Local

Here is a picture of Whatcom Creek near my house.

I awoke to rain this morning in Bellingham, and I am okay with fall arriving early. Usually September is sunny and cool, and the kids are all back in school with the Western students filtering back. September is a transition month and creates for a pleasant vibe around Bellingham. It will be early to get the rain gear out for biking and yard work, or things like letting the chickens out (like this morning).

A day to return to SeaTac, but at least it will be in the evening and hopefully I will not experience the wrath of I-% congestion like I did last Friday. Ugh. Driving through Seattle can either be so enjoyable or so exasperating, and it is usually a toss-up - especially on a Thursday afternoon during rush hour.

But time to run out to Sudden Valley for a picnic in the rain at an old friend's place. Well old for me and my presence in Bellingham, which spans just over four years. One last note: I was always amazed how there was no discomfort in not being from Bellingham. Other places I lived or visited (like Tahoe or Boulder), people always used to brag about being "a local" and what that entailed and how long you needed to live there to be considered one of them. I have never used the term thrown about in Bellingham and am amazed how welcoming the community was to a newcomer like myself in spite of the fact that I was one of the culprits driving their home prices through the roof. The locals [sic] made it very easy for me to call Bellingham home.