Casa Carnival and the Worlds Largest Ice Cream Sundae

Two of the greatest things in the whole wide entire universe: carnivals and ice cream!

If you go ahead and make the ice cream the Guinness Book of World Record's sanctioned largest ice cream sundae and make the carnival a Casa Carnival with proceeds benefiting abused and neglected children  you've got one lovely Saturday afternoon. 

A total crowd please: D.A. Gallagos  took dive after dive as kids, and especially adults, delighted in dunking the California Attorney of the Year. 

D.A. Gallagos joked with the crowd the entire day. 

 A petting zoo, thanks to high school 4H students, was an adorable pit stop for adults and kids to rest with some cute, although often spirited animals. 

I was hoping they were about to lay me a golden egg. No luck. 

At one point, a miniature pony broke free and escaped the carnival grounds. Have no fear, he was found:

The runaway stallion! 

Several local restaurants and individual volunteers helped make the food booths possible. There were hot dogs, Papa Murphy's Pizza, Fish Tacos (sponsored by The Looking Glass House), and much more including cotton candy.

It's not a carnival without cotton candy!

This hip cat completely agrees. 

 A variety of quirky activities and games were available on the midway. They included a (not so rough riding) mechanical bull, rock climbing, face painting and dress up, ball tosses, duck-fishing, cake walks, and a lollipop tree. 

Rock climbing was a hit for everyone brave enough to try. 

Winners of the cake walk with a volunteer.

Grand Prize Cake Walker being handed her treats by a volunteer.

Can I get one of these trees to plant in my yard? 

 Performances, often interactive were given by break dancers, musicians, and local dance troupes. 

A musical guest croons to the crowds. 

 There were many items such as creatively cool t-shirts and faerie wings that could be purchased to help the cause. 

Volunteer running a colorful booth. 

 For the grand finale, everyone gathered around a table in order to help build the World's Largest Ice Cream Sundae. After a Guinness Book of World Record's Representative measured the sundae, the title was officially given. 

The World's Largest Ice Cream Sundae! 

Many conservation corps members (and friends) helped out at the event, of course partook in ice cream at the end 

 Congrats to Casa of Humbolt for holding such an amazing event and thank you to all the volunteers. 

If you'd like to donate to Casa of Humbolt, I will shortly have a direct link up for you to do so. Until I have that link up, please use the Network for Good Donation Site.

Painted Walls: Duane Flatmo

Only beginning to dip my toes into the art community of Eureka, I've not yet gone to the renowned "Arts Alive!" festival. (Yet!) My art fix, fortunately has been sated in other ways. I've passed by homes with still wet paintings strewn about lawns, clay drying on top of newspapers, or completed large scale installations. All vary from the lovely to the downright, "this is making me just a tad bit uneasy" to the "it's in the eye of the beholder." There are also very well known artists whom have stamped the city with their talent. One of which is Duane Flatmo.

My favorite is a "pop" style mural,"No Barking Anytime."

Alley behind North Coast Dance

It's silly, it's colorful and it reminds me of the canine counterpart to Heathcliff's gang.
While I take it to be silly, because life is often too short to be taken seriously; there is a message concerning an individual's rights to follow their natural instincts.

 Talented artist Duane Flatmo (who also painted "No Barking...") has several murals around Humboldt County. The following two are the most fanciful and breathtaking due to the borderline-surreal approach taken by Flatmo as well their startling size and detail.

Mural seen walking east on the 101 S

Arkley Center for the Performing Arts

A bumblebee during my "tour" gave me pause to consider what sort of community willingly homes such a diminutive artist who enables nature to paint it's own delightful landscapes.

Thanks goodness bumble bees don't mind paparazzi. 

 A good one, that is which. Bumblebee populations are being depleted across the country. I've seen a sparse few in the last few years prior to my arrival in Humboldt County, which has been represented in the decline of other native species in the areas of my past locals. Here, they have a home. Diversity, not only of the H. sapiens variety, seems welcome in Eureka.

*~*~*Do It Yourself*~*~*

I'm fairly certain that in no great length of time, I'll be lucky to have seen more of Duane Flatmo's work. If you'd enjoy taking a tour and are unable to spend a ton of time hunting murals or cannot travel to Humboldt County OR if you are in Humboldt County and you'd like to know where to find more murals by Flatmo check out Batchgeo's Flatmo Mural Guide, complete with pictures and addresses.

Eureka!

Courthouse Market

Having been in Eureka for nearing 4 weeks, I've only learned a bit about this city. Everything closes around 9 or earlier, there is hidden (or blatant!) art around each corner, there are more antique/thrift/consignment stores in Humboldt county than there are people to buy the items from said stores, and if you are riding a bike; cars will act politely and not run you over.

I've got quite a bit of more exploring to do. Thus far I've mostly been setting up my work-in-progress apartment, though I have scouted out activities, events, locations and I've got my "Humboldt County Bucketlist" posted to my fridge.

If you are expecting a lot from me, cool! I'll do my grandest to surpass those expectations.
What you will most likely see here:

• artsy fartsy activities
• reviews of restaurants/businesses/local products
• random "finds" I deem interesting enough to take a picture of
• coverage of local festivals/activities
• perhaps some rants/raves, never know
• survival guides/how to guides