🐹 Poetry Popping 🎈🎈

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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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

Poetry will be popping off all over Bellingham this weekend, from coffee shops and breweries to the waterfront and Whatcom Falls Park. The Salish Sea Poetry Festival starts today and runs through Sunday, November 13–15, with readings, workshops, walks and plenty of chances to share a few words of your own.

Today kicks off with a reading at Karate Church, followed by a poetry crawl that winds its way from Cafe Hazeltree to Mallard Ice Cream and the Horseshoe. On Saturday, take a poetry walk from Taylor Dock to Boulevard Park, try a collage or songwriting workshop, or catch the Salish Sea Poetry Slam in the evening.

Sunday brings a nature walk, more readings, a typewriter poetry workshop and a community open mic. Most events are free, though a few require tickets. Find the full schedule and locations on the festival website.

After reading a New York Times review of You Can See Everything, currently playing at The Pickford, I knew I couldn’t miss the chance to see it on the big screen. So, I snuck away for a couple hours yesterday for the early matinee showing. I’m so glad I did!

I will think about this movie for years to come. Regardless what you think of Theranos, or Mrs Elizabeth Holmes, this movie will challenge your assumptions and make you wrestle with the line between lies and self-delusion. I’m not going to leave you with any spoilers but I strongly suggest catching it while it’s at the beautiful new Pickford on Grand. Check the schedule.

Heads up if you’re near the water this morning: A coastal flood advisory is in effect from 6 am to noon, with minor flooding possible around high tide. Low-lying shorelines could see water rise 2 to 2½ feet above ground level.

That could mean water in waterfront parks, parking lots and roads, along with a few road closures. If you’re heading out, allow a little extra time and steer clear of barricades or water of unknown depth. 🌊

This Saturday is Cranksgiving with the folks from Walk and Roll Bellingham. It’s a grocery-shopping bike adventure and a fundraiser for the Bellingham Food Bank. Meet at Cafe Velo at 2 pm for instructions, then ride to local grocery stores to pick up food-bank-approved items.

When you’re done, roll over to Structures Old Town to drop off your donations and receipts. Visit at least four stores and keep your receipts, stamped between 2 and 4 pm, for a chance to win prizes. RSVP here.

Back Yard Flock Folks: I noticed a few days back that the Department of Agriculture has announced the detection of avian influenza (HPAI) in Pierce County. This is the latest in an uptick in detections in Washington and the first on the west side since early in the year. Keep your eyes peeled for sick birds in your flock. 🐔

LOCAL READS

More than fishing
By Madelyn Jones · The Northern Light
For Ferndale veteran David Libby, a fishing trip can be the start of a new connection. Madelyn Jones introduces Warrior Service, a volunteer-run group helping veterans find camaraderie through time outdoors. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Bellingham students walk out in protest of school closures
By Ava Zervoudakis and Becca Adler · The Front
Ava and Becca hear from student organizers who took their fight against proposed school closures to the district office, including a Sehome junior who still calls Carl Cozier Elementary home. Read more →

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Saturday
North Fork Nooksack River: Join the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association to restore streamside habitat by cutting back Himalayan blackberry and planting native trees along the river. Register
Lowell Park: Help Bellingham Parks, WWU’s Ecological Restoration Club & WWU’s L.E.A.D. program remove invasive plants from this green space near campus. Register
Galbraith Mountain, Swirlz Trail: Volunteer with the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition to help maintain the trail. Register

Sunday
Jensen Family Forest Park: Help expand the park’s forest habitat by planting trees with the Whatcom Million Trees Project. Register

800 12th Street (Open Fri 3-5 pm)
This home is amazing. From the front it’s a darling cottage with sweet herons nested in the porch gable. From the back it’s a huge 2750 square foot South Hill home. Best of both worlds in my book. 🙂 Listing

204 E Wiser Lake Road (Open Sat 1:30-3 pm)
I almost never highlight new homes but I’m making an exception in this case because… well just look at it. 👆 What a beautiful modern-style house. It’s taken me a long time to warm up to modern architecture but homes like this are so interesting and unique. I’m a late convert but a convert non the less. Listing

TELEGRAPH TOWNHOMES (Open Sun 1-3:30 pm)
This is a special open house opportunity hosted by Kulshan Community Land Trust for its Telegraph Townhomes in Bellingham’s King Mountain neighborhood. Stop by 4039 Todd Lane to take a look and learn more about the homes and the land trust’s homeownership program. Find out more here.

Mount Baker Theatre
Warren Miller’s Days Off (film) | Sun

Bellingham High School PAC
Never After Happily (theatre) | Thu, Fri, Sat

Mercato Delle Bonta
Jokes on the Waterfront Comedy Night (comedy) | Fri

Blaine High School Black Box Theater
A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes (theatre) | Thu, Fri, Sat

BAAY Theatre
High School Musical JR. (theatre) | Fri, Sat, Sun
Robin Hood (theatre) | Sat, Sun

Sehome High School Theater
Hamlet (theatre) | Fri, Sat

Meridian Highschool
Fall Showcase: LOVE AT FIRST ACT! (theatre) | Fri, Sat 7 pm

Judson Hall
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (theatre) | Fri, Sat, Sun

Mount Baker High School
James and the Giant Peach (theatre) | Fri, Sat, Sun

New Prospect Theatre
Family Furniture (theatre) | Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

Nooksack Valley High School
Much Ado About Nothing (theatre) | Fri, Sat

Squalicum High School Forum
Radium Girls (theatre) | Fri, Sat, Sun

Dancing for Joy, The StrongBox
CRITTERS! (dance) | Sat, Sun

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Rising Through the Fray (film) | Sun

The Cirque Lab
Vaudevillingham (circus) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Contra - CTK Downtown (Norway Hall) - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Beginner Ballet - Karate Church - Sat 10 am
Beginner Contemporary - Karate Church - Sat 11:30 am
Dance Fusion - BSAC - 10:30 am
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sun 10:30 am

Buddy Mac & The Ten-Gallon Troubadours bring yodeling, harmonica and lap steel to the Odd Fellows Temple Room tonight, November 13, at 8 pm.

Community musicians in the Jansen Jazz Orchestra work their way through swing, blues, bebop, Motown and fusion tomorrow, November 14, at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden. There are two chances to hear them: a 3 pm matinee and a 7 pm evening performance. Tickets are $15 for either show.

Havilah Rand plays Stones Throw Brewery tomorrow, November 14, from 6 to 8 pm. The singer-songwriter draws on blues, jazz and rock, bringing those influences into her own songs. It’s an early evening show at the Fairhaven brewery, with no cover charge and all ages welcome.

Pandit Deepak Ram brings the bansuri flute to Western’s Concert of Hindustani Music and Dance this Sunday, November 15, at 2:30 pm. Kathak dancer Pooja Ganesh, sarod player Abhishek Arora and tabla player Ravi Albright also perform. The 90-minute program takes place in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall, bringing North Indian classical music and dance to campus.

Whatcom Chorale sings inspiring and heartfelt messages for our times and our future. Join them for an afternoon of outstanding contemporary composers voicing hope for worldwide harmony and shared resolve. Selections encompass traditions from our Native American heritage, African American spirituals, and twenty-first-century compositions. This Saturday. Tickets

Rivers of Resilience, Old City Hall – Films and a community discussion about the Nooksack River run from 6 to 8 pm, with free advance registration.

Afternoon Curator Tour, Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher – A curator-led tour runs from 1 to 2 pm and is included with museum admission.

Holiday Wine Walk, Downtown Bellingham – The wine walk runs from 5:30 to 9 pm, with $40 tickets.

Friday Music & Trivia →

Holiday Bazaar, Bellingham Covenant Church – More than 50 makers and a charity bake sale fill a free holiday market from 9 am to 4 pm.

BSAC Annual Craft Fair, Senior Activity Center North – A free craft fair runs from 10 am to 3 pm.

Fall Harvest Chili Cook-Off, Explorations Academy – A scholarship benefit starts at 5 pm, with tickets at $25, $10 for children under 12, or $75 per family.

Meridian Booster Turkey Trot, Bellewood Farms – A school-team benefit starts with a one-mile run at 9:30 am and a 5K at 10 am. Advance registration is $15, or $45 per family.

Owls and Squirrels, Cornwall Park – Forest games and a guided walk run from 11 am to 1 pm, with a $0–$15 sliding-scale fee. Drop-ins are welcome.

Clay and Kiln Studio Tour, Whatcom County – A self-guided tour features 37 artists at 12 stops, open from 10 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

Northwest Free Repairs, Bellingham Makerspace – A free repair session runs from 1 to 3:30 pm.

Sunday Night Trivia, Stemma OG – Teams of up to four compete from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, with a $2 entry fee per person.

Red Rum Trivia, Red Rum Tiki Bar – Trivia runs from 6 to 9 pm, with a $2 cash entry fee.

Old City Hall History Tour, Whatcom Museum – A history tour runs from 1 to 2 pm and is included with museum admission.

Community Poetry Open Mic, Cafe Hazeltree – A free open mic runs from 3 to 4 pm, followed by the festival farewell until 4:30 pm.

Sunday 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. 💘