It’s shaping up to be quite a month for trail advocates. If you’re a biker, a hiker, a dog walker or stroller-pusher, you’ve probably already gotten out and enjoyed the completed portions of the Waterfront Trail, which currently stretches (in Eureka) from the Hikshari’ Trail all the way along the waterfront to down behind Target, […]
Outdoors
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Hand Making Skateboards in Arcata
Over the last five years, the cracks and crannies of Arcata’s sidewalks have eaten me up and the unpredictable weather left me with a heavy and rusted cruising setup. It was time to get something new to roll around the sleepy town with. Steven Driedger’s boards caught my eye with their color and shape, so […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Spiders in a Car
What do you do when you’re driving and a spider runs across the inside of your windshield? Like any good entomological photographer, I pulled over at a safe place and took its picture, of course. Done with the photo shoot, I hearded it onto an envelope and ushered it outside. Really, spiders are nothing to […]
Posted inNews
High Surf Closes Bay Entrance
The United States Coast Guard captain of the port has closed the entrance to Humboldt Bay due to high surf, the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Service wrote in a Tweet this afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning this morning, in effect until 10 p.m., predicting waves up to 32 feet […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: By the River and Under the Sand
Here we are, middle of winter and once again I’m finding variegated meadowhawk dragonflies along the Van Duzen River, where I regularly walk. Although this is a small dragonfly, it is the largest insect I see flying this time of year. I find them perched on rocks in open sections of river bar, often 20 […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Pushing the Limits of Small
Taking a break from splitting firewood, I noticed dozens of tiny creatures flying in the sunlight. Curious, I captured first a gall wasp, then a tiny rove beetle and, finally, a creature too small for my eyes to discern anything other than a black speck crawling on my hand. A session with my dissecting microscope […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Winter Butterflies
The winter solstice is passed but I can’t see any lengthening in the days yet. It’s almost not worth waking up for — at least it might seem that way to an overwintering butterfly. I have spotted at least three species flying on recent warm winter days: a painted lady, red admiral and mourning cloak. They’re […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Heartworm
I caught a new bug recently. Unfortunately, it was not the kind I could skewer with a pin and put in a frame, but the kind where you’re supposed to drink plenty of fluids and get some rest. So I took the opportunity to do a bit of online research to answer a question recently […]
Posted inNews
Crab Health Advisory Lifted
If you have a boat and some pots, you can get to cracking shells without worry. The California Department of Public Health has lifted its advisory for Dungeness crab consumption. Recent tests show domoic acid levels have dropped low enough that eating sport-caught crustaceans, if prepared properly, should be safe. Make sure to boil or […]
Posted inNews
The Ugly Holiday Sweater Fun Run in Photos
The third Friday of December is now officially National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day – a clothing statement even non-Christians can wear. Our local second annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Fun Run was held Dec. 17 on the Arcata Plaza as a fundraiser for Humboldt Educare and organized by Arcata Main Street. Given Humboldt Educate was the […]
