Another Animal Lost to Extinction

I don't think it ever hit the endangered species list. Today marks the day the pink flamingo lawn ornament seases to be in production. No more new pink flamingos will be created. 

Since the discovery of this rare animal in 1957, 20 million of them have graced homeowners lawns across America. Their population has waxed and waned over the last 49 years.  Whether you think of them as a nice addition to the family, or a neighborhood eyesore, one thing cannot be denied. Their kitschy existence has been an icon of American culture.  I have to admit, seeing one usually gets a little chuckle out of me.  Much more so than the pet gnomes I see some people let loose on their front lawns. <<shiver>>

Many homeowners simply let their pet flamingos graze on front lawns.  I had one client who told me that his neighborhood used their pet flamingos to help the neighborhood communicate with each other.  A pet pink flamingo in the front yard after 5:00 was an invitation to the other neighbors to come on over for happy hour. In Minnesota every buyer and every seller contributes $5.00 to a conservation fund.  Why hasn't this fund been used to save the pink flamingo from the extinction list?  How will neighbors communicate with each other?  Will we be religated to windsocks or a red tie hung from the flag pole?

Well, the one thing constant is change.  It seems this extinction will make one group of people happy.  Those pink-flamingo-hunting-realtors.  They seem to have had it out for the flamingo from the beginning.  It seems that one of the first things these flamingo-hunters would tell sellers is to longer allow the pink-flamingo to graze in the front yard.  The flamingo-hunter said it decreased the curb appeal.  These beautiful animals were stuffed in garages and basements starved from food, daylight and personal attention. 

You win flamingo-hunter. The day is near that you will no longer have to remove these poor creatures from the front lawns.  Hopefully, you'll now turn your skills to other items that you think are decreasing curb-appeal...