Saw these downtown ❤️

Getting on the 232 bus with a smile from the driver and a heads up that it’s “a lively commute today” didn’t prepare me for how fun it would be to listen to a dozen or so little kids RIDING THE BUS so they could GO SEE THE LIBRARY with maximum good manners and excitement. Good job, teachers and parent volunteers!

The Traveller

^{Eternal blessings crown my earliest friend,}

^{And round his dwelling guardian saints attend.}

^{Blest be that spot, where cheerful guests retire}

^{To pause from toil, and trim their evening fire;}

^{Blest that abode, where want and pain repair,}

^{And every stranger finds a ready chair;}

^{Blest be those feasts with simple plenty crowned,}

^{Where all the ruddy family around}

^{Laugh at the jests or pranks that never fail,}

^{Or sigh with pity at some mournful tale;}

^{Or press the bashful stranger to his food,}

^{And learn the luxury of doing good.}

^------

Oliver Goldsmith

I have been in Bellingham for about 8 years now and I have made only a small group of friends, mainly from work. I take responsibility for not putting a lot of effort in socializing, I can be quite an introvert. This weekend, all my friends are busy or out of state. With that said, anyone want to hang out?

Im 31F, queer masc presenting, and an engineer. I have lots of hobbies. I like to knit, crochet, dye yarn, biking, making paper with recycled paper, brewing mead, gardening, baking, cooking. Im honestly a jane of all trades master of none.

My work recently held a townhall for for the 6 district 42 candidates. (2 state representative positions and state senator) The crowd was heavily male and majority right wing so that influenced the tone of the questions which were heavily budget/tax based. These are my observations.

Alica Rule- Very frustrated/ angry about the state budgeting process. Voted no against the budget this year as a democrat which apparently caused a riff between her and party leadership. Doesn't seem like she wants to do this any more.

Misty Flowers- Only espoused 2 conspiracy theories year which is down 50% from last time I saw her in one of these town halls. The only Republican that didn't try to distance herself from Donnie T when a question about tariffs came up. Seemed lower energy than usual. Normally anger is her thing and when she couldn't out angry Alica she didn't seem to know what to do.

Joe Timmons- Tried to explain how the legislative process works and give real answers to a group that wasn't interested in listening. Joe is apparently frustrated by many of the same things as Alica but is more interested in working within the party structure. More focused on fixing the issue with state funding to our school system than anybody else. Had the best performance of anyone.

Justin Pike- Very confident and polished. Sounds detailed and convincing at first until you pay closer attention and look up what he's talking about. Then you realize he's completely full of BS. He gave a detailed list of things he wants to cut but some of those things don't even exist. Ended by claiming to have secret knowledge about some USDA announcement that was going to come out in the next 72 hours that was going to be earth shattering. I checked the USDA 72 hours later and nothing came out.

Michael Sheppard- Tried to give actual answers to questions like Timmons but didn't actually know things well enough. Talked a lot about the port and compared everything to the port which maybe wasn't the best call as no one in the room was particularly happy with how the port is run.

Erica Creydt- Seemed like really pleasant nice lady. Offered nothing of substance. I had to look up later if she was a Republican or Democrat because she said so little other than vague pleasantries.

Do with this what you will. This one only 1 town hall of many but I thought I'd share what I saw.

I say kinda because we never actually connected and talked but I’m taking a shot in the dark 😅 if you were a guy at winco around 630ish-715ish tonight (10/15/2026) with I think brown hair, wore a tan beanie, you had a cool grungey style and your shirt had a hole in the collar, I think you had a black jacket and you seemed like a caregiver to I believe 4 older men (you’re doing great and you genuinely sound super kind and gentle) I was too shy to say hi especially if you’re working but you were super cute (:

Let me a lesson to shoot your shot so you’re not on Reddit posting about a missed connection 😭

The first few weeks of business have been absolutely stellar at Cafe Hazeltree & Emmaquatics.

So great, in fact, that we are already going to be increasing our hours!!!
Starting in November, we will be open 7 days a week at our normal 2pm-12am

This is also an invitation to our Halloween party on a October 31st. It will be underwater themed, the staff will be dressed up, we will be playing a water-themed horror movie (not sure which one yet, please drop recommendations below), and we’ll have live music from 9-midnight. We will also be passing out candy to people in costume. We encourage everyone to tap into a little childlike wonder and hit us with a “trick or treat” at the counter!

This is a great space to celebrate if you aren’t going to the bars for any reason, or a great place for your pregame caffeine!!

We’d love to hear about your experience so far at the aquarium cafe! Any stories to share? Any feedback?

chao,
Hazel & Emma 🐠☕️

In June, I decided to start a twice-monthly local business newsletter. I'm not continuing it. But I want to share what was in the final issue here, summarized, just so the work doesn't go to waste. (No clickthrough required.)

1. No local hotel boom from the World Cup here (basically, there were enough hotel rooms in Vancouver). Data from Smith Travel Research showed that, in Whatcom County, hotel occupancy in June was down 4.5% from a year earlier and up in July 1.3%. Average daily rate, though, went up 6.3% in June and 6.2% in July. Local tourism folk said the benefit was the viewing parties for locals.
2. Canadian car counts into Whatcom County continued down at the end of the summer. Whatcom Council of Governments found BC plates headed south in August were down 9% compared to 2025, and down 45% compared to 2024. In September, they were flat compared to 2025 and down 39% compared to September 2024.
3. Border Policy Research Institute at WWU has released a couple of new reports on how some businesses are dealing with the Canadian downturn and how much Canadian shoppers affect taxable retail sales in Whatcom County. Both are available on the BPRI website.
4. Unemployment rates spiked in August in Northwest Washington counties, returning to levels of a year earlier. At the same time, the labor force (people working or looking for work) went up compared to July. August rates were 4.5% for Whatcom, 4.8% for Skagit, 3.1% for San Juan and 4.3% for Island.
5. Median home sale prices in the third quarter (ending Sept. 30) were $633,500 in Whatcom (up 1.5% from a year earlier) and $600,000 in Skagit (up 0.4%). Bellingham's median was down 4% to $725,000.
6. Downtown Bellingham's vacancy rate in Q3 was 12.1% for retail, 8.3% for offices. Both are about double the city's vacancy rates as a whole, and both are up downtown from Q2.

That's it. Don't shoot the messenger, please, if you aren't happy with the news (I just gather and analyze it). If you want more details, you can seek out the final issue of Franksplaining Business.

But if this is enough, I'm satisfied.

Oh. And I'm quitting because the work is too solitary and too time consuming. It was always free.

They are on back up power.

No access to refrigerated and frozen items.

The stop lights around lakeway are out causing backups too

On Saturday 10/10, someone stole my friend's dog near Samish Lake from her residence, I believe. They tossed the collar on the way down the road; and a police report has been filed. Im just trying to do something to help.

His name is Bear, if anyone recognizes him somewhere. I wish there was more info for me to put right now.

When there's fog, please remember to turn on your lights. So many cars in this area are exactly the same shade as the fog and it's easy to have people not see you.

My brother, the fireman taught me long ago that if my wiper blades are on for any reason, my lights should be on as well

Hello! I'm local glass artist (flameworker) & professional cat lady Annie Woods. Next month is the amazing annual Seattle Meow Con. Its my favorite weekend of the year and I want to make sure all the cat people of Bellingham know about this meow-gical event. There are actually a few Bellingham artists (besides myself) that will be vending at this show. November 7th & 8th : seameowconvention.com for more info & tickets. You can see more of my work on IG @spillerwoods or on my website: SpillerWoods.com

Come by table 28 and tell me you came because of my reddit post and you will get a button or sticker pack!!!

It’s breast cancer/breast health awareness month, so let’s talk about some benefits of breast massage! Whether done by yourself or by a licensed massage therapist, this massage addresses physical tension and mental disconnects in the area.

Legality

Here in Washington State, breast massage is legal and regulated. Licensed massage therapists can take extra training and be able to provide therapeutic touch to breast tissue, similarly to how they do to other areas like the back and the shoulders. Clients must give written and verbal consent before any massage on breast tissue, and can also request to see a copy of their therapist’s certification for breast massage.

General Breast Massage

Techniques like gently compressing, sliding, and kneading breast tissue alleviate tenderness, density, and heaviness associated with swelling. It only takes a few minutes of intentional touch to make the breasts feel lighter and more comfortable.

Scar Breast Massage

Just like other areas of the body, breast tissue is susceptible to tight, restrictive scarring. Surgeries, radiation, and injuries can trigger scars and fibrosis which reduce arm and shoulder movement. Targeted scar massage unwinds this stuck tissue, melts the adhesions, and restores range of motion. Techniques like circular friction, shearing, and lifting the scar tissue work best.

Self Breast Massage

Working on your own breasts can feel incredibly liberating! Being able to relieve your own tenderness and swelling during hormonal shifts is so empowering. It also creates the opportunity to monitor lumps and detect changes. And for some people, self massage is an important step on the journey to reclaim their bodies.

Professional Breast Massage

However, some people are not comfortable massaging their own breast tissue, aren’t sure what to do, or would rather trust a professional to evaluate and treat the area for them. Professional breast massage can be lymphatic and gentle to relieve general tenderness and density; or it can be targeted and specific to address problem areas like scars and radiation fibrosis.

---

I have 2 other (short) blog posts on my website if you'd like to read more: https://www.primrosemassagetherapy.com/blog/lets-talk-about-breast-massage (bottom of page has navigation to the other post)

I'd love to answer your questions! I'm here to de-mystify therapeutic touch of breast tissue. Ask away~

-Alyssa, LMT, C-MLD-T
with Primrose Massage Therapy

Hello we just drove under the bakerview underpass and our sunroof completely shattered. If there is a chance that anyone was driving at the same time as us and has dashcam footage that would be really appreciated. We’re not sure if someone three something over the pass or if it was a rock that fell or what.

I've heard rumor that Seattle Costco got an apple pie sundae. Anyone know if we're getting that too and if we have it yet? Asking for a friend 😅

Really would love to take some basic Blacksmithing/forging classes, and I had heard we had a local shop that taught such things but now I can't find anything online and sadly forget the name of the place I was told about at a local coffee shop months ago!

Anyone aware of any in Bellingham or nearby?

Because it’s been a bit since someone has asked something similar, who do you think has the best sandwiches in town? Looking especially for places that are open later than standard lunch hours.

Hela Provisions is located downtown on Cornwall Avenue and is woman-owned and run!! We’re hosting a really fun halloween costume and permanent jewelry party with The Little Refinery!!

We will have spooky drink specials, including NA mocktails, yummy tapas and sandwiches AND the store will be open to shop from the whole evening!!

Enter our raffle for a chance to win a bag of specialty-grown-up halloween candy and goods from the store

Support local and woman owned businesses!! we hope to see you there 🙏🏻

Marvel Tokon specifically needs one more entry

Hello Bellingham!!

Are you in need of your yearly tabs or wanting to register that new car you just bought? New from out of state and need WA plates? Our friendly staff would love to help at our NEW location!!

Northwest Licensing Company has MOVED to 4182 Cordata Pkwy, right next to Drivers Licensing and Mach 1. We are so excited to serve our community in a bigger space with much better parking ;)

Please reach out with any auto licensing questions you may have! Our phone number is 360-756-9821 or email us at service@northwestlicensing.com

Samish Flats