Meep! Meep! And there was CACTUS!!!
The WIP is rocking along, the Prickly Pear Cactus is in, so the Roadrunner does not look like it is spewing the desert behind him, LOL. SO don’t judge the thorns yet, they are still covered with masking. That will be one of the last details to finish, in case I have to do any more washes on the cactus. Next, I will work on the background, leaving the little guy for last! Just a little roadrunner trivia for any of you who have ever considered trying out Wildlife Rehabilitation. When working with roadrunners – avoid getting pooped on AT ALL COSTS! They have the most disgusting smelling mutes, only a bird with internal injuries, or a few of the water birds even come close to that smell. Just file that one at the back of your brain just in case you have a roadrunner encounter. A member of the Cuckoo family, the Greater Roadrunner is a common sight in Arizona. Their foot formation is zygodactyl, like parrots.( That means they have two toes in front and two toes in back – for my friends who are not bird fanatics.) Many people think that they are cruel because they commonly beat their prey on a rock. However, this is really an aid to their digestion process since they do not have sharp talons or tearing beaks, so they swallow their food whole. SO next time you see a roadrunner beating a mouse or small bird on the rocks – don’t judge.
A Great Big CONGRATULATIONS to Jim Nixon, who won the “Vanishing Species” Kakapo painting. Stay tuned for the winner of “Unforgettable” raffle which ends in September. If you would like to buy tickets – go to the Alex Foundation website http://alexfoundation.org/products-page/alex-memorial-items/raffle-original-watercolor-alex-portrait/ and go CRAZY!!!
arlenepowers 