🐹 Shaggy Yard Shrooms 🍄🍄

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

Yesterday morning, we awoke to a gorgeous rainbow arching from Bellingham Bay to King Mountain to our northeast. It was a welcome break from the rain and reminded us how lucky we are to live in this beautiful place.

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

• Guide Meridian Improvements

• Mt Baker Film Festival

• Food & Drink

• Music & Nightlife

Weather Forecast

Wednesday, Oct 23: 54°F 🌡️ 43°F | 🌧️ Chance Light Rain | 🌧️ 50% | 💨 SSW 2 to 7 mph

Thursday, Oct 24: 54°F 🌡️ 38°F | 🌧️ Chance Light Rain | 🌧️ 30% | 💨 SSW 3 to 7 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Moon Phases

Weather and Tides data from NOAA.gov. Moon phase data from astronomyapi.com.

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

📷 These beautiful photos were taken during the Bellingham Exit Arts & Music Festival by Mark Caicedo: web, Instagram.

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

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

What’s that shaggy shroom in the front yard?

Over the last few weeks, you may have noticed these tall, slender mushrooms growing in lawns and gardens around the county. These beauties are colloquially called “Shaggy Manes,” or “Lawyer's Wigs,” or occasionally just “Ink Caps.” Officially, they are Coprinus comatus, a delicious PNW edible mushroom that’s easily identifiable and seemingly pop-up in yards overnight.

🍄 If you’re going to pick edible mushrooms, take an experienced forager with you, or use a quality field guide!

Long Haul Ahead on Guide Meridian

The Guide Meridian, Whatcom County’s busiest road, is set for significant changes beginning with the City of Bellingham’s announcement that left turns onto northbound I-5 from Meridian will no longer be allowed. Drivers heading north on Meridian should plan to access I-5 northbound via Bakerview Rd or Northwest Ave.

Work to replace the sewer lines below the Guide between Orchard Dr. and Van Wyck Rd. began earlier this month. You may have noticed the posse of cones and heavy equipment parked along the Guide. Fortunately, construction will mainly happen at night.

Following the sewer improvements, an extensive project to optimize salmon passageways and install new culverts will impact the Guide and I-5 near Bellis Fair.

It’s great that salmon will have better passage, but there’s good news for humans too. The Meridian intersections at both Squalicum and Birchwood will finally become a roundabout. This won’t be a run-of-the-mill roundabout; think a multi-functional intersection, with trails, artwork, and vehicle lanes. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. These updates promise to make navigating the Guide safer and more efficient.

In other news…

⛷️ 🏂️ The 25th annual Mt Baker Film Festival is this Thursday (Oct 24) at the historic Mount Baker Theatre. Join Bellingham’s community of winter sports enthusiasts while watching “some of the best ski and snowboard films from previous seasons”. There will be refreshments and an opportunity to stroll through the Snow Community Showcase. Details an tickets.

Tickets are running out for the 2024 SPOOKTACULAR hosted by Gabriels Art Kids in partnership with the Bellingham Parks & Rec. Tickets for the Thursday event are sold out. Please join us in supporting one of our favorite businesses in Bellingham by purchasing tickets for the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday events. Recommended for ages 4+, look forward to a haunted house, ghostly games, spine-tingling adventures, and a Friday 🎶 “Silent Disco Add-On” 🎶 … What 😆! This event is held at the Woodstock Farm Park on Chuckanut Drive. Learn about the shuttle service and get tickets.

ANTHOLOGASAURUS, a presentation of six “HORRIBLE” plays, opens this Thursday (Oct 24) at the Idiom Theater. Expect Vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, and dinosaurs in these plays by Linnaea Groh, Glenn Hergenhahn-Zhao, Raven Burnett, and Tim Sanders. Tickets are currently available for multiple dates, including the Thursday performance. Details and tickets.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Slurp Oysters at Chuckanut Manor 🦪🦪

“Two Bucks a Shuck,” they call it. 😆 Love that.

Through the end of this month, Chuckanut Manor is offering Judd Cove Pacific Oysters on the half-shell for $2 each. They recommend “pair[ing] them with a chilled, sparkling La Battagliola Lambrusco” …uh, yes please. This offer is available Monday through Friday.

LFS Marine & Outdoor to Open Store at Bellis Fair

LFS Marine & Outdoor (our favorite source for Grundéns and XTRATUFs) 🌧️ 👢 announced that its new retail location in the Bellis Fair Mall may open as early as next week. And, while it’s hard to beat the ambiance of a visit to their original retail location on Coho Way, at the entrance to the Bellingham Fisherman’s terminal, we’re glad to see the Bellis Fair complex add new diversity.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Wednesday Food Trucks
Ah! Chihuahua @ Trackside Portal Village
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
Greektown @ Closed
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
New Public Vegan @ Closed
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Rain or Shine Riviera Club @ Trackside Portal Village
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Closed
The Galley @ 6069 Hannegan Rd

Thursday Food Trucks
Ah! Chihuahua @ Trackside Portal Village
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
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
New Public Vegan @ Closed
Outpost Eats @ Closed
Rain or Shine Riviera Club @ Trackside Portal Village
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
The Galley @ 6069 Hannegan Rd

Harbor & Maritime

Whatever Floats Your Boat

1929 18’ Hacker-Craft Runabout
Live your James Bond fantasy life in this runabout designed by John L. Hacker and originally built by George Wrang Shipyard. Sounds like it’s been here in Bellingham since 1929! Listing.

2023 Ranger Tugs R-31 CB
I might have already mentioned that I’m obsessed with these Tugs. 🚤 Who wouldn’t want to float around Puget Sound in one of these beauties? Listing.

Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Wednesday Music
Aaron Guest | Boundary Bay Brewery | 6 PM
Cory Weeds Quintet | FireHouse Arts and Events Center | 6:30 PM
Janette West | Rockfish | 6 PM
Michael Dayvid | Stones Throw | 6 PM
Open Mic | Honey Moon | 8 PM

Wednesday Games & Trivia
Bingo @ Corner Taphouse | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Flatstick Pub |7 PM & 8 PM
Trivia Night @ Roosevelt Taproom | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ CHeBA Hut | 7 PM

Thursday Music
Chokecherry, Pyrocene, Late Lunch | The Shakedown | 9 PM
JP Falcon and Friends | That’s What I Like! Island Grill | 6 PM
Jenner Fox Band | New Prospect Theatre | 7:30 PM
Open Mic | Brown Lantern | 8:30 PM
Open Mic | Schweinhaus | 7 PM
Open Mic | Thirsty Badger | 7 PM
Rachel Gauthier, Lynna Hall | Honey Moon | 8 PM
Savanna Woods | Farmstrong Brewing Co. | 6 PM
The Devellies | Zeeks and Fountain Brewing | 7 PM

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

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

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Have a great Wednesday!!