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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Or, hit reply to send me photos via email. 📧

For three days, Bellingham’s waterfront becomes a live outdoor gallery as world-renowned muralists race the clock to transform blank 8-by-8-foot walls into bold, unforgettable works of art at the Noisy Waters Mural Festival.

Vote for your favorite artists, explore the Indigeversal Collective installation, try spray painting, tour Bellingham’s murals by bike and bring the kids to create at the Kids & Teens Wall. The top three artists will return to paint large-scale murals across Bellingham, so your vote helps shape the city’s next creative landmarks.

A friend recently mentioned spotting a red fox while driving near Ferndale, which prompted some head scratching for me. Fox sightings always do, because I didn’t think Whatcom County was home to any species of fox.

It turns out the story of foxes in Western Washington is a lot more interesting than I expected.

More than 300,000 years ago, during the Illinoian glaciation, ancestors of the red fox migrated across the Bering Land Bridge and adapted to forests just south of the ice sheet. When the glaciers receded, the foxes moved into the mountains in search of the cool forest conditions they needed to survive. In Washington, this left them in small, isolated populations high on the volcanoes of the Cascade Range. These populations eventually became our native subspecies, the Cascade Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes cascadensis).

These foxes occur in three color phases: red, cross, and silver-black. The image above shows an example of the silver-black phase, 👆️ which I think is absolutely gorgeous. Apparently, a single litter of pups can even contain examples of all three colors.

Now, what about Whatcom County? The farthest north a Cascade Red Fox has been documented was a single individual near Stevens Pass in 2018. But apparently we DO have a population of Lowland Red Foxes. These are introduced foxes that are fairly common in the rural lowlands of Western Washington.

I’m not sure why I’ve never seen one with all my bumbling around the county, 🤷 but I’ll sure be keeping my eyes peeled from now on. Shoot me a photo if you spot one around the county. I’d love to see what I’m looking for.

Naturalist and author Thomas Lowe Fleischner will be at Backcountry Essentials tomorrow evening, August 11, for a conversation about his new book, Astonished by Beauty: A Field Guide to the Practice of Paying Attention. Fleischner uses short stories from places ranging from the Alaskan Arctic to the Amazon to explore natural history not just as a field of study, but as a practice of noticing the living world more closely.

The free talk runs from 7 to 8:30 pm and will include a Q&A and book signing. It is presented by Cascade Mountain Ascents, North Cascades Institute, and Backcountry Essentials.

LOCAL READS

The Lost Giant of the Salish Sea
By Jamison Hasemann · The Planet Magazine
Basking sharks once gathered by the hundreds in the Salish Sea, but decades of targeted killing and other pressures reduced the eastern North Pacific population to an estimated fewer than 600 animals. Jamison explains how their near disappearance has left researchers with basic questions about migration and recovery, even as the species rebounds in parts of the Atlantic. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Skagit journalists unable to reach deal
By Kira Erickson · Salish Current
Eight unionized journalists at the Skagit Valley Herald, Anacortes American and Stanwood Camano News returned to work after a short strike but remain without a new contract. Kira reports that workers are seeking a $20 hourly minimum, raises and newsroom AI safeguards, with additional bargaining scheduled for August. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Bham City Council, 9:00 am w Reg. Meeting at 7:00 pm, City Hall
Blaine City Council, 6:00 pm, City Hall

Tuesday
Bham Historic Preservation Commission, 4:00 pm, City Hall
Whatcom County Council, 8:45 am w Reg. Meeting at 6:00 pm, County Courthouse
Everson City Council, 7:00 pm, City Hall

Wednesday
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, 7:30 am, Pacific Street Operations Center

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Friday
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Register

Saturday
Summer Stewards - Litter Pickup: Hop on the NSEA shuttle bus for a morning of stewardship. This day will be focused on litter pickup. Register
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Register

When I’m not writing the Hamster Wheel, one of my great passions is scouring yard sales and thrift stores for vintage postcards. Each one captures a little slice of history, whether it’s a long-shuttered business, a street scene from a bygone era, or an ordinary moment that just happened to survive on paper.

I nerd out on postcards so hard that a few years ago I started a small paper collectibles business called Northwest Postcards, which is where my postcards go when I’m done enjoying them. 😁 I’m always looking for new inventory, so if you have a dusty box of postcards, Victorian trade cards, or other old paper collectibles tucked away in an attic or closet, reply to this email. I would love to work out a deal. 👍

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham (comedy) | Mon 8:30 pm

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Steven Farmer (comedy) | Thurs-Fri

BAAY
Head Over Heels (theatre) | Fri-Sun

Bellingham Circus Guild
Vaudevillingham | Sat

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Bellingham TheatreWorks Gala Benefit | Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Country Line Dancing - Corner Taphouse in Fairhaven - Mon 6:30 pm
Contact Improv - Aikido Peace Education Center - Mon, class 5:30, jam 7 pm
Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 8 pm
Taster Tuesdays (hip hop) - Lost Giants Cider Co - Tues 6 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:30 pm
Beginner Ballet - Karate Church - Sat 10 am
Beginner Contemporary - Karate Church - Sat 11:30 am
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sun 10:30 am

The FireHouse hosts Dry Martini for Music Monday tonight, August 10, from 3:30 to 5 pm. The classic jazz trio is made up of guitarist and vocalist J. Michael Newlight, tenor saxophonist Mike Knutson, and percussionist Steve Webber-Plank.

North Sound Soul performs at Barkley Village Green tomorrow, August 11, from 6 to 8 pm as part of the Tuesday Tunes series. Their set blends soul, funk, and rock in a free outdoor concert designed for all ages. Food trucks will be available during the evening, and attendees can bring blankets or lawn chairs. This week’s concert benefits Hospice Foundation.

Blind Pilot performs at the Wild Buffalo tomorrow night, August 11, with Bellflower opening. The Oregon indie-folk band is touring behind In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain, its first album in eight years. Doors open at 7 pm and the show begins at 8 pm.

All Comers Track and Field, Civic Stadium – An all-ages meet begins at 6 pm with running, jumping, and throwing events for first-time competitors and experienced athletes, with check-in at 5:15 pm and preregistration required.

Babes in Arms, Menace Brewing – A free meetup from 4:30 to 6:30 pm gives new parents and babies a casual place to connect, with $1 off pints and other discounts during the gathering.

Monday Trivia, Zeeks Pizza – Two rounds of trivia run from 7 to 9 pm with teams of one to six, five categories per round, a $2 buy-in, and cash payouts for the top three teams.

Monday Music & Trivia →

Trivia on the Patio, Kulshan Sunnyland Taproom – Summer trivia runs from 7 to 9 pm with a $2 buy-in per person, cash prizes for top teams, and open patio seating with no advance sign-up required.

Karaoke Night, Schweinhaus Biergarten – Free karaoke runs from 8:30 to 11 pm with host Paige, open sign-ups, and a come-as-you-are format for singers of all experience levels.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

Advertise in Bham’s #1 Newsletter
Email me to include a note in The Wheel

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please share it with a friend and encourage them to click here to subscribe. 🙏

Reply to this email if you have news to share, an event you’d like me to know about, or to send me a love note. 💘