It was near the halfway mark that I remembered that the design has a knothole. After careful consideration I performed surgery by removing ribs and part of the spinal column. 

After surgery, I reinforced the ribs to allow for more surface area for bending and gluing. 

Unfortunately, the species that lead up to the knothole was cherry, which is the most resistant to steam bending. Often times, I had to cut 10 pieces to get one that fits and does not crack apart in the bending process. I had to make the pieces thinner and thinner to accept the required bends, which made using nails impossible in most cases. I ended up using a number of unique clamping arangements to make it work, as you see here. 

My bending jigs were also getting more elaborate.

Clamps...so many clamps.

Due to the extreme nature of the wood bending and the unforgiving cherry wood, it took my an entire month to finish just the knothole. 
 

The interior view reveals the challenges that the knothole created. 

The completed trunk as seen from the structural side. 

AZ playing the part of of "The Burrowing Owl".

The completed trunk awaiting limb fabrication.