LUCY BURDETTE: Believe it or not, Key West is not a relaxing place during the holidays! The town is mobbed with families and partiers and everything in between, and the crowds can feel quite stressful. However, following on yesterday's post about gifts, one of the things I planned for my sister and brother-in-law and John and our friends Stan and Zita was a private trip to the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, including a flamingle, which I booked last spring.
After the rest of the crowds leave, and after you are given instructions about flamingo visits (don’t touch, no sudden moves, will hose you off if they poop on you) we were let inside. Six people sit on the bench and the flamingos are let out of their pond. Alex, our guide, says they very much look forward to these visits. Here are some photos from this wonderful experience! We loved it and here’s hoping you will too.
Here they on are the way to meet us:
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| the conductor |
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| taking a breather |
How about you Reds, were you able to find a quiet moment amongst the holiday zaniness?
What a special experience, Lucy! Being up close and personal with those flamingos looks simply amazing . . .
ReplyDeleteWe actually had a very lovely, quiet holiday . . . .
that sounds perfect Joan!
DeleteThese were so cool! Thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteWe had a quiet NYDay and after a late lunch/early dinner walked to the historic center (i.e. tourist area) and enjoyed how quiet everything was. No stores open, and few cafes, except for one or two pastelarias and a gelato shop and the kiosks selling hot chestnuts. The quiet was lovely after the hub-bub of Xmas, although there still were a few tourists and a couple of street singers.
that sounds peaceful and lovely E!
DeleteI would love to visit with flamingos like that!
ReplyDeleteOur two days and nights over Christmas with my younger son and his wife were quiet and rich with conversation, cooking and eating, and games.
excellent!
DeleteOh my goodness, Lucy -- those flamingos are AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteOur holidays were quiet, just the two of us, just how we like it.
They are amazing, and so glad you had just what you wanted.
DeleteWhat a fabulous experience! Wow! A couple of moments for me--singing Silent Night by candlelight at church on Christmas Eve, and a surprise lovely wispy sunrise on New Years Eve in the middle of consistently rainy stretch of weeks.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be a good year then! We attended a candlelight xmas eve service too. Reminded me very much of my childhood...
DeleteI always enjoy the candlelight and “Silent Night” at the Christmas Eve service too.
DeleteNo surprise about crowds in Key West for Christmas. What my Uber driver called “the invasion of the snow birds” as the 10 minute trip to the grocery store took 25 happens here on the SE Florida beaches too. Amazing flamingo experience for you and the birds. Happy New Year, all. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteSame to you Elisabeth! We also get a huge influx of New Year's eve party people:)
DeleteWhat an amazing experience! No one had to get hosed off either! 🤣
ReplyDeleteI too attended a candlelight service at 11pm on Christmas Eve and read one of the lessons. Our holidays were quieter this year because our grandchildren weren’t with us. That was okay because we had lots of leftovers to eat and I didn’t have to cook everyday! Happy New Year everyone 🎉
I had a similar flamingo experience at the Cincinnati Zoo. We arrived for a Zoo Opera event and had the pleasure of walking with a flock of flamingos up a steep hill to the performance venue. The birds were quite chatty, nibbling at my hands (no treats), and telling me all about it. At the end of the concert, a large flock of flamingos went on stage as the quartet sang "If I could talk to the animals." They approached the terrified singers, nibbled their clothes, and pushed them against the backdrop. And stole the show.
ReplyDeletethat sounds so amazing!
DeleteSusan was blessed! What a fun way to end (begin?) the year, Lucy. Flamingos always remind me of gawky teenagers.
ReplyDeleteThe woman of the couple we went to Tanzania with in 2013 has retired now, but she used to be in charge of the flamingos at Sea World in San Diego. We had a standing invitation to visit and never did, but we did go to Lake Momo to see tens of thousands of those amazing birds on the lake together. I will never forget how moved Kim was, since she had worked tirelessly to help rehab so many of their American cousins.
Speaking of birds, my Zen moments this season were on the day of our local Christmas bird count. I often join Steve's group, but I'm a fair weather birder and this year was a rainy, chilly day, so I opted to stay home and be a feeder watcher. Which meant I was obliged to sit by the window, binoculars and bird guide at hand, and wait for interesting species to fly into or over the yard. Very laidback after the hectic days before.
WE did see some flamingos in the wild a number of years ago on a salt flat in southern France. Spectacular! Your bird feeder watching was lovely. My sister and brother in law always do a bird count the day after Christmas. It was a cold and rainy day for them...
DeleteThe first time I ever saw flamingos was in the Everglades, at Flamingo, 41 years ago. Since then hurricanes have devastated so much of the Glades, I wonder if they are still there.
DeleteLucy, were you in the Camarge in France? Seemed like thousands of flamingos, ibises, and still plenty of white horses! We were given a jeep ride through a pasture of bulls being raised for the bullfights in Spain.
DeleteYes exactly, the Camargue.
DeleteThat looks like a cool experience. How long was your time with the flamingos?
ReplyDeleteabout 40 minutes
DeleteAn easy, peaceful holiday season here as well--dinners were easy and well-received, time to relax and be grateful for the peace.
ReplyDeleteOur holidays were quite different here in our new home in Ocala, Florida. We played pickleball on Christmas morning and again yesterday afternoon. I read for much of the day on New Year’s Eve day and then we hosted a gathering of new neighbors on the driveway that was over by 9pm. It was all quite low-key.
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely!
DeleteWe have not been in touch since college, but I had a friend on my dorm floor named Zita! The flamingo experience looks like lots of fun for both the people and the birds. 🦩
ReplyDeleteI hope they enjoyed it, we had a ball!
DeleteThat looked like a lot of fun! It was crazy to see how excited the birds were to come and greet you!
ReplyDeleteWe had a lovely day with family at my cousins' home near Boston yesterday. My son and his family were there, too. It was a great visit.
Your flamingo encounter looks like great fun, Lucy. I'm glad that people can experience that.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I finished a protracted and long-overdue bathroom remodel in our 100-year-old craftsman bungalow. Sedonia is over the moon about how the project turned out, and I couldn't be more proud of her for how she planned and orchestrated all of it.
Good for both of you!
DeleteI WAS blessed! Both by the flamingo and having such a sister! Jeff and I love our traditional time with family at Key west so much!
ReplyDeleteps this is from my sister:)
DeleteThose videos were great!!I’m an amateur birdwatcher, and I would love to have that same experience!
ReplyDeleteI spent most of Christmas week at my sister and brother-in-law’s home in northern Connecticut. Relatives were coming and going all week. I actually prefer to be around a lot of people over the holidays. I live alone, and I really love the happy chaos that ensues when my family gets together!
DebRo
We're so glad you had the holiday you wanted DebRo!
DeleteWhat a great post Lucy. Thanks so much for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteWe had a quiet holiday with our daughter and her family (our grandkiddos). But we had a large family get together over Thanksgiving which I like even better - no shopping for presents at the last minute, no rushing around winding my way through crowds.
What a novel experience! I can see how much fun you all were having with the flamingos.
ReplyDeleteA niece we hadn't seen in about six years came into town Monday evening and stayed with us until about noon Wednesday, which was very enjoyable. After she left, we did a whole lot of nothing important. I remarked to my husband at bedtime that this was the first day in I can't even remember how long in which I never felt rushed or worried about where I was supposed to be or what I was supposed to be doing. Bliss!
Company, then blissful peace--sounds perfect!
DeleteI spent most of my time at home since the need to rest and recover from the injuries of my fall off the ladder was paramount. Plus, I don't do much anyway. So rest and relaxation during the holidays is way easier for me to find.
ReplyDeleteOther than going to my sister's on Xmas Day, I just didn't do anything. And even when I was there, it was just me, her and her husband and Wilson the dog. So low-key there as well.
I'm sorry about the ladder Jay, hadn't heard about that.
DeleteOh, this is enchanting! Absolutely, incredible! My first thought was wow, such weird birds. And then I thought no, they are not weird. They’re perfect for what they are, and how incredible it is that they even exist. And you can see them thinking, can’t you? Wow. What an amazing experience.
ReplyDeleteWe did not know how light they are for all their height and feathers. The male weighs about 10 lbs and the female, 6!
DeleteWhat a wonderful gift! And am I silly for thinking it was a wonderful feeling for your sister to be the flamingo's "chosen one"? There is something special when an animal, bird, butterfly, etc. chooses to spend a moment of their life with you. Thanks so much for sharing this! -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteShe was definitely thrilled to be chosen:)
DeleteHow wonderful! Definitely going to have to plan a visit there when I return to Key West.
ReplyDeleteHow completely great! They're like living cartoon characters. I wonder if you could have sneaked in any shrimp.
ReplyDeleteOH NO! LOL
DeleteThis is such a delight!! I love that they look forward to the visits!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool experience, Lucy! Thanks for sharing it with all of us. We had a very quiet Christmas, just my husband and me, but we did get together with friends for dinner on New Year’s Eve.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Oh, Lucy, I love these photos and videos so much! I now know what to suggest to Celia, when she's up to traveling again - flamingos are her spirit animal!
ReplyDeleteAlso, your sister looks SO much like you. And all of you at the flamingle look positively overjoyed. This may become a go-to video when I'm feeling down this winter...
It was really special. Celia would love it I bet.
DeleteOh, those photos and everyone's reactions were wonderful! This year, we had a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with my former in-laws (we've been with them for 35 years!). My husband and I stayed home Christmas Day and got Chinese food. NYE, we also stayed home. No fuss, no drama. Perfect. Thank goodness for Zoom and FaceTime, so we could spend part of all the holidays with my son and daughter-in-law who live across the country. Happy New Year, Lucy and everyone!
ReplyDeleteSame to you Laurie!
DeleteWhat fun! Thanks for sharing the experience. I had no idea you could do that. (For me a Flamingle is the newsletter that the University of Wisconsin puts out for it's alumni--a reference to the 1979 prank that filled Bascom Hill with more than 1000 plastic flamingos.) Your kind of flamingle is WAY more interesting!
ReplyDeleteCould not get video to work earlier…just did. Amazed at the squawks … would have thought all that lovely long neck and elegant walk would have produced a more refined sound. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteFinding a quiet moment in the midst of holiday zaniness can be quite a challenge! We were able to find quiet moments during the holidays. For me, quiet moments involve reading silently. I re-read Christmas novels like The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen during the holidays.
ReplyDeleteSuch a joy to read everyone's comments today!
I love the pictures, Lucy. How very cool.
ReplyDeleteMy holidays were very peaceful. We had The Boy down for dinner on Christmas Eve. My brother-in-law, The Girl, and The Very Nice Boyfriend (who stayed for over 6 hours!) came on Christmas. He helped cook while The Girl chatted with her dad and the BIL watched football. It was lovely.
The rest of the days were me relaxing, writing, hanging out in front of the fire, and playing with Koda. Poor guy - I went back to work today and he doesn't quite know how to handle it.
What a great experience, Lucy! I love your pictures and video clips of the flamingos. Is this something anyone can book, or did your celebrity get you in. My quiet activity was watching all four seasons of Atypical on Netflex (it originally ran 2017 to 2021). It centers around an eighteen-year-old boy who is autistic, but is on the high functioning side. He is finishing up high school and starting college and has a part-time job. While the story centers around him, the stories of his sister and parents are important, too, and very well done. The parents are played by Jennifer Jason Leigh (remember her, actor Vic Morrow's daughter) and Michael Rapaport. Everyone, main and minor characters, do a great job in this comedy/drama, and it's one of my favorite shows I've watched in a long time.
ReplyDeleteLucy!!! This is fabulous! I love it to much. They are such gorgeous birds. My quiet moments have mostly been in the garden. I have an abundance of cherry tomatoes this year which brings me joy :)
ReplyDeleteBig fan of cherry tomatoes here. Wonderful that you have an abundance of cherry tomatoes!
DeleteAlways looking for some at the local grocery shop. Love that you have a garden.
How fun! The butterflies reminded me of the butterfly farm we went to on St Martin.
ReplyDeleteOn the bird front, we have some aloe blooming, so we are enjoying the hummingbird that makes it up to the 21st floor.