Post #483527 by TikiMango on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 8:41 AM

Seeksurf, thank you!

MadDogMike, just keep pushing your boundaries, and I'm sure the seahorse will be a walk in the park one day. Well, maybe a 5k run...

Benzart, thanks! When I braid a cord I curse your name (in a good way) at every plait cross-over.

TikiG, thank you for the positive vibes.

MooneyTiki, thank you for the kind words. One day I want to grow up and be like you... or Kenny.

I had some family in town for the past week, so I wasn't able to get anything done. This time around it was my oldest son, his girlfriend and my grandson dragging me all over Florida for sight seeing. Don't these people realize that I have art to get out of my system? Here is my first attempt at an Arawa-style face mask. I don't think I'll be doing any bone portraits any time soon.

Perhaps the moko needs to be a tad deeper?

Ready for a cord, I just need to braid it.

While sort of big, my hand kept cramping up trying to hold it while I carved.

Included with the touristy sight-seeing we did last week was able to visit "Jungle Adventures" near Christmas, FL. This is your typical alligator-infested, mosquito-filled, eco-friendly nature park that you'll find in various areas of Florida. It should have been called "Swamp Adventures". At this particular place they had a mock-up of a Seminole Indian village, and I got a chance to talk with the host since we were the only people in the park that day. Bone carvings came up and he gave me something to carve, though I am not sure I'll be able to do anything with it. Any guess as to what it is?

This one is big, but they can be much smaller.

It's full of holes, porous, and has a ridge.

Did I mention it's very, very porous!

Ok, times up!

This is called an alligator scute. Every dorsal ridge on a gator has one of these under it, and it is porous to allow the blood to regulate heat. Some types of turtle also have these skeletal features. Don't ever say you never did learnt nuthin' from me. Thanks for looking.