s Golden Stinker on December 3, 2011.

The cache is a golden ammo can stuffed with golden sparkly swag in celebration of El Fartero’s 1,000 geocache finds.

La Vaca Verde, El Fartero's better half

The cache container was created and stocked by by La Vaca Verde and the cache was written up and hidden by Softball29.

* The original ducky was created in the field– but Team-Ducky had appointments to make and a hike back to the Ducky-Mobile…and in middle of the creation process, the golden paint marker leaked all over the ducky. So, we dropped the misfit ducky in the cache and allowed Tundra Wolf to virtually snarf it.  Then we made a new, proper ducky back at the Ducky-Pond and gave it to Tundra Wolf at the Ho Ho Ho event.

Best Gifts: Equality, Peace, & Love

Created by Craig for The Giving Tree cache on December 3, 2011.  A very cool cache with a good theme, inspired by a horrible book.  (I much prefer this story…)

Congratulations to Wardrums for finding and adding the Giving Duck to his growing collection.

Math Puzzle Cache? Sounds like a job for Team-Ducky's Secret Weapon!

Created by Cheryl for That ALGEBRA Cache on November 25, 2011.

...Secret Weapon: Dad (a.k.a. PaPa Ducky)

Team-Ducky makes a habit of avoiding most puzzle caches– but PaPa Ducky was visiting for Thanksgiving.

No ruler needed for these problems.

PaPa Ducky is a retired math teacher.  UU Jester and PaPa Ducky had the problems solved in no time at all.

Papa Ducky also likes Origami

The hardest part of the cache, other than climbing the hill back to Flash, was fitting the ducky into the cache.

Fortunately, PaPa Ducky knows advanced geometry and duckies are pliant students.

Created by Craig for the Oneida County High Points multi-cache on November 12, 2011.  Chef Ducky and UU Jester (of Team-Ducky) brought their houseguest, and budding new cacher-to be, Kiya, along for a caching adventure with LCSM.  Part one of the cache is on the highest point in Oneida county.  The final cache is on the top of the 2nd highest point.

Chef Ducky and Kiya wait for UU Jester and LCSM to return with the smiley.

The hill was steep and the freshly fallen snow was messy and slick.  Kiya found part one (congrats!)  The climb down and up to the final as a bit too daunting, so Kiya and Chef Ducky returned to Vultan, the T-D Cruiser, while LCSM and UU Jester made the trek.

They left a friend to greet cachers on their return trip to the car.

LCSM snarfed the ducky for her growing collection.

Created by Cheryl for Tornado Alley on November 6, 2011.

UU Jester tried to bushwhack to this cache, but that proved to be a very bad idea.

Release the Flying Monkeys!

 

"Not A Real Munzee"

Created by Craig for Just Around The Riverbend on November 4, 2011.

UU Jester was introduced to the new gps-based game, Munzee, that day and even logged a few of them.  Munzee uses GPS coordinates and  QR reader.

Munzees are interesting, but they aren’t replacing geocaching as our favorite hobby.

 

Ever gone on a Snipe Hunt?

Created by Craig for the DOAS Sanctuary Cache on November 4, 2011.

First, you need a Snipe call-- a whistle works well.

UU Jester was on a First-to-Find hunt that autumnal morning.

Then, you need someone to hold a net.

The Deleware-Otsego Audubon Society’s sanctuary on Franklin Mountain has many trails, a number of bird watching stations, and four geocaches.

Then, you go out in the woods, preferably at night, blow your whistle and throw your net.

UU Jester was happy to be the first to find, and even turned another DNF frown upside down.

With a little luck, you might just catch that wily Snipe!

Congratulations to Tundra Wolf for finding and successfully catching this Snipe Hunt ducky.  (Having a pack along helps…)

 

Created by Craig for A Really Old Cemetery on October 28, 2011.

"Plucky Ducky slipped on a mossy tombstone..."

Out caching with LCSM and spent way too much time looking for this cache.  We both slipped and fell on the tombstones and downed trees.

"...and let out a last dying moan."

Created by Craig for the Mann Cemetery Cache on October 28, 2011.

"Poor Plucky Ducky fancied himself a poet..."

Plucky Ducky XXI the poet was inspired by the abundant poetical epitaphs in the cemetery.

"...Unfortunately, he had to expire before you'd know it."

Created by Craig for the Dimock Hollow cache on October 28, 2011.

UU Jester and LCSM were out caching and enjoyed this stop along a river by a constructed waterfall.

Created by Craig for The Morris Crematorium on October 28, 2011.

Fortunately, the cache owner has an odd sense of humor and the cache wasn’t as titled.

Created by guest artist, Lisa (LCSM), and Craig for Scout It Out on October 28, 2011.

LCSM works on her first signature ducky.

LCSM and UU Jester met up for a caching day trip after a light snowfall.

Lisa and her family are quite involved with the Scouts, so she felt inspired to make a scout  in ducky form.  (Our 2nd one, the first being D339 Ducky Scout by Cheryl.)

LCSM joins the small, but growing, ranks of Team-Ducky guest artists.  Welcome!

Horse?

Created by Craig for Glenn’s Rest on October 25, 2011.

Apples?

The cache was hidden off of a trail through a state forest park that was specifically designed for use by people with horses.  It was a good walk with a new caching colleague–but we did have to watch our step.

Cameo: Socks Ducky a.k.a. Rev. Douglas Taylor

(This is the last in a series of mis-numbered duckies.  It is is not #415 as numbered; it is really #419.)

Created by Craig as the First-to-Find prize for Team-Ducky’s 26th cache, A Duck In The Hand.

Even though we didn’t think the cache was THAT difficult to find, it took ~20 people searching the woods for ~hour to find it.

Congratulations to P.J. (Softball29) for actually making the find and adding A Duck In Hand to his ducky collection.

Created by Craig as a prize for the 2011 SITMC Halloween Cache Bash on October 22, 2011.

This year’s event theme was Caches in Disguise, so Ducky Masquerade is all decked out.

Ducky Masquerade was placed in the Trick-or-Treat Witches Caldron (the sign-in log for the event) along with signature items and swag from all the other attendees.  Congratulations to MrMacMan2U for winning the Cauldron and all the contents.

(This is another mislabeled ducky.  It says #416 on the bottom, but it is actually #417.)

Created by Cheryl as one of the prizes for the SITMC Halloween Cache Bash 2011 on October 22, 2011.

The theme of this year’s event was “Caches in Costume”, so the spy ducky is in disguise.

Congratulations to Monet37 for winning the ducky in the Cauldron of Doom!

(This is one of the mixed up numbered duckies.  It says #415 on it, but it is actually #416)

Created by Cheryl as the First-To-Find prize for Team-Ducky’s 25th geocache hide, “Ducky Call“.

Congratulations to Irish Tala and Team-Frog for being the First-to-Find.  (Congrats to Irish Tala on getting their first ducky.)

SPOILER:  The ducky does provide a clue as to where part of this multi-cache can be found.

Unfortunately, this duck marks the start of a series of misnumbered duckies.

The ducky is labeled as D414, but it is actually D415.  (UU Jester apologizes for the mistake.)

Quack and Bill went down the hill.

Created by Craig and Cheryl for Better Than The Golden Arches on October 15, 2011.

..to find a gecache treasure.

The hillside was rather steep and treacherous leading to wide, fast-flowing river at the bottom.

Slipped on Rocks, but found the Box; Climbed up and then slipped for good measure.

The French King Bridge overhead was very busy and every car that drove over made loud noises.

 

Molly the Boovine sits atop Molly the Bovine

Created by Craig for Molly’s Cache on October 15, 2011.

Anyone need a pumpkin?

Molly’s Cache was located at Carter and Steven’s Farm Store, where Team-Ducky stopped on their way back to the Ducky-Pond from their vacation in Maine.

Part cow, part pumpkin--- very scary!

The farm stand was fabulous, with home-made ice-cream and bakery.  Even better, their are goats and a cow to feed in the back.

Molly communes with a fowl friend.

Created by Craig for the EMS Patch Trading Cache on October 14, 2011.

The cache is located behind the garage of a local ambulance service by some geocaching EMTs.

It is a great concept for the cache and Team-Ducky applauds those who serve as EMTs…

… unfortunately, the cache is also hidden next to a storage lot of port-a-potties.  If the ducky hadn’t been pre-made, Team-Ducky would have turned back before even stepping out of the Ducky-Mobile.   Peee-ewwww.

Naturalist Ducky sits astride Millie the Milkable Cow

Created by Craig for A Naturalist’s Treasure on October 13, 2011.  A Naturalist’s Treasure is located behind one of the coolest stores Team-Ducky has had the pleasure of visiting, the Naturalist’s Notebook in Seal Harbor, Maine.

Naturalist Ducky hangs out with Halley

Halley was the friendly woman working behind the register at the Naturalist’s Notebook.  She was also the genius responsible for creating Millie the Milkable Cow.  Team-Ducky gives her two wings-up for her good nature, her great smile, and her support of geocachers.  If you stop in, tell her Team-Ducky says “Hi!”

"Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue..."

Created by Craig & Cheryl for the Somes Sound Picnic cache on October 13, 2011.

"Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!"

Somes Sound Picnic is located in a city park owned by Mt. Desert in the middle of Acadia National Park.

"Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords."

The park is located on Somes Sound which is the only natural Fjord in the lower 48 United States.  (A very pretty view!)

 

800 Geocaches found by Team-Ducky!

Created by Craig in celebration of Team-Ducky’s 800th geocache, Caching in on Birds, on October 12, 2011.

Caching in on Birds is a wonderful, large ammo can hidden in the middle of Southwest Harbor, Maine at a bird-themed museum, the Wendell Gilley Museum.

The cache was also the closest cache to our inn while we were in Maine on vacation, so that was fortuitous.

Osprey (photo © D. Roberson ; all rights reserved, from creagrus.home.montereybay.com)

Want to learn more about Ospreys?

Quack! poses in front of the Duck Pond

Created by Cheryl and Craig in celebration of their first cache found in Maine, “Quack Quack”, on October 11, 2011.

We were happy to find this ducky-themed cache after making a search on our iPhones.  The cache is hidden next to a permanent duck pond set up by a man in memory of his wife who liked to stop here to feed the ducks.  The pond is fenced in to protect the ducks and there is an automatic mechanical feeder for them.

Cheryl drew the scene and the ducks while Craig created the mallard head for the ducky.    Quack is currently MIA.

Created by Craig as an homage to the avatar/symbol of TeamNatureNinja.

Nature Ninja Ducky was left in Gone Golfing? on October 9, 2011.

Created by Craig.  Originally intended for one of the caches on Star Island.

Unfortunately, in a spectacular demonstration of the the “don’t make duckies for specific caches before you find them” curse, Hurricane Irene came in and cancelled UU Jester’s trip to the island.

The Star-Bellied Sneetch was dropped in Hummer Haven instead on September 19, 2011, as part of a late-night FTF hunt.

Team Ark-ville found Hummer Haven and took the Star-Bellied Sneetch home on September 25, 2011.

Dr. Seuss' Star-Bellied Sneetch (from Maggie Williams Wanderer blog)

 

Created by Cheryl as the first-to-find prize for Team-Ducky’s 24th cache (our 2nd night cache), “Things That Go Quack in the Night.”  His fangs and eyes glow in the dark!  Luckless won FTF honors (disproving her nickname…) at the 2nd annual SITMC Halloween Cache Bash and joined 23 others in  making the find that very evening.

Sonny & Sandy of the Podcacher Podcast

Created by Craig.  Podquacher is Team-Ducky’s 19th Traveling Ducky, a tribute ducky to the Podcacher Podcast team.

The Podcacher Podcast Logo

The Podcacher Podcast is one of the most popular geocaching podcasts.  Sonny and Sandy (and their son, Sean) put out the weekly podcast that includes news stories, tips & tricks, milestones, and other stories and items of interest to geocahers.

Podquacher’s goal is to reach Podcacher Treasure Vault cache so it can join the Podcacher Podcast Team in San Diego, CA,  and eventually make it into the Podcacher Treasure Cache Coffee Table Book.

Sean, the youngest member of the Podcaher Team

Podquacher started its travels at the Ducky-Pond and was then placed in the Caching in on Birds cache in Southwest Harbor, Maine.  It is now on its way traveling west.  Can you help it get to the Podcacher Podcast Team?

Created for Craig as an addition to Team-Frog’s travel bug, Don’t Bug Me!

Team-Ducky found the Don’t Bug Me travel bug dog tag at the Breakfast Cache and Photo event on May 21, 2011.  The tag wasn’t attached to anything, so we decided to fix that.  First we had to find something fitting a travel bug of Team-Frog.

This froggy easter egg container seemed the perfect thing.  A few holes drilled in it, a chain threaded through, and then, of course, a ducky… but what kind of ducky to put inside a frog?

It appears that the froggy has swallowed a mighty big bug!  The newly remade Don’t Bug Me! travel bug is all set to be released at the next Stuck In The Middle Cachers event, the Halloween Cache Bash, on October 22, 2011.

Created by Craig, Clownin’ Around is Team-Ducky’s 18th Traveling Ducky.

The Traveling Duckies are proxies for travel bugs and geocoins, with the tracking number printed on the bottom of the ducky.

Clownin’ Around is part of a collaborative art project with YearBox by fellow geocacher (and colleague & friend) Rev_Mother.

Rev_Mother is making 365 homemade boxes using found materials.  The boxes are beautiful and evocative.  If Clownin’ Around gets to her  in Texas before she finishes the project, she will incorporate the ducky in one of her boxes.  (Maybe a geocache box– you never know…)

Clownin’ Around is also a tribute ducky, of sorts.  It is based on a specific clown, a graduate from the Barnum & Bailey Clown College…

Rev. Theoduck Parker, radical ducky minister.

Created by Craig originally in honor of a visit by Parker (and his moms) who is named after the historical Unitarian Minister, Theodore Parker.

Rev. Theodore Parker

Intended for a cache on the Unitarian Universalist/UCC retreat center on Star Island.

Since the retreat was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene, Theoduck Parker was instead placed in the Route 12 Pitstop by Chef Ducky on September 18, 2011.

Rev. Theoduck Parker is dedicated to Parker D-J and Professor Dean G.

Team-Ducky's 400th Ducky!

Created by Cheryl in celebration of Team-Ducky’s 400th Ducky!!!  Every 100 duckies, we create a special one.  (It is all about the accessories.)  Chef Ducky loves tropical places and tropical scenes, so for Ducky #400, she created a Hawaiian Ducky, Aloha 400.  We left Aloha 400 Ducky in a nearby multi-cache, Cacher Up, on August 22, 2011.  Less than a week later, local caching team, Artfully Bare, welcomed Aloha 400 Ducky to their growing collection.

The Geico Geckos

Team-Ducky’s 17th traveling ducky, created by Craig as part of Geico’s Gecko Travelbug promotion.

Separated at birth?

Geico offered geocachers a free Gecko travelkin as long as they agreed to activate it and place it into a geocache somewhere.  An interesting form of advertising/promotion.

Sometimes, we can't tell them apart...

As is our custom, Team-Ducky doesn’t release most Travel Bugs, Travelkins, or Geocoins. Instead, we make a Traveling Ducky and put the number from the original on the ducky.  Then we give it “flight” in a geocache and hope for the best.  This one is a doppleganger, a copy or homage to something else.  You can follow the travels and adventures of Geico’s Other Mascot on his page.

D398 R.I.P. Plucky Ducky XX - Monopoly

Created by Craig for Diabolical “Rich Uncle Pennybags”, a Monopoly themed Puzzle Cache, on July 22, 2011.

"Plucky Ducky spent his life racing for the dough..."

We don’t usually do puzzle caches, but this one was based on the Monopoly game board– and UU Jester does do games.  Also, it was one of the only puzzle caches in Radford, VA, where UU Jester was spending a week at SUUSI.

"...In the end lost it all, and did not pass 'go'."

Was quite surprised to find the cache was in a hidden cemetery, but pulled out the markers and started making the customary, Plucky Ducky.  Then it started to rain…  (I’m blaming the smudging and general “roughness” of this ducky on the weather… you can’t prove otherwise.)

Created by Craig for the Cat’s Eye Night Cache on July 19th, 2011, while in VA for SUUSI 2011.

Usually, we try to make glow-in-the-dark duckies for Night Caches, but since this one was in the far off land of VA, UU Jester had to settle for just making it somewhat shiny.

Zelda, the other SUUSI Ducky

Created by guest artist, Erika, while at SUUSI 2011.  She wanted to do something similar to what Craig did with D395 SUUSI Ducky, but he wouldn’t let her– so she made this cute thematic ducky instead.

Zelda sports her version of the SUUSI 2011 logo

Erika wasn’t able to go caching with UU Jester, so she is one of the only guest artists to not have that experience (next year!).  We have no idea why the ducky’s name is Zelda.  When asked why she named it Zelda, Erika said, “Because that’s her name.”  Can’t argue with that.

Zelda was left in Riddle Me This on July 18th, 2o11, as part of the SUUSI Geocaching Nature Trip.    Emalya answered the riddle and took Zelda as a prize on August 10, 2011.

SUUSI Ducky 2011

Created by Craig his first time attending SUUSI (the Southeastern Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute)– sort of a all-ages summer camp on steroids for Unitarian Universalists (warning: proselytizing links, no duckies, but one has puppets) and their friends.

The front of the ducky was a reproduction of the SUUSI 2011 logo.  In the interest of truth in advertising, while at SUUSI 2011, I did actually experience Laughter, Fun, Friends, Community, Love, Hugs, Peace, Fellowship, Worship, Family (though not my own), Nature, Music, and more Fun.  I also experienced BBQ, Great Food, Kids, Games, Geocaching, Cheese-Making, and driving a Golf Cart.

SUUSI Ducky was left in Gnome’s Treasure on July 18th, 2011, as part of a SUUSI Geocaching Nature Trip.  The ducky was later found and adopted into the secret clan of Team Nature Ninja.  (Who have one of the coolest Icon’s of their own… so cool, in fact, Team-Ducky was inspired to make a ducky based on it.)

Duck... (Chef Ducky),

Created by Craig for DUCK, Duck, Goose on July 14, 2011.

Duck....(UU Jester),

A nice cache along a walkway in a suburban neighborhood.  Lots of ducks and geese guarding the cache.

....Goose!

Ducky Potter poses for the class photo in his school robe.

Created by Craig for The Triwizard Tournament: The Third Task on July 13, 2011.

Potter's broom is going to come in handy in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

One of the best theme caches we’ve one.  It was a multi cache night cache and part of a series.  The final cache contained a silver goblet– the goblet of fire from the Tri-Wizard tournament.

"Luminos!"

It looks like the cache has been muggled, so we are waiting to hear about Ducky Potter’s whereabouts.

Harry Potter, no relation

UU Jester is heading south...

Created by Craig for Cache Builder #6 on July 12th, 2011.

Oneonta, NY <---------- 245 miles North

Stopped by this cache for a stretch of the legs on my way to a seminar in Columbia, MD.

85 miles ---------------> Columbia, MD

D391 NC Scout

Created by Craig in honor Team-Ducky’s first caching trip to North Carolina.  Placed in the Bulldog Cache in Luray, VA.

North Carolina's state flag

(Yeah, I know the NC Scout was dropped in a VA cache.  I guess he wasn’t much of a scout.)

We think 8Papillon8 picked up NC Scout– but we aren’t sure.  We hope so, since the cache has been muggled.

D390 King Theoden the Ducky King

Created by guest artist, Niece Quacker, in honor of her favorite movies, the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

King Theoden

Niece Quacker and Little Quacker both made two duckies and chose to keep one each.  We  virtually dipped King Theoden in the Lift Your Leg Treasures cache and Niece Quacker virtually snarfed it.

D389 Super Ducky

Created by guest artist, Little Quacker, and dipped in Pit Stop #1 / Race for the Finish multi-cache.

Super Ducky's best side?

Niece Quacker and Little Quacker made two duckies each with the understanding that they would be able to keep one of them.  Little Quacker decided to snarf this one so it only visited the cache.

D388 Mixter Ducky

Mixter Ducky is a hybrid ducky– according to the guest artist, Little Quacker, he is part cow, part horse, and part dog.

Mixter Ducky poses with creator, guest artist, Little Quacker.

It is purely coincidence that Little Quacker’s favorite animals are cows, horses, and dogs.

Little Quacker volunteered to leave Mixter Ducky in the Boy Scouts Geocaching Merit Badge cache on June 23, 2011.  (One of the most filled caches we’ve had the pleasure of finding.)

D387 Gramma Ducky

Created by guest artist, Niece Quacker, and left in Touchdown on June 23, 2011.

Niece Quacker poses with her creation, Gramma Ducky