Fortuna received an especially spectacular sky show – a solar halo – this afternoon (June 5). A solar halo is “caused by high, thin cirrus clouds drifting high above your head,” according to EarthSky, a science news site. “Tiny ice crystals in Earth’s atmosphere create the halos. They do it by refracting and reflecting the light. […]
Outdoors
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Oregon Butterflies and Wasps
One good thing about insects as a hobby is there are so many of them and they’re everywhere. The high desert environment of central Oregon is so different from our coastal rainforest it gives opportunities to encounter entirely unfamiliar species. So, I took my cameras on a trip last week. It was easy to add […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
State Senate Unanimously Passes ‘Great Redwood Trail’ Bill
The Great Redwood Trail is one step closer to reality. A bill by North Coast state Sen. Mike McGuire to dissolve the North Coast Railroad Authority and transform the defunct railway from Willits to Arcata into a multi-use trail nabbed a unanimous 36-0 vote on the Senate floor last night. “There is tremendous support for […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Kinetic Finish Line Photos
All over Humboldt County, Kinetic Grand Championship racers are likely still icing their quads from the 50th annual three-day human-powered sculpture race over land and water that ended on Ferndale’s Main Street on Monday. In the end, the Grand Championship trophy went to Team Trilo Bike and its diner on wheels. But ACE awards (for […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Splashdown! Photos from Kinetic Day 2
Hang onto your paddles, the Kinetic Grand Championship’s 50th annual Humboldt Bay crossing made a splash with the amphibious leg of the race yesterday. Photographer Mark McKenna was there to catch the flipping, floating and fun. Enjoy the highlights in the slideshow below — from outside the splash zone. Related Stories
Posted inArts + Scene
Rolling Through: Photos and Video from Kinetic Day One
On Saturday, May 26, crowds gathered on the Arcata Plaza to see the blend of art, engineering and madness that is the parade of Kinetic Grand Championship teams and their wild rides. Around midday, after a kind of show and shine with spectators checking out the amphibious marvels and their brave crews, participants looped the […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Kinetic Party People
If you’re going to come up with a wacky theme and wild costumes for your Kinetic Grand Championship team, you want to make the most of them. This year, on Friday, May 25, the eve of the human-powered sculpture race, the bold and bewigged donned their gear and put on a show for the Kinetic Thrills […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Amid Kelp and Abalone Die-offs, State Raises Urchin Limits
The California Fish and Game Commission adopted emergency regulations this week aimed at reducing purple sea urchin populations off the North Coast. The urchin populations have exploded in recent years, part of what marine biologists call a “perfect storm” of factors contributing to the collapse of northern California kelp forests and the widespread starvation of […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Strange Defense
The nymphal spittle bug is a wondrous creature. It sips plant juices and processes the waste into a bubbly foam with which it surrounds itself. If you’ve ever gotten the stuff on your hand you know it is sticky and gooey. I understand it is unpleasant tasting as well. (I’ve not done that experiment.) It […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: A 10-year Mystery
About 10 years ago I found a round black beetle about the size of a large pea in my dog’s water bowl. I could tell right away it was a scarab. A closer inspection revealed it had an impressive horn on the tip of its nose. Although I wasn’t actively collecting, it was impressive, it […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Mountain Lion Sightings, Pet Attacks Prompt Warning in Rio Dell
Rio Dell officials are warning residents to keep their children and pets indoors following a series of mountain lion sightings near ravines frequented by children along the river bar and in neighborhoods along Riverside and Eeloa avenues on the east side of U.S. Highway 101. The city warns that the sightings have taken place during […]