31 Days of Monsters - Day 3: Ropen

Ropen are a species of horrific flying beasts from New Guinea. They only come out at night and glow as they glide through the sky seeking prey. They usually eat fish, but are also known to rifle through fresh graves for carrion.

31 Days of Monsters: Day Seventeen — Monster bat

I like bats actually. There's very little about them to scare me other than the occasional link to rabies. They are very beneficial, keeping mosquito and insect populations in check, and they even pollinate some species of plants. Granted, I've never had my home invaded by one, and the size of some of the larger fruit-bat varieties start tickling the ancestral monkey-brain fight-or-flight instincts deep inside my head, but on the whole they don't creep me out as badly as they do some people.
One such person is my friend, Natalie, who suggested adding bats to 31 Days of Monsters. In order to fit it into my personal rules for this list, I had to pump up the creature to monstrous sizes first. I hope Natalie doesn't mind.

I never drink ... wine

"Tending the vines"

As a lifelong Wine Country resident, I've had to draw my share of vineyards, wine glasses and bottles.
I can do it, but given my druthers, I'd choose almost any other subject.
If I drank wine, I'd probably feel differently, but I rarely drink and when I do, it's usually a nice refreshing gin & tonic.
I feel, in a way, that trading on being a Napa Valley native by drawing and painting vineyard scenes and wine-themed still lifes would be dishonest. There are good artists out there who know wine, and care passionately about the subject matter. To me however, it's just a background to more passionate interests.
Like vampires for instance.
Hmmm ... if only there were a Monster Country I could move to. I'm sure I'd be a sensation!