BPR

We acknowledge that we gather on territory that has been the traditional and ancestral homeland to the Lhaq'temish (the Lummi people), Noxws'áʔaq (the Nooksack people), and other Coast Salish tribes of this region Since Time Immemorial. We honor our shared responsibility to this land and these waters, we commit to learning from Indigenous wisdom, and we strive to repair and deepen our relationships as neighbors and friends. "As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see." – Vincent Van Gogh Hello Bellinghamsters and Happy Fall! Each time I sit down to write one of these letters I am awestruck by how fast time passes. Is it my middle-aged brain coupled with a full-time job and running a household? Is it the endless emails that need responses? Is it accessing too much information online that clogs up my free time? What are your current inspirations and intentions for how to use your free time? To celebrate the transition into autumn, Bellingham Parks & Recreation staff devised several special events and programs to help fill your precious free time in meaningful ways. There are gift-making classes, sound bath series, puzzle competitions, haunted houses, a dahlia digging workshop, and some new holiday programs at Maritime Heritage Park, to name just a few. What sparks your interest? For me, I am always inspired to paint, but rarely am I motivated enough to follow through and make it happen. My friend, Pat Lundquist, is leaving her amazing property in the Columbia Neighborhood to Bellingham Parks & Recreation. This photo, taken back in November of 2020, was the inspiration for this acrylic done in 2021. For this autumn, I hope you can find inspiration, and then follow through, and be able to look back in a few months and be thankful of how well you used this precious time we all have here to make community and find fulfillment in this extraordinarily fast-paced life we share. Hang in there and enjoy the ride! Nicole C. Oliver Director Photo by Nicole Oliver Lundquist Woods by Nicole Oliver Director's Letter cob.org/parks • (360) 778-7000 Cover Photo by Freeman Anthony

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