The Hamster Wheel
Posts
🐹 Bombogenesis 💥🌩️

🐹 Bombogenesis 💥🌩️

November 20, 2024

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

We hope you have power after last night’s winds! If not, you can check the PSE Outage Map to see how extensive the outage is in your area.

Be safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

Thanksgiving For All Hamsters
Bioluminescence in the Salish Sea
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Bellingham Towers - 📷 by Evan.

Holiday Market - 📷 by Evan.

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

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: 52°F 🌡️ 40°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 70% | 💨 SE 15 to 20 mph

Thursday: 52°F 🌡️ 42°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 100% | 💨 E 9 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Wed	1:31 AM	L	-1.7
Wed	9:49 AM	H	9.4
Wed	4:22 PM	L	6.7
Wed	6:08 PM	H	7.1
Thu	2:22 AM	L	-0.8
Thu	10:42 AM	H	9.2
Thu	6:15 PM	L	6
Thu	7:15 PM	H	6.3

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Meals and More in Whatcom

As Thanksgiving approaches, we think about those in our community without a lavish feast, cozy homes, or loved ones to gather with. Here in Bellingham, several organizations provide a sense of community through meals.

This year, the Lighthouse Mission Ministries opens its doors for the 101st time to serve Thanksgiving dinner at its newly built, state-of-the-art facility, offering warmth and a sense of community to all who gather there.

The dinner, featuring a classic holiday menu, will be held from 12-2 PM at 1312 F St. Volunteering and donations.

Maple Alley Inn has long been a staple resource in the fight against hunger in Whatcom County. Since 1987, they have provided nutritious meals to low-income families, homeless veterans, isolated seniors, and individuals in recovery. Maple Alley Inn serves lunch every Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 AM to 1 PM at Faith Lutheran Church. Learn more.

The Greater Bellingham Running Club’s Turkey Trot will be held this Saturday (Nov 23), and all proceeds will benefit the Bellingham Food Bank. Join a 5K fun run/walk starting at 9 AM at Squalicum Creek Park. This event welcomes all fitness levels. Registration by Nov 22.

Bioluminescence in the Salish Sea

Have you ever noticed a ghostly glow at the water's edge on Bellingham Bay at night? This enchanting display is called bioluminescence, where certain plankton emit light when disturbed. This mesmerizing natural phenomenon illuminates our local water throughout the summer, creating a truly magical experience for those who witness it.

If you're curious about this topic, you may enjoy the recorded lecture "Bioluminescence in the Salish Sea" produced by the Community Boating Center and Western Washington University’s Marine and Coastal Science program. MACS student Lucy Greeley and Associate Professor Dr. Robin Kodner explore ongoing research, citizen science opportunities, and the mysteries of this natural phenomenon.

In other news…

🌬️ Did the wind rattle your house last night? There was a lot of chatter on social and local news that this storm was forming a “bomb cyclone.” According to NOAA, a bomb cyclone or bombogenesis “occurs when a midlatitude (the latitudes between the tropics and polar regions) cyclone rapidly intensifies, or strengthens, over a 24 hour period.”

National Weather Service

In this case, the storm is colliding with an atmospheric river of water vapor from the south, which will cause it to drop vast amounts of rain along the West Coast. From what we’re reading, most of the deluge will fall in Oregon and California, but we should expect continued rain for a few days here in the Ham. The NWS Radar is a great resource for tracking these storms.

🏅 Friday is the deadline to provide input on the Civic Athletic Complex Master Plan, which includes four reimaginings of the current athletic complex, including expanded indoor recreation, improved access and use of the park grounds, climate resiliency, and potentially an entirely new Carl Cozier Elementary School. Brice Maryman, who has worked with the city on these plans, gave a presentation we found helpful in understanding these proposals. You can watch Brice’s presentation on YouTube and then provide feedback on the Engage Bellingham page.

🧒 New playgrounds are being designed for two Bellingham parks. The city has posted proposed designs for play structures at Bloedel Donovan Park, on Lake Whatcom, and Rock Hill Park, in the York neighborhood.

They are asking Hamsters to provide feedback through the Engage Bellingham pages for Rock Hill Park playground and Bloedel Donovan Park playground before next Monday (Nov 25).

🚜 The Whatcom Family Farmers (WFF) organization is holding its 2024 Farmer Rally today (Nov 20) from 4:30-6:30 PM at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds Peoples Bank Farm Pavilion. WFF is a nonprofit managed by Whatcom family farmers with the goal of “Preserving the legacy and future of family farming in Whatcom County by unifying the farming community and building public support.“ RSVPs are requested.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Turkey in the Ham

Turkey: It’s what’s for dinner. They can be elusive, but hashtags helped with the hunt; here is what I found. For a premium bird, the Co-op carries Mary’s Turkeys in antibiotic-free, organic, and heritage varieties. TJ’s offers fresh, all-natural turkeys, and Holly’s Meat Pies has farm-to-table handpies starting at $10.

If you, unlike me, can cook a less-than-premium bird well, Grocery Outlet has Jenny-O turkeys for $3.99 with a $35 purchase. WinCo is offering a free turkey with a purchase of $125. Safeway offers a free turkey with a $150 purchase through a digital coupon, and Fred Meyer has a similar deal for $100. Of course, this is while supplies last, and restrictions may apply.

Dine out for Thanksgiving

If you want to dine out, several restaurants in Bellingham are taking reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. Hotel Leo will host a classic feast with community seating in the Crystal Ballroom for $70 per person and B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar is serving a delicious coursed meal from noon to 5 p.m. for $45. Skylark’s menu includes turkey or ham with all the sides for $39, served from noon to 7 p.m.

If you’re in the mood for a buffet, Lighthouse Grill offers a spread from noon to 8 p.m. for $125 per person, with discounts for seniors and kids. Semiahmoo Resort is hosting buffet-style from noon to 5 p.m. for $75 per person. If you’d rather stay in but skip the prep work, Chuckanut Bay Distillery is offering precooked dinner kits for 8-10 people for $199! Orders due today.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Wednesday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Mobile Mouth Hole @ Lowes Parking Lot
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Sammies Vegan @ Wander Brewing
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Thursday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Mobile Mouth Hole @ Lowes Parking Lot
Nana J’s @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Sammies Vegan @ Wander Brewing
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
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

Thursday Games & Trivia
Dungeons & Dragons @ CHeBA Hut | 6 PM
Trivia Night @ Menace | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Stones Throw Brewery | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Great Northern Bottle Shop | 7 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 Wednesday!!