08-15-2006, 07:48 PM
Oh man Andrew, that is awesome! What a blood-rushing thing to have happen. I guess you got your adventure then, aye? LOL!
I told Mella my elephant story but it will make me look like small potatoes after your story that's for sure!
About 6 years ago I worked in a salon in Scottsdale, AZ. One day someone came in from the City of Scottsdale and talked to the owner of the salon and she asked me to walk across the street to their offices and see why they were asking for a Nail Tech.
They said they were trying to do something fun to promote The Circus Flora - which comes to Scottsdale every Christmas season. It's a small one tent circus started by the Walenda Family (yes, of the Flying Walendas fame) and Flora is an African Elephant and it's name sake. She was saved from certain death by her owner who shipped her to Florida from Europe several years ago.
Needless to say, loving elephants I was all for this adventure. They wanted me to paint her toenails with red tempra paint for a group of local television reporters to promote the circus and also for cultural promotion of Scottsdale!
They had Flora in an 18-wheeler (her temporary home) out on the reservation and her owner insisted that I come out and meet Flora prior to the day I would paint her nails...I took my son and daughter who were about 8 and 10 at the time. We met her trainer and owner and yes, FLORA. She was amazing and so patient. I took my camera and we stood next to her and her owner took our picture with her trainer - she kinda batted me a little in the back of the head with her big beautiful ear!
Well on the day of the opening of the circus I went to the location of the circus tent and there was Flora and they had me sit on the end of a very low, long bench. Then Flora put her foot on the other end. They gave me a very long paintbrush and some red tempra paint and she allowed me to paint her nails while the cameras were rolling! There was one point when I was just a little nervous. You see, if I were to raise my head up I was right under her massive chest and unbenownst to me, her owner was approaching from about 50 feet away and Flora let out a rumble...I asked her trainer in a really low voice "is she okay?! Is she okay?!"...LOL!!! He said she was just greeting her owner.
Well the news interviewed me and made a fuss and I got to promote our salon - They asked me what Flora's favorite nail color was and how long I had been doing her nails LOL!
I have a picture from the newspaper and a national Nail Tech magazine asked for my little story and published a picture of my kids and I when we met Flora.
...Flora has since retired to her home in Florida. She lives in a community of circus people...many of the Walendas and other circus folk live there.
But I bet Andrew's heart pounded faster than mine did for sure with his amazing adventure. Right out of a movie, for sure!!!
(Thanks for letting me ramble, guys.)
Carrie
"The opportunities to reach into the lives of others in an inspiring way arise in countless ways every single day..." Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
http://www.hellophoenix.com/art
Edited by - carolann r on 08/15/2006 23:49:02
I told Mella my elephant story but it will make me look like small potatoes after your story that's for sure!
About 6 years ago I worked in a salon in Scottsdale, AZ. One day someone came in from the City of Scottsdale and talked to the owner of the salon and she asked me to walk across the street to their offices and see why they were asking for a Nail Tech.
They said they were trying to do something fun to promote The Circus Flora - which comes to Scottsdale every Christmas season. It's a small one tent circus started by the Walenda Family (yes, of the Flying Walendas fame) and Flora is an African Elephant and it's name sake. She was saved from certain death by her owner who shipped her to Florida from Europe several years ago.
Needless to say, loving elephants I was all for this adventure. They wanted me to paint her toenails with red tempra paint for a group of local television reporters to promote the circus and also for cultural promotion of Scottsdale!
They had Flora in an 18-wheeler (her temporary home) out on the reservation and her owner insisted that I come out and meet Flora prior to the day I would paint her nails...I took my son and daughter who were about 8 and 10 at the time. We met her trainer and owner and yes, FLORA. She was amazing and so patient. I took my camera and we stood next to her and her owner took our picture with her trainer - she kinda batted me a little in the back of the head with her big beautiful ear!
Well on the day of the opening of the circus I went to the location of the circus tent and there was Flora and they had me sit on the end of a very low, long bench. Then Flora put her foot on the other end. They gave me a very long paintbrush and some red tempra paint and she allowed me to paint her nails while the cameras were rolling! There was one point when I was just a little nervous. You see, if I were to raise my head up I was right under her massive chest and unbenownst to me, her owner was approaching from about 50 feet away and Flora let out a rumble...I asked her trainer in a really low voice "is she okay?! Is she okay?!"...LOL!!! He said she was just greeting her owner.
Well the news interviewed me and made a fuss and I got to promote our salon - They asked me what Flora's favorite nail color was and how long I had been doing her nails LOL!
I have a picture from the newspaper and a national Nail Tech magazine asked for my little story and published a picture of my kids and I when we met Flora.
...Flora has since retired to her home in Florida. She lives in a community of circus people...many of the Walendas and other circus folk live there.
But I bet Andrew's heart pounded faster than mine did for sure with his amazing adventure. Right out of a movie, for sure!!!
(Thanks for letting me ramble, guys.)
Carrie
"The opportunities to reach into the lives of others in an inspiring way arise in countless ways every single day..." Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
http://www.hellophoenix.com/art
Edited by - carolann r on 08/15/2006 23:49:02
Carrie
http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com
http://www.vintageandvelvet.blogspot.com
"Freedom has a scent like the top of a newborn baby's head..." U2
http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com
http://www.vintageandvelvet.blogspot.com
"Freedom has a scent like the top of a newborn baby's head..." U2