June 23rd is National Pink Flamingo Day, in honor of the pink flamingo lawn ornament.The pink flamingo was designed in 1957 by Don Featherstone. I have a few flamingos, both in my kitsch (en), and in books.
These are a few flamingo knick knacks. We also have plates, some cups, plastic swizzle sticks, etc.
This is my book “Favorite Audubon Birds of America”. As well as a full page painting, and descriptions of flamingos, there is this illustration on the title page.
I bought “Flora and the Flamingo” by Molly Idle, 2013. This is a great book to read to children, especially because there are no words. There are flip tabs with more pictures. This Caldecott Award winning book is fun to discuss with kids; we are making up the story of a little girl Flora and a flamingo as they dance and play together.
During a Phoenix trip for a wedding earlier this year, I had time to visit the local zoo. When I walked by the flamingo pen, I saw these two feathers, so had to pick them up. I have a collection of bird feathers, all in individual bags in a binder, tagged and dated. I believe that these feathers came from a James Flamingo.
Baby flamingos are called flaminglets. One Mother’s day (the night before), I was teaching a grand-flaminglet how to “ding dong dash”. My oldest grand-flaminglet and I took some inflatable flamingo’s (perhaps eight foot tall illuminated and inflatable Flamingos), set them in the yard late at night, and then flew home.
The next morning on Mother’s Day, the neighborhood watch-all the next door and across the street neighbors, had to call Mom and report. Without hesitation, Mom was happy to talk about “her mischievous son”. To her, there could be no other answer. I was guilty as charged, but with that grand-flaminglet’s help. Mom then, when on the phone, would relate and discuss other pranks and trouble I may have brought her through the years. I learned from her, the only bad press, is when they say nothing at all, and I had made Mom a talker. Sadly, that was the last Mother’s day I would spend with her, but it sure was a good one.
Why do flamingos stand on one leg? Because they would fall, if they lifted both legs.
How do pink birds find friends? They fla-mingle.
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 