{"id":8921,"date":"2008-02-15T17:32:18","date_gmt":"2008-02-15T22:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2008\/02\/15\/lawrence-and-the-flamingos-a-stock"},"modified":"2016-04-19T22:37:43","modified_gmt":"2016-04-20T02:37:43","slug":"lawrence-and-the-flamingos-a-stockade-valentine-mystery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2008\/02\/15\/lawrence-and-the-flamingos-a-stockade-valentine-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"lawrence and the flamingos – a Stockade Valentine mystery"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Daily Gazette<\/em>, Marc Schultz, larger photo<\/a>] \"\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

Valentine stroll
\nneither lover mentions
\nthe pink flamingos<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

…………. by dagosan<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\" D<\/strong><\/em>id you get flocked<\/a> on Valentine’s Day? If you live in The Stockade<\/a>, a tiny historic district in Schenectady, New York, it’s really hard not to get flocked by a flamboyance<\/a> of pink flamingos on February 14 — and (virtually) no one knows who’s doing the flocking. As described in today’s Schenectady Daily Gazette<\/em>, fourteen pink flamingos appeared overnight within the small traffic circle monument to Lawrence the Indian<\/a>, and were gone when the sun set. See “Pink flamingos make annual appearance<\/a>: Stockade residents have grown fond of Valentine\u2019s Day tradition” (February 15, 2008). Reporter Kathleen Moore explains:<\/p>\n

\n

“Welcome to the Stockade\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day mystery.<\/p>\n

“For nearly a decade, someone has decorated Lawrence the Indian with pink flamingos on Feb. 14. Most have no idea who does it or why the day of love is being celebrated with one of the tackiest decorations available in stores today.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\" At the Gazette Online<\/a><\/em> website, you’ll find more details and some humorous speculation, but you will not learn the identity of the impish Mohawk-flockers. The only clue is cryptic: “The covert decorators are actually two middle-aged men, who asked for anonymity since they\u2019ve kept their identities a secret for so long.” [Indeed, although he was recently sighted<\/a> lurking in and around the Stockade with another middle-aged gent, and he has demonstrated a rather warped attitude about Valentine’s Day at his weblog<\/em><\/a>, the mysteriously anonymous Editor of Blawg Review<\/em> denies planting the pink plastic fowl, but wishes he had thought of it first.] As to their motives, one of the aging delinquent flamingo herders says:<\/p>\n

\n

“The goal was to show residents that change could be good,” . . . .<\/p>\n

And, his cohort in crime said, \u201cIt was sort of a hoot.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Currently, you can find quite a few additional pictures of the 2008 Stockade flamingo episode at the homepage of the Stockade Neighborhood Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n

follow-up-dates<\/strong><\/em> (February 13, 2009): See our post \u201cValentine flamingos return to the Stockade<\/a>,\u201d which has many new photos; and see more coverage, with lots of photos, of the 2011 Stockade Flamingos<\/a> and the 2010 Stockade Flamingos<\/a>, at our sister weblog “suns along the Mohawk<\/em><\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Why make Valentine’s Day into Flamingo Day? We get no satisfactory explanation in the Gazette<\/em>. However, as a dateless denizen of the Stockade, I can appreciate the reaction of two interviewed Stockadians, when asked by the Gazette<\/em> reporter:<\/p>\n

\"\" Newcomer Katy Nestor, who came upon the flamingos on her way to Arthur\u2019s Market, said the birds could be the last resort for the dateless. \u201cIf you can, you spend Valentine\u2019s with the ones you love \u2026 if you have nobody, come be with the flamingos,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s great. They\u2019re cute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joyce Wachala, co-owner of Arthur\u2019s Market, said the flamingos are particularly welcomed by single residents. \u201cA lot of people down here are single. Valentine\u2019s Day is so hard for people \u2014 and this is so nice,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u2019s adorable.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

winter sunset
\nin the shrimp boat\u2019s wake
\npink pelicans<\/p>\n

\n

spring rain the cat\u2019s pink nipples<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

……. by Carolyn Hall –
\n“spring rain” – 2003 Henderson Haiku Competition, Hon. Men.; Frogpond <\/em>XXVII: 1
\n“winter sunset” – The Heron\u2019s Nest <\/em>(II:5, May 2000)<\/p>\n

follow-up-date<\/strong><\/em> (February 13, 2009): See our post “Valentine flamingos return to the Stockade<\/a>,” which has many new photos.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\" With the subject-matter vacuum left at f\/k\/a<\/em> by our no-politics and no-legal-ethics pledge, Your Editor decided to dig deeper into the whole flamingo and pink theme. It seems that getting flocked by pink flamingos is not merely a Schenectady activity, although it has not apparently been associated with Valentine’s Day nor reached the level of “tradition” elsewhere. The folks at Get Flocked.com<\/a> explain:<\/p>\n

\n

“Flocks of Flamingos are a great way to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary. Flamingo Flocking is a great way to raise funds for your church, group, or organization. By the pair or by the flock… Flamingos are just fun.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Of course, Get Flocked only sells the Genuine “Don Featherstone” design pink flamingo<\/a>. Much like my own Valentine date situation, this demand for classic quality has caused a large availability problem. You see, the Union Products Co., which produced Featherstone’s pink plastic icons for almost half a century, closed in 2006. (See “RIP: Pink Flamingo, 1957-2006<\/a>” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel<\/em>, October 20, 2006; listen to NPR coverage<\/a>, Oct. 31, 2006) As a result, they’re even Out of Stock<\/a> at Get Flocked (but you can settle<\/em> for a substitute at eBay<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, do not despair. The f\/k\/a <\/em>Gang has some suggestions for anyone still hoping to get flocked by pink flamingos in the afterglow of Valentine’s Day.<\/p>\n