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🐹 Green Crab Invasion 🦀🦀

🐹 Green Crab Invasion 🦀🦀

March 07, 2025

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

The true test of springtime is the advent of garage sales, and this weekend, there are enough to justify a morning of treasure hunting through the detritus of yesteryear. 😉 See y’all out and about!

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Taylor Dock - 📷 by @stone.moon.arts

Spring Crocuses - 📷 by Doris Wunsch

Baker Shadow - 📷 by Carrie Koreis

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

Weather Forecast

Friday: 52°F 🌡️ 42°F | ⛅ Partly Sunny | 🌧️ 80% | 💨 S 3 to 8 mph

Saturday: 54°F 🌡️ 46°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 80% | 💨 SE 7 to 10 mph

Sunday: 55°F 🌡️ 39°F | 🌧️ Rain | 🌧️ 90% | 💨 S 12 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Fri	1:15 AM	H	7.64
Fri	4:47 AM	L	6.79
Fri	9:09 AM	H	7.93
Fri	5:40 PM	L	-0.60
Sat	2:26 AM	H	8.14
Sat	7:21 AM	L	6.88
Sat	10:11 AM	H	7.44
Sat	6:50 PM	L	-0.42
Sun	4:15 AM	H	8.49
Sun	10:19 AM	L	6.41
Sun	12:38 PM	H	7.06
Sun	8:56 PM	L	-0.26

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Live at the Mount Baker Theatre

Music Legend Colin James

Saturday, March 8th

Colin James, a powerhouse in blues-rock, has built a career over 35 years with 20 studio albums, 8 Juno Awards, and multi-platinum record sales. His upcoming release, Chasing the Sun, features stellar collaborations with legends like Lucinda Williams and Charlie Musselwhite, further cementing his status as a consummate musician and artist whose work continues to evolve while staying true to his blues roots.

Join Mount Baker Theatre for an unforgettable evening with Colin James, where his electrifying stage performance and soulful sound promise to captivate fans old and new. With a legacy marked by timeless hits and groundbreaking collaborations, this event offers a chance to experience firsthand the passion and artistry of a true music icon. Get your tickets now, and witness blues-rock redefined live on stage!

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

A Green Crab Invasion

Governor Bob Ferguson designated the last week of February as Washington Invasive Species Awareness Week, and various statewide departments produced interesting material relating to terrestrial and marine invasive threats. One I found particularly interesting since it hits close to home, is the European green crab (Carcinus maenas), which is now established in the Lummi Nation Sea Pond and other Washington locations along the Pacific coast.

The European green crab is easy to identify because it has five prominent spines or marginal teeth on each side of the shell. 👇️ Color, however, is not a good identifier as it can range from red or yellow to a mottled green. Also, don't go squishing any ol' green crab you see!!! We have a lot of native shore crabs that come in greenish hues.

If you spot one or a crab you suspect to be one, WSFW asks that you not kill it but report your finding to the Aquatic Invasive Species unit here.

Originally from the northeast Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, the green crabs grow to a width of 3 ½ to 4 inches across and feed on mollusks, worms, and small crustaceans.

I found both of the videos below totally fascinating. The first is from 2022 and includes details about the current status of this species in Washington. The second describes the impact these crabs have had on the ecology and fishery in Massachusetts, where they have extended their foothold throughout the ecosystem.

Have you seen the species on our beaches? Send me a photo if you bump into one. I’m curious how common they are and how much of our coastline is impacted.

Western Journalism Professor Chosen for Fulbright Specialist Roster

Bellinghamster, and Western Journalism Professor Brian J. Bowe has been selected for the Fulbright Specialist Roster. This appointment, determined through a peer review process, follows his previous Fulbright awards in 2019 and 2023, during which he engaged in teaching and community work in Jordan and Palestine.

In addition to his own projects, Bowe actively supports the Fulbright community by reviewing applications and mentoring colleagues. His inclusion on the roster lasts for three years and allows participation in up to two projects. Learn more at WWU news.

In other news…

🌲 The city is holding a Community Bare Root Potting Party on Saturday at the Native Plant Nursery on Donovan Ave to support native plant restoration efforts. Volunteers are needed to help pot thousands of bare-root plants and tidy up the nursery. The event includes shift options in the morning (9 AM–12 PM), afternoon (1–3 PM), or both.

Parking is available at the South Bellingham Park and Ride (West), just a five-minute walk from the nursery at 2710 Donovan Ave. This is a great opportunity for community members to get involved in local restoration projects and help nurture our native landscape. For more details and to sign up, visit the event page on the COB website.

🧒 Tonight (March 7), the City of Bellingham hosts a free, all-ages roller skating night at the Depot Market Square from 6-8 PM.

Bring your roller skates/roller blades and a helmet, and join in the fun! Details.

🎨 It’s Free First Fridays at the Whatcom Museum today! This is a great chance to take advantage of extended hours (10 AM - 9 PM) and free admission. Be sure to check out the works by Matisse, Cézanne, and Renoir in the Lightcatcher Building!

Garage & Estate Sales

Your Source For Vintage Can Openers

2215 Utter Street (Fri, Sat, Sun 10 AM)
This will be the second weekend for this estate sale in the Columbia/Eldridge neighborhood. We swung by last weekend and can attest to there being a LOT of vintage stuff packed into a very cool historic home. 😁 The home alone is reason enough to check it out. map

509 Clark Rd, Fri Sat 8 AM, map
3704 Bristol St, Sat 9 AM -12 PM, map

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Friday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Back East BBQ @ Wander Brewing
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
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)
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
Tezpoteco Taco @ Stemma Brewery
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Saturday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Back East BBQ @ Wander Brewing
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
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
Nana J’s @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Sammies Vegan @ Bellingham Farmers Mkt.
Tam Tam Pizza @ Bellingham Farmers Mkt.
Tam Tam Pizza @ Dockside Mkt.
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
Tezpoteco Taco @ Stemma Brewery
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Sunday Food Trucks
Back East BBQ @ Wander Brewing
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Nana J’s @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
Tezpoteco Taco @ Stemma Brewery

Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo

Crash an Open House

2654 S Park Drive (Open Sat 12-3 PM)
I love this craftsman in the Cornwall Park neighborhood! It’s hilariously similar to our home but built a few decades later. The structure is big for a city lot so the yard looks minimal, but who cares when you have an entire park across the street! 😄 Listing.

1440 Grant Street (Open Fri 4-6 PM)
This little gem in the York hood is adorable!! Whoever updated it beautifully transformed a small space into an open and upscale living environment. I spent much of my youth bopping around York and will always be fond of the neighborhood. Listing.

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Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

Snoring Beauty

THEATRE - DANCE - FILM

BAAY Theatre:
Beetlejuice Jr. | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sat, Sun 2 PM

BAAY Theatre:
Snoring Beauty | Sat, Sun 11 AM

iDiOM Theater:
Exit the King | Fri 7:30 PM

Meridian High School:
Alice in Wonderland | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sun 2 PM

Squalicum High School:
Gretel! The Musical | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sun 2 PM

The Claire:
Lion King Youth Production | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sat, Sun 2 PM

COMEDY

Mount Baker Theatre:
Ben Miller | Fri 7:30 PM

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Party : Skybox @ Blue Room | Fri 10 PM
Party : Nightcore Rave ft. DJ ColdHandsofGod @ The Shakedown | Fri 8:30 PM
Contra : Open Band Orchestra + Joe Micheals @ Fairhaven Library | Sat 7 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

Friday Games & Trivia
None Scheduled

Saturday Games & Trivia
None Scheduled

Sunday Games & Trivia
Bingo @ Paws For A Beer | 3 PM
Trivia Night @ Stemma Brewing Co. | 5:30 PM

Hakuna matata

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Have a great weekend!!