Every year on the first Thursday of May, the community of Ocean City, New Jersey sets up a festival to celebrate Martin Z. Mollusk. The only odd thing is Martin is a hermit crab. The community hosts a huge carnival in his honor so he can come out and see his shadow. If he sees his shadow, summer will come one week early for the residents of Ocean City. However, if he misses his shadow, summer will be pushed back one week.

Somehow, only the residents of Ocean City will be affected by this magical weather changing crab while we in Canyon suffer with snow. (Now you’re wishing you Hoodie Hoo’d huh? Read the Hoodie Hoo story.)  He has everyone on the edge of their seats for this wondrous event as he has only missed his shadow once in the last 37 years. The entire city is always in an uproar about the event. Ocean City High School band even gets out of school for half of a day to come play Pomp and Circumstance as the crab makes his creep to the edge of the boardwalk. Do the creep ahhhhhh.

According to the “Ocean City Patch,”this year’s entertainment includes The World’s Only Wind Chimes Band who will perform “Brother You Spare a Chime,” which is No. 1 on the Wind Chime Charts. Big Mama Llama from Bready Farms in Tuckahoe will also make an appearance. Ooooh the excitement.

Admission to this event is free and all spectators will be given a replica of Martin’s shell as a souvenir of the event. Everyone is asked to sing “Some Enchanted Morning,” Martin’s theme song.

Some staff members are jealous of Ocean City’s enthusiasm  and lament that Canyon just doesn’t offer anything as exciting as Mama Llama and a creeping, weather forecasting crab.