Flamingos in the Snow

Being warm weather birds, flamingos aren’t real fond of snow. Or cold weather. Especially cold weather.

And being transplanted here from Florida hasn’t made them overly happy, you know.

But a flamingo’s gotta do what a flamingo’s gotta do, and if they have to move for business or personal reasons, well, they just have to make the best of it.

They actually thought Virginia Beach was going to be somewhere that was warm all year long. Isn’t that what a beach is supposed to be? That’s what they thought! But it turns out they weren’t quite correct.

They moved here last spring and immediately made themselves at home by the pool, and they were quite happy.

Until this weekend’s snow.

They really didn’t know what to think.

All this white stuff falling from the sky and sticking in their feathers. And it was cold, too! Especially on flamingo feet that were used to walking in warm sand. They ruffled their feathers and quickly borrowed scarves and knit hats, and boots of course!

Which made them feel a bit better.

But they’d already planned their day, which had not included being stuck at our house with nothing much to do except squawk about the weather.

What’s a flamingo to do except make the most of it and find ways to have fun! So since they were already dressed warm, thanks to our loaning them some winter accessories, they decided to see what this cold white frozen stuff was all about!

And also to see what they could do to at least make the best of it! Until cocktail time, at least!

First they tasted it. No flavor. But it might be useful for cocktail time. Instead of ice…

They noticed when they scooped it up it stuck together, so one bird tossed it to another, and it wasn’t long before they were having a flamingo snowball fight, laughing and squawking at each other as snowballs flew, flamingos ducked, and well, let’s just say it was interesting!

Have you ever seen a flamingo make a snow angel? It’s really quite fascinating….

And of course one thing eventually led to another, and suddenly they were making snowmen…well, actually snow flamingos.

And they decided snow really wasn’t all that bad! As long as they were dressed for it!

 

 

 

So after a long day of snowy fun, they pulled out their favorite mugs and enjoyed coffee and hot chocolate laced with an appropriate amount of Baileys and Kahlua!

And looked forward to their next adventure!

Hopefully in warmer weather….

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Flamingo Resolutions

I hadn’t heard much from the flamingos recently, and I have to admit I was a bit surprised that I didn’t see them planning a New Year’s Eve party. After all, flamingos are party birds, and I couldn’t imagine them wasting a great opportunity to throw a really lavish party!

Then I discovered some of their friends invited them to Key West for a true pink flamingo New Years Eve bash, and of course they went! And they had such a great time they stayed a few extra days, enjoying the sun, warm weather, and great seafood! Yes, I have to admit I was jealous!

They could have at least invited us to go!!

And of course while they were there, they decided to come up with some appropriate New Years resolutions. I guess they didn’t take my advice on not making any, but they’re flamingos, and they don’t really listen to what I say anyway! They just do their own thing.

So here are their resolutions. Not too bad, for flamingos!

1 – Find more ways to cook shrimp – They get tired of the raw unseasoned shrimp they usually eat, so they’ve decided to see what kind of shrimp culinary delights they can come up with. I’d guess some types of steamed shrimp would be the best, and I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to add a touch of pink dipping sauce in the side.

Or perhaps shrimp with pink rice and some cherry tomatoes? Yes, pink rice. They’re flamingos, and they use food coloring when necessary!

They casually mentioned even putting a collection of their recipes together and publishing a cookbook! They could call it “The Flamingo Cooks”. Now there’s a resolution…! Of course I’d have to sample all the recipes.

2 – Learn to swim – With all the pool parties they attend as well as host in the summer, have you ever noticed they’re not in the pool very often? Unlike their Florida flamingo friends, our flamingos can’t swim. They have to either borrow one of our floats, or wade in the water with those long legs. So this year they’re vowing to learn to swim!

This should be interesting. I wonder what kind of swimsuits they’ll be wearing. Maybe they could also start a clothing line… maybe call it “The Fashionable Flamingo?”

3 – Improve their karaoke talents – Because of their love for parties, they also love music, and after a few flamingo pink martinis, you can find them around the karaoke machine, squawking away! Unfortunately their squawking doesn’t sound much like whatever song they’re trying to sing!

So this year they’re going to get serious about their singing and have a repertoire of songs ready for the first party of the season!

I heard them talking about learning “Wasting Away in Flamingoville” and “Just Another Flamingo Sunrise” to start with.

Any other suggestions?

4 – Have more parties – Well that goes without saying. With all of their interest in cooking, learning to swim, and their singing, naturally there’s got to be parties involved. As long as they plan them, pay for them, and clean up afterwards, they can go for it!

And one more stipulation…we have to be invited from now on. If we’re providing the pool and the house, we’re going to be there this year!

5 – Start their own business – Now I do think this one is a great idea. They’ve already talked about a cookbook, and I just thought about a clothing line, so why not their own business? After all, they’re very creative birds, and surely if they put their pink feathers together they can come up with a few more ideas?

I suggested party planning, and they seemed to like that idea. As long as they were invited and got to participate in the fun, of course! They even came up with a couple of names, like “The Party Birds” or “Parties in the Pink”. Hmmmm…they may need a little help with the name…

But the one idea they really started flapping around about was an interior design business. After all, they had a great time decorating around the holidays, and I have to admit they did a great job!

Of course, their decorating talents would be very specific. They don’t decorate in that classic, understated elegance that many people enjoy. Their rooms are whimsical, and, well, sometimes a bit “out there” as we should best describe it.

They’d be perfect for specializing in Florida rooms or sunrooms, nurseries, and children’s bedrooms…especially girls’ rooms, since they’re naturally into pink. Big time into pink, as you know!

We even thought about a few names for the business, “The Designing Flamingos”, “The Flashy Flamingos”, or my favorite. “Rooms with a Feather”. Well, maybe the names need a little work, but you get the idea.

So which resolutions will the flamingos keep? Hard to say. After all, they’re flamingos, and a bit flighty. So you just never know.

But I’ll keep you informed!

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