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

dansangel

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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~ Billie, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear, Aquamarine ~

~~~ Pink Flamingos ~~~

They are the ultimate in Florida kitsch, an affront to the senses of anyone with mannered upbringing and the target of ire in many a homeowner-run community. What am I babbling mindlessly about? Why *Pink Flamingos* of course!

No, silly, not the real deal. The warm-blooded and feathered variety are breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, although they are found in abundant numbers in the southern region of the Sunshine State, flamingos are not native. The Caribbean, or American flamingo may visit Florida for a short time while searching for food, but it has not been associated as a species native to Florida.

Anyway, back on track….the *Flamingos* to which I am referring are the funny, trashy-yet-oh-so-chic, plastic pink flamingos. Every lawn in south Florida should have them. They're colorful, festive (try putting some red and green bows on them at Christmas - but, more on that later) and definitely make the statement that *You* have *arrived.* (At least your front yard has).

While living in Sebastian a few years ago, I remember squealing with delight while perusing the local Wal Mart outdoors department and spying a pair of pink plastic flamingos in a box on the shelf. Faster than you could say, "Are you nuts?" they found their way into my shopping cart, through the check-out line, into my car and onto my front lawn. I lovingly hosed them off when the yellow pine pollen soiled their effusive *pink*ness. I decorated their graceful, long necks with red and green ribbons at Christmastime. They made me smile broadly each and every day after returning home from a long, hard day at work and gazing upon their stoic yet whimsical forms while rolling up the driveway. Truly a tonic for the forlorn soul.

One day, while driving down the street on my way home from work, as I approached the house, I realized something was amiss. Only *one* pink form could be seen at its permanent home by the front door. Where was the other one?

Upon closer inspection, I found that the second pink flamingo was buried beneath the behemoth frond of the queen palm under which they lived. It seems a small wind storm had passed through sometime that afternoon as they are wont to do during the summer months in FL. A giant frond snapped free and plummeted straight to earth atop one of my beloved pink flamingos. Raising my tear-stained face heavenward, I conceded, "OK, Lord, I can take a hint." With that, I removed the one good flamingo and the broken, twisted remains of the other, and lovingly placed them in a corner of the garage where they remained until a later spring cleaning warranted their relocation to the local land-fill.

Somehow returning home each day thereafter just didn't seem the same…

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 03-29-04 Military Monday 03-30-04 Wyoming ~ Like No Place On Earth

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

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[Billie]

Wolfie's planning on having you for dinner. Hope you taste as good as you look. : )

Another LOL! You'll probably need lots of ketchup - and tenderizer. 'member, I'm a pretty tough ole' bird. :)

[dansangel]

Well, there you have it dansangel - - and jwfiv KNOWS charm!!

Yes *he* does....unlike our resident *curmudgeon*.

:-)

[dansangel]

[[[[[{{{{{(((((Louie_Wolfie_Man)))))}}}}}]]]]]

Knew you would *finally* succumb to the wily charms that were calling you out - LOL!

Thank you so much for your kind, as always, words. Hope you are *in the pink* this Wednesday!

:-)

[ST.LOUIE1]

Is that an albino Flamingo? : )

[jwfiv]

Here's my pink flamingo...)

A strange cayuse, indeed.

[shaggy eel]

,,, how are ya Dansy? Did you know Steely Dan have a shot of flamingos in the sleeve notes of their "Two against nature" CD?

Hope all is well for you!

[ST.LOUIE1]

Wolfie's planning on having you for dinner.
Hope you taste as good as you look. : )

Another LOL! You'll probably need lots of ketchup - and tenderizer. 'member, I'm a pretty tough ole' bird. :)

Now.....I NEVER called you an "ole" bird. LOL

[Billie]

LOL! Now why am NOT I surprised that you chose that particular graphic?! (I saw it when I searched for the "Family" flamingos!)

[ST.LOUIE1]

OH! NOOOOOOO!
A "Wolfmingo"

A "Wolfmingo"! LOL!

Hi, doll. : )

[Billie]

Now.....I NEVER called you an "ole" bird. LOL

LOL! I know - but wouldn't T Man like to think you did!

[jwfiv]

It just seemed to say "me"...)

[Syncro]

:>)

[Billie]

It just seemed to say "me"...)

Indeed it does!

[dansangel]

I wasn't aware of that (((((((shaggy eel))))))))

I surely hope this finds you in a hot pink kind of mood!

Do you have flamingos down under? :-)

[shaggy eel]

,,, some time in the 1960s I think we had a few in a zoo here, but that's it. Birdlife here is a bit different. I'll post a couple of photos.

[dansangel]

Birdlife here is a bit different.

Understatement of the universe! *All* animal life is a *bit different* which is why I asked! LOL!

I'm sure I've already told you, but I have been enamoured of the duckbill platypus since I was a small child (eons agao) and heard about them at school. It's my goal to see one up close and personal before my time on earth is up!

:-)

[shaggy eel]

,,, around this time of year blue penguins start coming ashore a bit more. This shot shows crested penguins, but they're similar looking.

[shaggy eel]

,,, South Island brown Kiwi. Nothing quite as pretty as the flamingo [LOL!]

[dansangel]

I love penguins....*almost* as much as flamingos.

There's a cute video circulating here on FR where it appears a penguin whacks another from behind as it's walking by and knocks it into the water - LOL!

[dansangel]

Maybe not as pretty as the flamingo, but it's a cute brown fluff-ball with a pretty impressive beak!