7 minute read
Washed Up
OUTDOORS
Sumeg Village Tour. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sue-meg State Park, 4150 Patrick’s Point Drive, Trinidad. Join us for a free interpretive tour of Sumeg Village. Rain cancels. Please check the California State Parks North Coast Redwoods Facebook page for updates/cancelations. Free.
ETC
English Express: An English Language Class for Adults.
Ongoing. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing. Homesharing Info Session. 9:30-10 a.m. and 9:30-10 a.m. This informational Zoom session will go over the steps and safeguards of Area 1 Agency on Aging’s matching process and the different types of homeshare partnerships. Email Julie at homeshare@a1aa.org for the link. Free. www.a1aa.org/ homesharing. 442-3763. Humboldt Bounskee League. 6-8 p.m. Humboldt Brews, 856 10th St., Arcata. Weekly league nights. Purchase of any wood bounskee from Humbrews or the website includes one-month family membership for future events. All ages. Free. bounskee@gmail.com. bounskee.fun. 601-9492. Tabata. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Virtual World, Online. See May 6 listing.
10 Tuesday
Buddy Reed. 7-10 p.m. Palm Lounge, Eureka Inn, 518 Seventh St. Solo blues. Check with venue for current COVID protocols. www.eurekainn.com. Cocktail Piano. 6-8 p.m. Palm Lounge, Eureka Inn, 518 Seventh St. See May 5 listing.
FOOD
Shelter Cove Farmers’ Market. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mario’s Marina Bar, 533 Machi Road, Shelter Cove. Fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and premium plant starts and more. Live music and hot food vendors. Free. info@northcoastgrowersassociation. org. www.northcoastgrowersassociation.org/sheltercove. html. 441-9999.
MEETINGS
Freedom Matters. Second Tuesday of every month, 7 p.m. Fortuna River Lodge, 1800 Riverwalk Drive. Meets every second Tuesday of the month. Humboldt Cribbage Club Tournament. 6:15-9 p.m. Moose Lodge, 4328 Campton Road, Eureka. Weekly six-game cribbage tournament for experienced players. Inexperienced players may watch, learn and play on the side. Moose dinner available at 5:30 p.m. Contact venue for current COVID protocols. $3-$8. 31for14@gmail.com. 599-4605.
ETC
Disability Peer Advocate Group. Second Tuesday of every month, 3 p.m. Virtual World, Online. Peer advocates supporting each other and furthering the disability cause. Email for the Zoom link. alissa@tilinet.org.
English Express: An English Language Class for Adults.
Ongoing. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing. Restorative Movement. 10:30-11:30 a.m. & 2-3 p.m. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing.
11 Wednesday
Figure Drawing. 6-8:30 p.m. Blondies Food And Drink, 420 E. California Ave., Arcata. $5. www.blondiesfoodanddrink.com.
BOOKS
On the Same Page Book Club. 5:30 p.m. Virtual World, Online. Online book club that meets on the first Wednesday of the month on Zoom. Sign up using the Google form at www. forms.gle/bAsjdQ7hKGqEgJKj7.
MUSIC
Bayside Ballads and Blues. 6-8 p.m. Clam Beach Tavern, 4611 Central Ave., McKinleyville. Every Wednesday. Contact venue for current COVID protocols. Cocktail Piano. 6-8 p.m. Palm Lounge, Eureka Inn, 518 Seventh St. See May 5 listing. Moon Hooch. 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Check venue for current COVID protocol. www.arcatatheatre.com.
ELECTIONS
League of Women Voters Candidate Forum. 7 p.m. KEET TV, Channel 13, Humboldt. See May 9 listing.
FOOD
Nordic Aquafarms’ Open Zoom. 12:30-1:30 p.m. This is a casual open Zoom meeting where people can ask questions and discuss the proposed Nordic Aquafarms project. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82606727970 Meeting ID: 826 0672 7970 One tap mobile +16699009128,,82606727970# US (San Jose) +12532158782,,82606727970# US (Tacoma) satkinssalazar@gmail.com. us02web.zoom.us/j/82606727970.
GARDEN
Sea Goat Farm Garden Volunteer Opportunities. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Abbey of the Redwoods, 1450 Hiller Road, McKinleyville. See May 6 listing.
ETC
English Express: An English Language Class for Adults.
Ongoing. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing. Tabata. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Virtual World, Online. See May 6 listing.
12 Thursday
BOOKS
Equity Series Book Discussion Group. 3:45-4:45 p.m. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing.
MUSIC
Americana Music. 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Grind Cafe, 734 Fifth St., Eureka. See May 5 listing.
Better Get It In Your Soul: the CPH Jazz Orchestra plays
Mingus. 8-10 p.m. Fulkerson Recital Hall, California Polytechnic University Humboldt, Arcata. A celebration of the legendary jazz musician during the centennial of his birth. Proof of COVID vaccination and booster is equired for all guests on campus. $10, $5 child, free for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. mus@humboldt.edu. music.humboldt.edu/ upcoming. 826-3566. Chubritza Statewide Folkdance Songs Part 2. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Synapsis, 1675 Union St., Eureka. International folkdance band Chubritza will be playing the second evening of songs in preparation for the statewide folkdance gathering later this month. This will be a special event for Humboldt Bay folk music and dance fans. Chubritza will be playing 3 sets of traditional European folkdance songs. Refreshments will be available. $5-20 sliding scale, tickets at the door. derinque@ gmail.com. www.synapsisperformance.com. 454708. Cocktail Piano. 6-8 p.m. Palm Lounge, Eureka Inn, 518 Seventh St. See May 5 listing. The Color of Jazz. 7-10 p.m. Palm Lounge, Eureka Inn, 518 Seventh St. See May 5 listing.
FOOD
Volunteer Orientation Food for People. 3-4 p.m. See May 5 listing.
GARDEN
Drop-In Volunteer Day. 1-4 p.m. Bayside Park Farm, 930 Old Arcata Road, Arcata. Get a taste of a farmer’s work growing vegetables, herbs and flowers. Come prepared for sunshine, cold, wet and working in the dirt. Bring a water bottle, snacks, closed toe shoes, long pants, sleeves and a sun hat. Free. baysideparkfarm@cityofarcata.org. www.cityofarcata. org/440/Bayside-Park-Farm. 822-8184.
MEETINGS
Ujima Parent Peer Support. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing. Virtual Whiteness Accountability Space. Noon-1 p.m. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing.
OUTDOORS
Arcata Bike To Work Day. North Coast Co-op, Arcata, 811 I St. Kick off Bike Month with free snacks, beverages, bike safety checks and chair massages. bit.ly/bikemonth22.
ETC
English Express: An English Language Class for Adults.
Ongoing. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing. Restorative Movement. 10:30-11:30 a.m. & 2-3 p.m. Virtual World, Online. See May 5 listing. l
Cruising for Snails
By Mike Kelly
washedup@northcoastjournal.com A couple of nassa shells with other snails.
Photo by Mike Kelly
Ijust gave some cruise ship passengers a tour called The Humboldt Culture and Beachcombing Experience. The first question from my busload of cruisers was: “Are you serving rum punch?”
I said, “No. This isn’t the Caribbean. Our first stop is the Arcata Plaza, where I encourage you to experience our culture by mingling with locals and sampling our local delicacies and libations. Plus, there’s a liquor store.”
After herding them back onto the bus, one fellow held up a baggie and said, “A nice young man sold me these local delicacies. They are chewy and taste a bit earthy, but they go great with rum punch!”
So, on the way to the beach, my cruisers passed around the delicacy baggie and bottles of rum and punch.
I lost control of the group at the beach but I caught up with one old gal who was examining something. She said, “Oh wow … it’s so shiny and orange on the inside. It’s the orangest thing in the world!”
I said, “Nice find! It’s the shell of the giant western nassa snail, Nassarius fossatus, which is in the whelk family. Your specimen, with its 2-inch-high spire and inch-wide base, is about as big as they get. Your snail is also called a dogwhelk, a channeled nassa or even a basket snail because it has the bumpy texture of a spirally woven basket.”
I heard a fellow screaming. He was cowering from an unseen monster or something. He was in a panic but, unfortunately, he did not have the defenses of a nassa snail.
I said, “When threatened, the nassa snail retreats into its shell and closes the door with a strong, flexible lid called an operculum.”
I looked up to see one of my cruisers on her knees sobbing and eating sand by the fistful.
I continued, “The nassa snail eats mostly dead animal material, which it can sniff out from a distance using its long proboscis. It uses its raspy tongue to lick up the flesh. It can also use its tongue to bore through the shells of clams and lick their flesh out.”
I glanced up at the surf to see an adorable nude couple laughing hysterically while trying to catch fish using their undergarments as nets.
She said, “Yes, nothing good ever happens when biologists try to be funny.”
“Agreed,” I said. Then I noticed a gentleman lying on his back working vigorously to – I don’t know — inseminate the sun? He did create a beautiful one-winged sand angel though.
I continued, “Unlike many other mollusks, the giant western nassa snail has separate sexes. The male inseminates the female and then she lays egg capsules in strings up to 2.5 inches long. The snails normally live on mud or sand bottoms, but they lay their eggs on solid objects — from rocks to crab traps. The flat egg capsules are oval and leathery with soft little spikes around each edge. A string may contain 40 capsules and each capsule contains hundreds of eggs. The strings of hatched-out cases sometimes wash up in large quantities.”
Then I saw one old guy happily buried up to his neck in the sand until another guy kicked his head as if he thought it was a soccer ball.
That’s all I could take, so I hitchhiked home. Does anyone know if my cruisers made it back?
l
Biologist Mike Kelly (he/him) also writes science-based satire as M. Sid Kelly. It’s available at Eureka Books or everywhere e-books are sold.
