Looking back on how strange and difficult 2020 has been, it can be easy to feel sad or depressed.
Christmas can be a time to smile and find joy at the end of the year, and near the intersection of I-25 and Lincoln Avenue, you can also find a little bit of warmth.
Carli Seeba built a bright pink and mostly plastic Christmas tree in her front yard. It’s no normal Christmas tree though.
“There’s 50 flamingos, which interestingly you can buy in bulk,” Seeba said. “They sell them for those fundraisers where you can put a million flamingos in someone’s yard and they have to pay someone for them to be removed. That’s what I did. I bulk bought flamingos.”
If the fact somebody bought plastic flamingos in bulk doesn’t make you smile, maybe the giant flamingo inflatable next to it will.
Seeba has lost count just how many flamingos she owns, including the 50 on the tree.
“What’s more fun than a bird that stands on one leg and is hot pink?” Seeba said, with her own smile on her face.
The joy and happiness from Seeba is contagious. It wasn’t long ago that she had her own struggles, though. She, too, had a rough year.
“I lost my job in January. I was much more fortunate than a lot of people to find a job the week before the pandemic hit,” Seeba said.
“I was supposed to get married this summer in Costa Rica with my family and friends," Seeba said. "Unfortunately we had to reschedule and we’re hoping to do it again next year.”
Now, she’s bringing something tropical back to Denver, and the people are flocking.
Cars have been stopping traffic to snap a picture. One encounter really stood out.
“My favorite group was this little scooter gang in hot pink scooters and helmets, and they came and took pictures," Seeba said. "It makes me so happy to see people getting such joy out of it."
Seeba said the reactions were exactly what she hoped for when she erected this big, pink and plastic tree.
"I couldn’t be happier," Seeba said. "The only trick is how am I going to top it next year?”
