The Hamster Wheel
Posts
🐹 Amaryllis Antics 🌺🌺

🐹 Amaryllis Antics 🌺🌺

December 09, 2024

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Monday update from The Hamster Wheel.

It looks like we’ll have a quiet start to the week here in the Ham. We’ll take it!!

Have fun, and be safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

FoodPlus! Bins
Amaryllis Care
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Sunrise at Squalicum harbor - 📷 by Sandy Fisk.

Sehome Hill from Chuckanut - 📷 by Sylvia Bernstein.

Disc Golf Sesh at Mossy Roc - 📷 by Cori Zentner.

Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.

Weather Forecast

Monday: 48°F 🌡️ 33°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 ENE 5 mph

Tuesday: 46°F 🌡️ 37°F | ⛅ Partly Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 NE 5 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Mon	4:28 AM	L	1.65
Mon	11:38 AM	H	9.17
Mon	6:59 PM	L	2.78
Tue	12:10 AM	H	5.20
Tue	5:27 AM	L	3.05
Tue	12:07 PM	H	9.22
Tue	7:34 PM	L	1.23

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Amaryllis for the Holidays

If you’ve been to Trader Joe’s lately you’ve probably seen the wax dipped amaryllis on display by the front entry. The wax keeps moisture from evaporating off the roots, and protects the bulb through an initial flowering cycle. We’ve had great success with these lovely blooms the last few years.

But what if you’re gifted a non-wax dipped bulb this season, or just want to grow one in soil? Here are a few tips to get you started:

Planting an Amaryllis Bulb: Soak the bulb with its roots in water for half a day before planting. Use ordinary potting soil in a sturdy pot that can support the plant’s weight. Place the bulb so that about two-thirds is buried in the soil, keeping the neck above ground. Ensure the soil is moist but avoid watering until the first leaves and flower stalks appear. As the bulb shrinks during growth, gently press the soil around it to maintain stability.
Placement: Amaryllis thrive in bright, warm environments with temperatures between 64 and 77 °F. They can handle direct sunlight, making a spot near a window ideal.
Watering: Refrain from watering your amaryllis for the first week until the leaves and stem emerge. This period allows the bulb to develop new roots. Once the top of the soil is dry, begin watering gently.
Feeding: Feeding is not required during the flowering period as the bulb contains sufficient nutrients. After the flowers have faded and the leaves have fully developed, you can start feeding your amaryllis if you wish to encourage it to bloom again.

Compost Bins For All Hamsters

Over the last few months, the city rolled out single-stream recycling and this week they’ve announced that “all single-family homes in Bellingham will begin receiving organic waste collection as part of their standard waste service” early next year.

Sanitary Service Company (SSC) which manages residential recycling and waste collection in Bellingham under a contract with the City, will begin delivering the yellow-lidded FoodPlus! bins to one neighborhood at a time. This service, which includes weekly pickup, will add an additional fee to the standard waste service bill.

Bellingham is implementing this organic waste collection program to reduce landfill waste and lower climate emissions. “These improvements to our solid waste collection, along with the City’s ban on single-use plastics, will result in a reduction in the City’s carbon emissions, higher values for our recyclable commodities, and higher quality compost,” said Bellingham City Council President Dan Hammill.

Organic materials, including food scraps, yard waste, and compostable packaging, account for approximately 30% of the city’s landfill contributions.

In other news…

🏙️ The Bellingham City Council meets today (Dec 9) at 7 PM. You can review the agenda online. This public meeting is held in the Council Chambers at the City Hall or watch online. There are several interesting items the council is scheduled to address, including: “Contract Award for the North Haven Tiny House Community Project,” “An Ordinance of the City of Bellingham Repealing Sections of the Bellingham Municipal Code that are Obsolete, Pre-Empted, Unconstitutional or Otherwise Unenforceable,” and “An Ordinance of the City of Bellingham, Washington Amending Bellingham Municipal Code Chapter 4.76 to Increase the Solid Waste Utility Tax from 11.5 Percent to 17.25 Percent.“

🏗️ Building construction is scheduled to begin soon at the the former Parks & Recreation Operations site located at 1400 Woburn Street. You’ll recognize this location as the triangular property wedged between Old Woburn and new Woburn across from the Bayview Cemetery.

Public Works and Parks & Recreation will have bulk storage facilities on the site, as well as improved nursery space for Parks & Recreation. The work will also result in pedestrian improvements including sidewalks along the east side of Old Woburn, and improved crossings.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Monday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St.)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)

Tuesday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Fringe Brewing
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Help Spread The Word

Refer three Bellingham friends to join our newsletter community, and we’ll include a birthday callout to one person you specify on their B’day 🎂. Get your referral link here. Your current referral count is: 0. You’re so close!.

Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Monday Games & Trivia
Trivia Night @ Ono Kitchen & Bar | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Paws for a Beer | 6:15 PM
Trivia Night @ Zeeks Pizza & Fountain Brewing | 6 PM

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please share it with a friend 🙏, and tell them to follow this 👉️ link to sign up.

You can reply to this email if you have something we should know about or want to send us a love note.

Have a great Monday!!