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🐹 Frost Flowers ❄️❄️

🐹 Frost Flowers ❄️❄️

January 27, 2025

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

I want to thank everyone who reached out over the last few months asking how to support this publication. 🙏 To be honest, the rate at which we grew was startling, and I didn't have a solution organized when many of you asked. Now I do. 👍️

If you find The Hamster Wheel valuable and want to help us keep the Wheel rolling, you can find a one-time contribution option or small monthly memberships on our Upgrade Page. The Hamster Wheel will always be free as long as I write it. Your support is deeply appreciated but entirely optional.

Thank you all for being a part of our Hamster Wheel family!

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

Frost Flowers
E22 Fire Crew Returns Home
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Acid Ball at Waypoint Park - 📷 by Duffy Brook

Sunset Over San Juan Islands - 📷 by Anita Lauper

Frosty Morning in Deming - 📷 by Jesse Gardner

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

Weather Forecast

Monday: 46°F 🌡️ 30°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 N 3 mph

Tuesday: 47°F 🌡️ 31°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 NNW 3 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Mon	5:38 AM	H	8.99
Mon	10:04 AM	L	7.39
Mon	1:27 PM	H	8.20
Mon	9:50 PM	L	-1.56
Tue	6:01 AM	H	9.08
Tue	10:34 AM	L	7.10
Tue	2:28 PM	H	8.26
Tue	10:31 PM	L	-1.85

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

The Frosty Beards of Bellingham

In the days following our first hard freeze last week, Hamster Wheel readers Holly Roger, and Amy Roost sent us these extraordinary photos of a natural phenomenon often referred to as hair ice, or frost beard. 👇️ These formations are a type of crystallfolia, a family of delicate and beautiful ice formations that occur when moisture is emitted along a stem, or from a piece of rotting wood, during a freeze.

Frost Flowers - 📷️ Holly Roger

Hair ice is fascinating as it requires the presence of the fungus Exidiopsis effusa in order to form. The fungus both plays a role in shaping the ice into fine hairs and stabilizing the crystals by providing a recrystallization inhibitor similar to antifreeze proteins. Here’s a fascinating article that explores this topic.

Frost Flowers - 📷️ Amy Roost

Holly, an educator and founder at Wild Whatcom, described how hair ice can be found “along water bodies, especially creeks, flowering from rotting sticks and oftentimes in the ground.” Whatcom Falls Park and the Padden Creek trail are great places to look for these ephemeral creations on cold Bellingham mornings.

Whatcom’s E22 Fire Crew Returns Home

The South Whatcom Fire Authority announced over the weekend that the E22 crew had safely returned to the South Whatcom Station after 16-days spent protecting Angelenos from the devastating Palisades Fire.

While deployed, the crew worked “rotating 24-hour shifts to prepare structures and address spot fires,” provided direct structure protection, and mopped up areas in the community that were severely damaged by the fast-moving fire.

After working many hours in steep terrain and dirty conditions, we're glad that Lt. Squire and Firefighters Hecker, Leete, and Gerard have returned home safely.

In other news…

🦅 Reserve a spot now for this Saturday’s Birding Semiahmoo outing held by the North Cascades Audubon Society. This will be a great opportunity to “check out what is happening this winter on the eelgrass beds of Semiahmoo Bay and Drayton Harbor.”

This free event will begin at the Semiahmoo County Park Parking lot and then range the length of the spit. Keep your eyes peeled for “fifteen species of ducks, two of geese, three different grebes, three loons, several species of shorebirds and three of gulls, plus a few others,” Details and registration.

🏙️ The Bellingham City Council meets today (Jan 27) at 10:00 AM, with the Regular Meeting at 7 PM. You can review the agenda online. This public meeting is held in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall or watch online.

If you can attend the 10 AM Public Works and Natural Resources Committee meeting, you'll hear an update on the Holly Street Bike Lane Pilot Project. Given the mixed public feedback on traffic patterns created by the pilot project, this update should be interesting.

The council will also consider an interlocal agreement with Whatcom County to share the cost of operating the severe weather shelter. Currently, the cost of administering the shelter is carried solely by Whatcom County.

🚜 The Whatcom County Council meets tomorrow (Jan 28) at 6 PM in the Council Chambers at the County Courthouse or watch via Zoom. You can review the agenda online. Much of the agenda focuses on authorizing funding for senior living and childcare facilities throughout the county. One notable item is the adoption of the Lake Whatcom Management Program 2025-2029 Work Plan.

This comprehensive plan outlines twelve programs, ranging from land preservation and hazardous materials management to recreational initiatives. Detailed information about the plan can be found in this document.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Lagom Vineyards Opens Tasting Room

Lagom Vineyards is a family owned and operated estate nestled at the foothills of Sumas Mountain just minutes from Bellingham. Located in Deming, the vineyard (previously Mount Baker Vineyards) spans ten acres within the Pacific Northwest American Viticultural Area and offers views of Mt Baker and the Sisters alongside natural and traditional wines.

Established in the 1980s, the estate includes a five-acre vineyard, wine production facility, and tasting room. In 2020, Lagom Vineyard owners, with the help of a vineyard expert, began a complete rehabilitation of the original vineyard utilizing regenerative farming and sustainable practices. The rehabilitation program includes a two-acre replanting effort, and the final result includes four new grape varietals, allowing for expanded future estate offerings.

The tasting room, now open on Saturdays from 12-6, offers tasting flights, glasses of wine, and bottles for sale. Current offerings include Madeleine Angevine, Siegerrebe, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Natural Orange, and a Pinot Gris Pet-Nat. Find the vineyard at 5535 Hillard Rd, or visit their website for more information.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Monday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
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
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
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

Mow the lawn? Nah.

Killer Condos & Apartments

7530 Birch Bay Drive UNIT 104, Blaine
This one's another Birch Bay condo. I'm fascinated by how much value you get for the price in Birch Bay. 🤯 This condo is beautiful, has a great beachside vibe, and comes with access to a clubhouse, outdoor pool, indoor hot tub, and other amenities. Listing.

444 S State Street UNIT 404
When I think of classic Bellingham condos, I always think of Spinnaker Reach. It's been perched over Boulevard Park since I was a kid on the Southside. What stands out is that your view will remain into the foreseeable future because the only thing between you and Puget Sound is a city park! 🌅 Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE THEATRE & DANCE

iDiOM Theater:
Tower of Air | Wed 7 PM; Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun 7:30 PM

Bellingham TheatreWorks:
Deep Blue Sound | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7:30 PM

Bellingham Theatre Guild:
Home, I’m Darling | Fri, Sat 7 PM

Mount Baker High School:
Little Woman | Fri, Sat 7 PM

Lynden Christian High School:
High School Musical | Thurs, Fri 7 PM

Nooksack Valley High School:
Frankenstein | Fri, Sat 7 PM

Student Theatre Productions:
The Great Gatsby | Fri, Sat, Sun 7:30 PM; Sun 2 PM

Mt Baker Theatre:
Winter Dance Showcase | Sat 6 PM

COMEDY

Larrabee Lager Company:
Laughs at Larrabee | Fri 8 PM

Greene's Corner:
Comedy Open Mic | Wed 7 PM

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Bachata : WWU Salsa and Bachata Club @ Viking Union MPR | Mon 7 PM
Swing : B’ham Hop @ Hotel Leo Crystal Ballroom | Tues 7 PM
Cuban Salsa : Beginning Cuban Salsa @ Cof& | Tues 6 PM
Cuban Salsa : Intermediate Cuban Salsa @ Cof& | Tues 7:15 PM
Scottish Country : Scottish Dancing Workshops @ Fairhaven Library | Wed 7 PM
Tango : Tango Practica @ The Majestic Ballroom | Wed 6:30 PM.
Bachata : Bham Bachata @ ‘ONO Kitchen & Bar | Thurs 7:30 PM
Social Partner Dance : Flow Fusion @ Karate Church | Thurs 7 PM
Party : The Bad Bunny Party @ Wild Buffalo | Sat 8 PM
Salsa : The Salsa Collective @ The Majestic Ballroom | Sun 5:30 PM

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
Trivia Night @ Overflow Taps | 6:30 PM

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

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Have a great Monday!!