Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for February 06, 2012

It’s too bad those things weren’t around in Wile E. Coyote’s day.

Real roadrunners are fun to watch.

Of all the times I’ve been to Arizona to see my cousins (last time was June 2011), I’ve never seen a roadrunner. Not even a Gila monster lizard, a rattlesnake (diamondback or sidewinder) nor a scorpion in the wild.

At least it’s stylish.

I used to live in Arizona. I saw road runners a number of times. You have to get a little distance away from the freeway or swimming pool to see them. I never saw a rattlesnake or scorpion in the wild… My dog did get bitten by a rattlesnake once though and I found a live scorpion in my kitchen once. My dog did recover and I’m glad that rat recovered from yesterday (sort of). He seems nicer today; do we think he has learned anything from the frying pan incident?

I live in AZ (though I don’t like to admit it) – the roadrunner is the NEW MEXICO (a lot like the OLD one) state bird. Ours is the cactus wren.

Ahh….if only there was a cartoon featuring Cactus Wrens.

Used to live in El Paso and used to see Road Runners, Rattlers and scorpians, but you did have to travel to NM to see Gila monsters.

I was in OK one weekend and a roadrunner lived near my friend’s house. It would keep pace with her car every time she left the house, and then drop back when she turned off onto the highway. Like a dog chasing cars.

When I lived in Wisconsin I saw a lot of sled runners.

I spent a year in Wisconsin one week!

Beep beep!

@Susan Sunshine,You lived in Wisconsin? Well, we like you anyway.

The road runners can’t find their way out! Somebody paint an exit tunnel quick!

See ’em a lot in Henderson, NV. They are not nice birds. Kinda have a Rat like attitude.

They must be senior roadrunners.

A few weeks back, at one of the golf tournaments they had a cameraman on a Segway. Haven’t seen him lately.What could go wrong when a guy operates an HD camera on a Segway on a golf course with water, hills, trees, tents……..

Lots of roadrunners in California too – desert golf courses are a favorite! Also the Santa Monica Mountains – yes, Malibu has roadrunners and rattlers!

I wonder if this cartoon is just a segue into another of Pastis’ terrible puns?

One vacation, I saw a coyote in Tuscon, standing in someone’s all-sand front yard. Of course, they also have coyotes in Florida, where I live, and Wisconsin, which I visit often and love. (Though maybe not this time of year, since I’ve gotten more ancient.)

Lots of coyote in the FL panhandle. I now live in the NC mountains and have had coyote in my yard several times. No roadrunners though. Perhaps a moonshine runner from time to time.

Goat has a long memory…Rat has flashes of anger, but Goat broods and plots a LONG time.

Very Nice Piper..was her name Wicked Felina?

@Buckly34Sounds a lot like Mark Twain. He once said the coldest winter he ever experienced was the summer he spent in San Francisco….

There are roadrunners all over southern California, but you have to get away from developed areas to see them. There was a friendly one at one campground who would actually eat out of my hand!

Do Southern California Road Runners where sunglasses?

yesterday’s PBS was a classic. Rat finally got his come-uppance from Goat. Almost choke on my breakfast.

I’ve seen a roadrunner in AZ—but he must have left the Segway at home that day. I’ve also seen rattlers, but not scorpions—only the rattlers were on the northern Prairies of N & S Dakota.

“Road Runner, that Coyote’s after you!Road Runner, if he catches you, you’re through!Road Runner, that Coyote’s after you!Road Runner, if he catches you, you’re through!That Coyote is really a crazy clown!When will he learn that he never can mow you down?Poor little Road Runner never bothers anyone.Just running down the road is his idea of having fun!”

Good.

Impressive balance for the roadrunners, though!

freakiest thing i saw was a roadrunner eating a baby bird that fell out of a treethey now seem even more lizard like to me

Someone call Wile E. Coyote.