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

Cherry blossoms drifting like confetti on a crisp spring breeze—pure Bellingham bliss! The week looks beautiful. Get out and enjoy it if you can.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

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

Monday: 58°F 🌡️ 49°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 90% | 💨 S 6 to 12 mph

Tuesday: 61°F 🌡️ 48°F | 🌧️ Rain Likely | 🌧️ 60% | 💨 SSW 6 to 9 mph

Events, Updates & News Around Town

The Whatcom Horticultural Society hosts Seamus O’Brien, Head Gardener of Ireland’s National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh, tomorrow at the Whatcom Museum. The lecture, titled Kilmacurragh: The Evolution of an 18th Century Irish Garden and its Spectacular Meadows, starts at 7:30 p.m.

An award-winning author and contributor to Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, O’Brien will discuss the restoration of this historic estate, famed for its conifer and rhododendron collections.

A key focus of the lecture is the rejuvenation of Kilmacurragh’s native wildflower meadows, which feature seasonal displays of snowdrops, crocuses, narcissi, and native orchids. O’Brien will explain the restoration process and the unique plants that form these vibrant meadows. Here’s a sneak peek of Seamus discussing the summer and spring seasons there. 👇

O’Brien will also trace Kilmacurragh’s history, from its 17th-century monastic origins to its 19th-century transformation into a “Robinson” wild-style garden with exotic plants from global expeditions, culminating in recent replanting with specimens from international botanical collaborations. Details and registration.

Whatcom County’s Future Shorelines Project is hosting two workshops to discuss flood risks and adaptation strategies over the next 50+ years, in expectation of rising sea levels and larger river floods.

A virtual countywide session is tonight, April 28, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. via Zoom, followed by an in-person Birch Bay-focused meeting on Tuesday, May 6, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at North Bay Community Church.

🐶 I follow all the posts from Whatcom Humane Society on Facebook and Instagram. Every pup is cute, every cat is a fluffy hug waiting to happen, and every once in a while, a little creature-face comes along that hits like a 2×4. Meet Mokka. 👇 The cutest, squishiest, snortiest pup-face I’ve seen in a long time.

WHS describes her as “ 7 year old female bulldog mix. This happy, sweet, beautiful girl is desperately looking for someone to bond with. She previously lived a life as a breeder dog and was not afforded much in the way of TLC.” 💘 I hope someone in the hamsters clan is looking for a sweet pup. More about Mokka.

🏙️ Bellingham City Council meets today, April 28, at 1:15 pm, with the Regular Meeting at 7 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held at Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, or can be watched online.

🚜 Whatcom County Council meets tomorrow, April 29, at 9:15 am, with the Regular Meeting at 6 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held in the Council Chambers at the County Courthouse, or can be watched via Zoom. The 1:20 pm Committee of the Whole meeting might be interesting to catch if you’re able. The session will include a discussion mentioned by Councilmember Byrd last week pertaining to the adoption of community benefit agreements for contractors bidding on public construction projects in the county. Byrd mentioned that both labor union and merit shop voices will be heard. I expect strong opinions on both sides of this issue.

COMPASS

Hello friends, I’m Alāna Mey, a Western grad and proud Bellinghamster since 1998. I live in Sunnyland with my husband Ashton, a registered nurse at St. Joe’s, our kids Owen and Scarlett, and our French Bulldogs, Cookie and Louie.

Over the next few months, I’ll share an occasional real estate market update, along with tips and tricks I’ve learned over a decade helping families and individuals buy and sell homes here in Whatcom County.

If you spot me at the Saturday market or at one of our gorgeous lakes, please say hi! And, if you have questions about buying or selling a home, let’s schedule a time to chat.

Food & Drinks

Test Your Knowledge

The correct answer to the last question: “What unusual geologic formation, formed from cooled volcanic lava, can be found near Heather Meadows and along the Mount Baker Highway?” was Columnar Basalt, but this needs a slight correction. While basalt is found in Whatcom County, the striking columnar formations near Heather Meadows, particularly in the Table Mountain lava flows, are primarily composed of andesite, a volcanic rock closely related to basalt but with a higher silica content.

These columnar andesite formations are a geologic marvel, characterized by tall, hexagonal columns that create a visually stunning, almost architectural pattern along the Mount Baker Highway, especially just above the Heather Meadows Visitor Center. Formed around 300,000 years ago from lava flows originating at Ptarmigan Ridge, these columns are up to a meter wide at lower elevations and skinnier higher up.

The formation of columnar andesite begins as molten lava, rich in silica and minerals, erupts and flows across the landscape. As the lava cools and contracts, it fractures into a network of vertical joints, typically forming hexagonal columns, because this shape most efficiently relieves the stress of contraction, with fractures intersecting at roughly 120-degree angles, creating a mesmerizing, prismatic pattern.

Performance Arts This Week

BAAY Theatre:
Out of the Woods | Fri, Sat 7 pm; Sat, Sun 2 pm

iDiOM Theater:
Heroes of the Fourth Turning | Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun 7:30 pm

New Prospect Theatre:
THE ACTING-EST! | Fri 7 pm

New Prospect Theatre:
The Cocoanuts -Marx Brothers feature film | Sat 9 pm

New Prospect Theatre:
You Didn’t Hear This From Me | Sat 7 pm; Sun 5:30 pm

WWU: College of Fine and Performing Arts:
Dance in Concert | Thurs, Fri 7:30 pm; Sat 2 pm

Uisce Irish Pub:
Guffawingham | Mon 8:30 pm

The Upfront Theatre:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | Thurs 7:30 pm
Space Trek | Fri 7:30 pm
Movie Mayhem | Fri 9:30 pm
Space Trek | Sat 7:30 pm
Punch Line | Sat 9:30 pm

Bachata : WWU Salsa and Bachata Club @ Viking Union MPR | Mon 7 pm
Tango : Urban Salon Tango @ The Majestic Ballroom | 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
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
Belly Dance : Baby-Wearing Belly Dance@ Boom Elite Martial Arts | Thurs 9:30 am
Silent Disco : Sunset Silent Disco @ Zuanich Point Park | Sat 7:30 pm
Belly Dance : Belly Dance Fusion @ Bellingham Senior Center | Sat 10:30 am
Salsa : The Salsa Collective @ The Majestic Ballroom | Sun 5:30 pm

Music & Nightlife

Monday Music
Admiralty Lounge | Open Mic | 7:30 pm
Corner Taphouse | Open Mic | 6 pm
Firehouse A&E Center | Kristina Olsen & Cyd Smith Singer-Songwriter | 3:30 pm
Greene’s Corner | Irish Music Session Celtic | 6 pm
Ramble Tamble | Open Mic | 7 pm
The Shakedown | Yomori, Finnish Postcard, ESO Rock | 8 pm

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 | 7 pm
Trivia Night @ Overflow Taps | 6:30 pm

Tuesday Music
The Admiralty Lounge | Matney Cook Singer-Songwriter | 7 pm
Aslan Depot | Jazz Night Jazz | 8 pm
Menace Brewing | Blues Jam Blues | 7:30 pm
WWU Performing Arts Center | Greg Pattillo Flute | 6 pm
Zeeks Pizza | The Other Thing Jazz | 6 pm

Tuesday Games & Trivia
Bingo @ CHeBA Hut | 7 pm
Cribbage Tournament @ Kulshan Brewing K2 | 6 pm
Trivia Night @ Corner Taphouse | 7 pm
Trivia Night @ Uisce Irish Pub | 7 pm
Trivia Night @ Thirsty Badger | 7 pm

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Hakuna matata

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