by Diane Winters

Created on: January 10, 2007   Last Updated: May 05, 2007

It wasn't even for sale, but that didn't stop me...
Don't ask why, but yard sales in trailer parks hold great appeal for this fifty-some woman who delights in "different".

My daughter tells me that the difference between trailer parks in the Midwest versus trailer parks in California is like the difference between night and day. For one thing, trailers here, on the central coast of California, generally sell for upwards of $200,000. Besides, in California they're called "coaches".

But I digress; let's get back to the yard sale. It was last summer. Not too much "on sale", a few old Mel-mac dishes which can hold some appeal, an old chrome toaster, but I already had one, but then, as I looked toward the front porch I SPOTTED IT.

It was a metal, rusted, pink flamingo, almost three feet high and about two feet wide, with big pink lights for eyes and a beak on it over four inches long. It had feet, real feet, with three toes on each foot and a place to anchor it to the coach, if I had a coach.

"It moves, ya know and lights up", the Queen of the Coach told me with an inch-long ash dangling from her unfiltered cigarette. It had a plug coming out of it's butt that made me wonder if it might start a fire.

"Show me!" I squealed, trying with all my might not to look too excited. Queenie slowly and noisily got up from her rusted metal garden chair and ambled over to the creature. She flipped a switch, a VOILA! The pink flamingo had tiny white Christmas lights inside! Some had burned out, but it did not detract from the amazement I felt as I watched it dip it's head and move it's rusted body with the grace and charm that only a 20 year old oxidized trailer park flamingo would have.

We finagled for a few minutes, but we both knew that Floyd the Flamingo would be coming home with me.

His lights have all been replaced, and the cord still comes out of his butt, but both have been re-wired. He sits proudly in my front window, having moved up from his trailer park life to the Avenue.

Best danged yard sale buy I've ever made.

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