Laura here. It's been a wild week at the Procession of the Species studio. Doug's giant anglerfish is officially dead; funeral arrangements are commencing forthwith.

The big rhino got a nose job (a rhinoplasty, get it?) that makes it more anatomically feasible.

We misplaced the strings of little batiks that everybody calls the "prayer flags," and are begging everybody to make more little ones FAST to replace them.

And Operation Chinook Salmon is progressing. Here's the story. Eight years ago, Chinook Middle School students and parents made a 300-pound, fifteen-foot-long Chinook salmon for the Procession. It's of cartonnage and built over what looks like the ribs of an ark. The kids carried it through the streets on their shoulders like junior Penitentes. Totally nuts. Then it got lost in the school's rafters until this fall. (And no, I don't know how you lose something bright blue, finny and the size of a farm truck either. I hope they count the kids at the end of each day.) So now the teachers, kids, and our own real-world carpenter Eli are trying to reconstruct it, but on wheels. It's going to be so much fun.

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Here's what's on the calendar this week to prepare for the Procession of the Species...

Music and Dance Rehearsals... they're held upstairs at 525 Cherry Street SE (the corner of Cherry & Legion, above the Fish Brewing Company's actual brewery).

• Wednesday night April 9, 7 to 9pm: Drum Fun
• Friday night April 11, 7 to 9pm: Galactic Groovers
• Saturday evening April 12, 5:30 to 7pm: Drumatic Innovation: Introduction to Basic Drumming
• Sunday afternoon April 13, 1 to 3pm: Mas Uda
• Sunday evening April 13, 5 to 7pm: Samba Olywa
• Monday evening April 14, 7 to 9pm: Planet Percussion

And One Art Workshop...

Papier-Mache, every Saturday 2 to 4pm. (Taught by me.)

Although there's no other workshop officially on the schedule, you can just drop in and play anytime. Our main studio is open from 3 to 9pm weeknights and 10 to 10-ish on weekends. It's at 120 Capitol Way, across the alley from the Spar, come in throught the alley door.

There's always somebody around who can help you out, get you started, or incite you to make something that's wayyyy grander than the little mouse hat you set out to build.