The Penguins Are Gone.(Finally)

The penguins have left the building.

(You may applaud.)

They’ve hung around way too long. Cute, but still, too long.

The bills are alive with the sound of music.
(D.Monniaux/Commons.wikimedia.org)

Gotten to be rather bothersome with all their perky little antics.

Oh, penguins are great – in small doses, in winter, and in zoos.

Zoos. There, not here.

(Now that they are gone, I can say that)

It started off innocently enough last fall.

Someone who knew us too well.

“Could they just stay at your house for a little while?”

“They’re cute. They won’t be any trouble.”

Look! No training wheels!
(Murphy released to Public domain/ Commons.wikimedia.org)

They arrived on our doorstep – all five.

Like funny little awkward birds.

Images of those endearing penguins in Happy Feet warmed our hearts. Confused our thinking.

They arrived. And stayed. And stayed. And stayed.

Embarrassed excuses made to the neighbors.

Laughed they were seasonally appropriate.

Winter? Cold? Of Course! Penguins! What else?

Glamour session completed? Feeling a little blue. Ready to chill.
(JJ Harrison/ Commons.wikimedia.org)

Besides look at them in these cute little red hats!

Santa hats for December. (OK. That’s appropriately holiday-ish)

Chilly red-as-your-winter-nose hats for January. (Cute, right?)

Oh, red-warm-your-heart Valentine’s hats for February. (Awww, just snuggly heartwarming.)

Mardi Gras hats!  Art Festival hats! Rodeo hats! (No not stretching anything – except the hats…)

Yes, they are stocking hats. Have to be stocking hats.

Those will stay on (So cute. Penguins in hats!)

And those are soft on delicate skin.

You wouldn’t be suggesting scratchy edible straw cowboy hats?

How insensitive are you?

Accept cultural differences, please.

I could have danced all night. Danced all night – until they shut the door.
(M.Murphy. Released to Public Domain. 2006/ Commons.wikimedia.org)

People in the neighborhood started to stop talking when we walked up.

Some uncomfortable shuffling.

Some ugly hard stares.

Recently a few awkward sounds that almost sounded like the beginning of something before it stopped.

We couldn’t count on them to cross our doorway anymore.

Secretly we knew the time was coming,

Summer is more here than soon arriving.

But it’s not like we could just toss them out.

They were penguins!

They joyfully arrived. They danced. They became tiring. (Fish and visitors? How’s that go?)

All good things must come to an end. Sadly, the penguins were carried off last weekend.

Relocated to a cool quiet spot more appropriate for penguins than simmering coastal Texas.

We tiptoed around the issue for a while, but, yes,the penguins have been removed and replaced.

RC Cat. heard the news.

She gratefully place her paw on my knee, pushed her weary forehead close to my ear and whispered, “Thank goodness they are gone. The situation was getting difficult to ignore.”

We accepted her gratitude knowing the warm joy wouldn’t last. She hadn’t seen.

The penguins have been replaced with this:

IT WAS CHEAP! CLOSEOUT! Only a placeholder door mat – promise.

Staff is expecting a tersely worded memo shortly.

Footloose (and totally unapproved by RC Cat)

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge

Penguin webcam at Galveston’s Moody Garden. (Penguins cam bottom right. Seal cam on left)

Penguin Encounter Adventures for visitors.

Put your left foot out. Put your left foot in. Put your left foot out and shake it all about. Do the penguin pokey. Turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.
(Ben Tubby.2007 Flickr,2008:Commons.wikimedia.org)

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