I always wanted to be tall. Wish un-granted. I’m barely 5’1. Normally a nice pair of high heels compensate for any insecurity in that department. At work my motto is, “The bigger the problem, the higher the heel,” words that have served me well, though they’ve been the source incessant teasing. More than once I’ve noticed a co-worker glancing quickly at my shoes before my face when saying, “Good Morning,” gauging the size of my current design dilemma by the height of my footwear. Rarely do I wear flats. No, at best flats are for weekends, boots for hiking, ASICS for running and Merrells for all terrain fun.
Which leads me to Flamingos. I love Flamingos. Corally pink, gracefully tall and beautiful even when sleeping, I was ecstatic to find myself walking into their habitat with a carton of shrimp, ready to offer a few native rescues an afternoon snack. Little did I realize however, that a large, adult flamingo is almost as tall as me until suddenly I was flocked, caught up in a Flamingo feeding frenzy, face to face, eye to eye, shrouded in pink and smothered by the wooden sound of clapping, hungry beaks. So I did what any sensible person would, I dropped the carton and ran for the gate … happy for the first and only time that I solved a five foot problem in a half inch heel. :))))
xx
west517 
Oh boy, I think you made a solid, quick decision! They may have taken to nipping you – ouch! Five foot one is an awesome height to be. 🙂
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Awww thanks John~ but I would happily trade up for a few extra inches. ❤
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And at 5′ ll”, I always wanted to be shorter. Lovely photos! 🙂 ❤
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5’11 … that’s fabulous! Thank you 🙂
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🙂 What a nice history about your shoes and heels and Flamingos! Put one or two feathers of flamingo in your head or hat, anybody would see your heels before saying you ‘Good morning’ 😉
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You are right! If I wore flamingo feathers, not one soul in my office would look at my shoes~ they would be too busy laughing hysterically. 🙂
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I, too, am among the vertically challenged, West. Never fear, height is not everything! What you may not have in height, you more than make up for in beauty, grace and intelligence. Great flamingo story!
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🙂 Thank you very much! That’s very sweet of you to think and say ❤ ❤
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You were wise to run, birds can be so……pecky! I walked into a hen house once with saddles on and a bucket of food. Even at six foot I barely escaped!
Glad you’re alive and you have some great photos to tell the tale. ~ Dave
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So….pecky! I like that! …and VERY true! I had no idea Flamingos liked their shrimp so much~ kind of like me with chocolate I guess lol. Yes I am very happy to be alive 😀
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LOL! I would have done the same thing. My daugher is 5’3″ and has similar problems. She too wears HIGH heels. High enough that if I ever dared wear a heel that high I’d either kill myself or have nose bleeds. I don’t know how you wear them? I like my feet closer to terra ferma.
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Hahaha 🙂 …this sounds very familiar! I’ve loved high heel shoes since I was a little, little girl~ as a matter of fact, I’m quite sure that is walking in heels was an Olympic Sport, I’d metal in it! I’m sure your daughter feels the same 🙂 🙂
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So funny to read about gauging the height of your heels by the type of day you’ll be having at the office. Gorgeous shots of the pelicans, lol – leave the shrimp at the door!
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Thank you!! This is a personal motto I’ve lived by for years and one that has served me well 😉 . I actually took these once I was safely outside their area. ❤
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wow – that must have been some feeling around all of them… and your photos are so beauitful – love the quote too 🙂
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Thank you very much! Yes, quite unforgettable 😀
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🙂
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I am tiny too… (:
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🙂 🙂
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Awesome ❤
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Thank you Leyla! ❤ 🐻 🐻
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What a perfect scene I can imagine right now, you becoming overwhelmed by a flock of flamingoes. If I was only there with my camera 🙂 Beautiful photos of this elegant bird, and it sets the scene with your writing so well ~ the wit from “The bigger the problem, the higher the heel,” to your survival ~ cheers to a great day.
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🙂 🙂 I’m sure you would have been laughing too hard to focus clearly ~ your picture might have been a blur of light hair and scrambling feet running out from beneath a pack of pink wings 🙂 …and there I was trying to enjoy nature, but apparently nature didn’t want any visitors… only shrimp. Have a beautiful day! 🙂
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Ha, ha that would have been the beauty of it…I can just picture it ~ West almost being engulfed never to be seen again 🙂
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Haha 🙂 my older brother who was with me at the time assured me they had a case of mistaken identity, ‘they just thought you were a shrimp…’ I have a terrible fear of showing up in one of those funny animal/zoo videos on Youtube …fortunately I dont think anyone caught it, accept my brother (who was bent over laughing hysterically)… but he knows that I would wrestle him down and exact my revenge if he ever put it online…. once I caught him of course hahaha 🙂
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That is such a perfect line ~ your brother has made all brothers out there proud 🙂 If there is a video out there, I would make a good offer as it could be a great post, yes?!?
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I think it is in the DNA of most brothers: care greatly for our sisters, but when the opportunity arrives to torment them, do not waste it 🙂
And for my offer ~ a nice pair of hiking boots along with a tour of Ellinor and Orcas, no problem. And you can keep your West persona. Your name has such a perfect ring and fit with your photos ~
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Just perfect 😉
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What a wonderful piece of writing to match those truly lovely photos. And as for your height, think of one of the two lovers in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia, I believe) who said: “I short but fierce.” And you are, too, in the pursuit of your vision/your art.
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I have that exact quote on a small, pink plaque on my desk, “…though she be but little, she is fierce…’ :))) ♡ thank you!
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Ah, I was a bit off but it was from memory. And that quote fits you well.
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Haha thank you!! 🙂
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Great story. Big birds can be very intimidating. Nice photos. Those flamingos are much more orange than the wild ones we saw it France. I understand that their diet determines their color. You and Lady Gaga take to the heels. Although my daughter, who is an inch shorter than me, wears high heals at times just because she likes them. I’m 6’1″.
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6’1. That.Is.Aweome. (hehe) They can be! I’ve never had one lift it’s neck and actually look me into my face 😀 . Yes, I think that diet largely determines their color… but I live in Florida, so…. maybe the shrimp here are tanned so their color is a bit different 😀 I love heels and highly recommend at least one snazzy pair for every woman… just because! ❤ Thanks Timothy!
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My wife, daughter and I happened to stop at Target to look for something a couple of years ago — and you know how they put displays of apparel that is irresistible to women (shoes, bras, etc.) where you can’t help but walk by them? We had to walk by the shoes to get to whatever we were in the store to get, and Tristan and Laurie had to look. The next thing I know, Tristan had talked Laurie into trying on a pair of very high heals and is trying to teach her how to walk in them. It was really funny (I think I have photos of it), but Laurie still refuses to wear heels higher than 2 inches.
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One of the many reasons that I love Target!! lol 🙂
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Thanks. Pleased to have found your blog. I like your tone and look forward to more reading. Regards from Thom at the immortal jukebox (plugged in and ready to play).
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Thank you so much!! 🙂
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Great story and photos!
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Thank you very much! 😀
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I would not worry about being 5 foot 1. I am not tall myself.. At 5 foot 7.5. As a kid I wished I was taller, till one day I said, bugger it.
My last two companies were Dutch and German ones, and when the economic crisis hit, I had my revenge, of sorts. We were all asked to fly economy even on long haul flights.. I could stretch my legs. My gigantic colleagues looked like crumpled paper. There are advantages of being where we are…
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That’s the key I guess, being content with yourself inside AND out! 🙂 Much like your story, over the years I have learned the wonderful benefits of being a smaller person…. you’re able to sit comfortably in a back seat, or on an airplane, a wide selection of shoes due to an extra small shoe size …and sometimes when you’re locked out of your house, you can fit through a window! 😀
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I have actually sneaked in home through the window, when I was a teenager!
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I do not wear heels, by the way;)
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hahah~ that’s a relief! I don’t recommend high heels for men 😀
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Well, if you remember the glam rockers of the 70’s, they did wear platform shoes…
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That’s TRUE! I had forgotten that… and yet somehow… I can say, at least for me, that’s a trend I am happy is no longer in style 😀
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Me too…
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Delightful west! I gave up worrying about height when I threw in my lot with Mr H ! I’m 5’5″ he’s 6’4″, his siters are 6’2″ and even his parents were 6 footers! When we met as 2 families it must have looked ridiculous, my Mum was only 5’1″ and my Dad our tallest offering at 5’7″! But it’s the charisma that counts in the end 🙂 😉 😀 PS That flamingo pink is just gorgeous 🙂
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Smart you are!! I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to let go of my beloved heels though 😀 — I am actually the smallest in my family, haha oh well. Charisma indeed! ❤ ❤
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brilliant and soft colors. Great!
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Thank you!! 🙂
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Haha, I had no idea flamingos were so tall, good thinking on your part to run for the gate!
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Me either~ I was expecting maybe waist high, but these are very well fed adults …. haha — and despite them flocking me, I still find them one of the most beautiful birds in nature 😀
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Delightful story! and lovely photo to go with it. 🙂
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Thanks so much Eliza! 🙂
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Oh yes, high heels always made me feel more secure, being a small person as well. Now I can’t wear heels of any kind, and am eternally grateful. No more sore aching feet. Beautiful image.
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Thank you! …sore feet, aching back— the two biggest downsides of heels 🙂
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See. Good things come in small packages.
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Thank you!! 🙂
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Magnifique capture.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Haha, what a story! I too didn’t realise they are so huge! To run was a good idea:)
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Love it a lot Gorgeous story
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