2006-05-27
Kinetic.
There are certian events that happen in this area that can only be filed under Only In Humboldt County. For example, the annual 4/20 festival in Redwood Park where hippies from all around gather to smoke pot out in the open and police come from all around to watch, but not arrest, the participants. Or the oyster calling contest held every year at Oyster Fest, where locals, full of shellfish and overpriced beer, try their best to imitate an oyster's mating call. (By the way, Oyster Fest is where I found Oyster the cat, thus her name).
But the strangest of all Only In Humboldt County moments has to be the Kinetic Sculpture Race. A kinetic sculpture is...well, it's hard to explain. It's a machine that has to be able to travel over miles of land, sand and ocean and be completely man-powered. And then it also has to be a sculpture. Like I said, it's hard to explain, so here's some picture of a couple of the machines:
The "Stag Party"
"Scaredy Cat"
"Ultimate Make-Over"
"Flash Gourdon" (Which looks strangely like their machine from last year, "Gourd of the Rings.")
I don't know what this one is supposed to be....Gigantic Bike Wheel?
I've gone to the beginning of the three-day race every year since I moved here, and have always had fun. Well, except last year because John was racing and he had just broken up with me, so I was still in walking-open-wound mode, and then I ran into The Girl I Was Dumped For (But Could Never Truly Hate Because She Was Diagnosed With Cancer Soon Afterwards And I Didn't Want To Be Known As The Bitter Ex Who Hates Cancer Patients [But If She Were Healthy You Bet That Bitch Would Be At The Top Of My Shit List]). Ahem. That didn't happen this time, so I had fun. And, if I make it down to the Humboldt Bay waterfront tomorrow, perhaps there will be pictures of the sculptures at sea.
corin82 at 4:59 p.m.