The 94th annual Fortuna Rodeo rode into the sunset on Sunday, July 19. Horses, firetrucks, bands and floats made their way down Main Street for the parade, and kids of all ages chanced the games and clanging rides at the carnival, while riders and ropers took on bulls and broncos in the rodeo arena in […]
Outdoors
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Humbug: Two Different Strategies for Prosperity
I can be sure it’s summer now that I’ve seen two of my favorite butterflies. Considered as a pair, they show two very different survival strategies. One is gaudy, covered by nature with large clown eyes, the other is a very “plain Jane” butterfly. You can see them both on any sunny Summer or Fall day. […]
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HumBug: Giddyup!
Having rained the day before, the sky hung low and menacing over the warm, muggy, quiet clearing. Strangely at that moment there were very few insects in a place I expected to see many. I was reminded of an old jungle movie. The words – “It’s quiet. Too quiet!” – ran through my mind. Where […]
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The Reluctant Cyclist, part 3
Look, I was ready, sporting my styley bike pants, pannier packed and motivation high. Unfortunately, my tire was low – and no matter how much I tried to inflate it, the rubber stayed squishy to the squeeze. I ended up lifting the bike into the truck bed – a working tailgate would be nice at […]
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The Reluctant Cyclist, part 2
Number of miles ridden: 31.2 (roundtrip) Time traveled: 2 hours: 57 minutes Number of Confederate flags sighted: 3 Number of times actively feared for life: 0 This wasn’t a work commute, but a “fun” ride to the Humboldt County Cornhole Association’s annual tournament. I mention it to show that a.) I am not a complete […]
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HumBug: That’s No Lady
Male Ladybugs must have a hard time of it. The familiar orange, black spotted beetles are represented by both sexes. Without a great deal of technical knowledge and a good strong hand lens, you’re unlikely to tell the difference. While insects don’t seem to mind what we humans call them, from time to time I have […]
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The Reluctant Cyclist, part 1
Number of miles ridden: 5.6 miles Time traveled: 25:27 minutes Number of roadkill passed: 2 Number of times actively feared for life: 0 (Note: Before we journey down this path together, please note: If you seek useful, straightforward advice on commuting via bicycle, refer to the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association. Also, if you would […]
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Drowning Marks Humboldt’s Fifth of 2015
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has identified the man who drowned while swimming near Trinidad’s Agate State Beach on Friday Thursday afternoon as 34-year-old Brad Lee Senatore, of Fairfield. It’s the fifth drowning death recorded so far this year in Humboldt County, which typically averages five or six annually. An experienced diver, Senatore went for a […]
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Seeing Tomorrow’s Eclipse an “Iffy” Proposition
If you’re planning on prying yourself from your covers before dawn tomorrow to catch a glimpse of the lunar eclipse, you might be heading back to be disappointed. The eclipse will begin at 4:57 a.m., when the earth, moon and sun align in the sky, with the earth blocking the sun’s rays and casting the […]
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North Coast Drownings on Record Pace
Bobby Allan Root, a 20-year-old from Vicksburg, Michigan who enjoyed sketching and a good Will Ferrell movie is presumed drowned after going missing in the ocean off the North Coast on March 24. Root had been in Humboldt County visiting some friends when, on an overcast day, he dove into the Pacific Ocean at the […]
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UPDATED: Skull Found on Eel River
UPDATED: The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office sent out a press release Tuesday afternoon regarding the skull and noting that no other human remains were found during a search of the area. You can find it below our original post. PREVIOUSLY: Blue Slide Road resident Chris Ghidinelli was cutting a new ATV path through the brush, […]
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HumBug: Mysteries of the Variegated Meadowhawk
Science always starts with a question. A few winters ago, walking along my favorite stretch of the Van Duzen River on a sunny day, I was surprised to see a dragonfly. Dragonflies spend most of their lives in the water as predatory larvae looking nothing like the graceful fliers everyone knows. As adults they commonly […]