A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....03-31-04....Pink Flamingos

dansangel

[dansangel]

[dansangel]

Welcome Finest FRiends ~ come join us as we honor an ages-old Florida tradition - Pink Plastic Flamingos!

[dansangel]

God Bless Our Military

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Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; Aquamarine; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

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We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon...son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son The Mayor........................niece LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.....................nephew ValerieUSA................2 sons Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty StarCMC......................brother TexKat...................son and stepson Atomic Conspiracy....half-brother, niece, and nephew Dubya......................nephew SunflowerGal.......grandson cookcounty........son AF_Blue......active duty

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........2 nephews gator girl............husband severa.........husband, brother Hostel...................cousin MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave........niece, nephew deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort..2 daughters, son-in-law Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.................son kimmie7...............brother Tiffee4Bob.............boyfriend Visualops...cousin, adopted Marine ODC-GIRL............active duty Donaeus............nephew thumperusn.........active duty katykelly.........son Rose in Rosebear...cousin's husband Notwithstanding....Active Duty

[lonestar]

Here, the youth at a local church would put pink plastic flamingos in yards at night for $$$. A nice early morning surprise for some people. NOT.

[Mama_Bear]

Cute post, (((((((dansy))))))).

I have a pink plastic flamingo story (doesn't everyone? LOL)....

We hosted a foreign exchange student from Finland during her senior year of high school many years ago, and one of the things that she had heard about America is that people put pink plastic flamingos in their front yards. She was disappointed when she found none in our neighborhood. So, I just happened to find a beautiful pair of hot pink flamingos at our local WalMart and surprised her with them when she came home from school one day. No, I just couldn't bring myself to put them in the front yard. LOL. I had them standing in the middle of the back lawn when she came home. Katja got such a kick out of them that I told her that we would leave them to her in our will. LOL!

[Diver Dave]

MRDUCKS
MRNOTDUCKS
SARCDEDBDWINGS
LBMRDUCKS

[dansangel]

A nice early morning surprise for some people. NOT.

LOL! I guess "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

(((((lonestar))))))

[Mama_Bear]

More uses for the plastic flamingo......

PLASTIC PINK FLAMINGOS A BOON TO SCIENCE
MIAMI (Reuters)*

Scientists saving the wading birds of Florida's giant Everglades ecosystem said Tuesday they had turned to an unlikely ally -- the plastic pink flamingos that dot suburban lawns throughout the state.

Starting Monday, teams from the South Florida Water Management District will sneak out before dawn and deposit the familiar wire-legged creatures, newly painted white, in ponds in a northern section of the threatened swamp. 

They hope the lawn ornaments will lure their feathered brethren to the ponds so scientists can study what combination of fish density, water depth and bird company most attracts threatened bird species, said senior scientist Dale Gawlik, a district senior scientist and specialist in avian ecology. 

The pink plastic birds will be painted white because the birds in the experiment all happen to be white, Gawlik said. 

"It seems to be in particular with these social feeding birds -- white ibis, wood storks, snowy egrets, great egrets -- all those species share the characteristics that they have white plumage and predominantly feed in social groups,'' he said.
 
A pilot study showed the real birds were just as fooled by the decoy plastic birds -- wire legs and all -- as by pricier, more anatomically correct imitations.  "If you go to buy a great egret decoy you are going to pay $27 apiece,"' he said.  "We thought, we can get pink flamingos for a couple of dollars apiece, and we can paint them white.''

Besides, the $27 decoys also have wire legs, Gawlik noted. 

So far, the Water Management District has bought 108 of the plastic birds. And Gawlik, who has never had them at his home, said he is reconsidering their appeal.  "I see this as a potential constructive use for them,'' he said.

* Editor's Note:  Reuters purports to be a fact-dependent news service

[dansangel]

No, I just couldn't bring myself to put them in the front yard. LOL.

*Outraged* I am! Hmmmph. No accounting for taste!

:-)

In all seriousness, I enjoyed having those flamingos in the front yard. I don't think they bothered the neighbors. I lived near some very particular and very outspoken older people and not one of them said a word.

Shock, perhaps?

Thank you for the story, I enjoyed it. Can't sleep tonight, that's why I posted early. Loved your thread on Wyoming - beautiful, as always. Will give sleep another chance here in a bit.

(((((Mama_Bear))))))))

[dansangel]

"It seems to be in particular with these social feeding birds -- white ibis, wood storks, snowy egrets, great egrets -- all those species share the characteristics that they have white plumage and predominantly feed in social groups,'' he said.

Yes, and they *all* have these long, impossibly skinny (with backwards knees, no less) legs!

I am ROFL at this article. Thank you for the grins!

[Mama_Bear]

Shock, perhaps?

LOL! Perhaps. ;-)

Good night, dansangel. See you tomorrow.

[dansangel]

:-)

I *remember* this from years ago.....but this part has me stymied:

LBMRDUCKS

????

((((((DD))))))))

[dansangel]

Have a great, restful night (((((M_B))))))

[SuziQ]

I LOVE those trashy pink flamingos! We're thinking of putting a pond in our back yard, and I wants a couple of them there!

For some reason, one of our neighbors had a whole flock of them appear in their front yard yesterday morning! Don't know why, but they sure were cute!

[Diver Dave]

A hunnert years ago, spent many hours of liberty at the San Diego Zoo (Free tickets at the YMCA).
As you walked through the gate, straight ahead was a huge flamingo display. Not a plastic one in sight.

[dansangel]

Hi (((((Suzi))))))

Aren't they fun? I miss having a yard to put them in (we're temporary renters in GA). Someday when we return to FL, I plan on having them again.

Did the *real* deal show up in your neighbor's yard, or did someone plant a bunch of plastic ones?

[Diver Dave]

LBMRDUCKS

I'll be, 'em are ducks. :)

[SuziQ]

MRMICE
MRNOTMICE
OSARCDEDBDIS
LIBMRMICE

[dansangel]

Not a plastic one in sight.

I'm so sorry to hear that you were so deprived! ;-)

I saw a huge flock of flamingos (live) in Sea World in Miami many years ago. They are such beautiful, graceful creatures.

In Sebastian, we used to have Egrets loping by on those long, graceful legs.

Also, the hospital where I worked had a family of peacocks living out back. They are so magnificent! I miss the tropical wildlife.

[SuziQ]

Oh, they were definitely the plastic variety. I've never seen a real flamingo in Massachusetts! LOL!