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Water access is not a guaranteed right in Whatcom County

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Many take for granted that we will always have access to water in Whatcom County. After all, we live where people believe “it rains all the time.”

What might come as a surprise is that Whatcom County has been in a drought for years. The rainfall measured from October through February of this year was 14.8 inches. Compared to this time last year of 20.72 inches. (Mittendorf, 2023) This is a drastic difference, and this number is estimated to continue to drop. 

Climate scientists from the University of Washington claim that we should not yet worry about water availability in the Nooksack Basin. This, however, does not address the fact that, as of the beginning of 2023, the process of establishing water rights in Whatcom County has begun. Brought to Whatcom County by the Department of Ecology and backed by local Tribal governments, every household drawing water through private wells will be notified by mail that despite having what they believe to be established rights, all people will now need to file a water claim establishing their rights. (Department of Ecology, 2023)  Those who source their water from a PUD or public water system will not need to file a claim.

With some water rights documents dating back 100 years, we would assume that establishing water rights through the adjudication process would be smooth. In reality, it is anything but. To complicate this matter, the issue was consistently tabled despite the city council being aware of the conflict regarding establishing water rights decades ago. At the most recent meeting held to discuss the water rights claim issue, 42nd District Sen. Sharon Shewmake allowed that while adjudication needs to be addressed, she also stated, “I think adjudication is important, but I also think making sure that adjudication isn’t a big scary letter saying, ‘you’re part of a lawsuit’ that people don’t understand … could be a real innovation and a real benefit to our community.” (Lerner, Cascadia Daily News, 2023, para.4) After this statement and a presentation from the Department of Ecology, the council voted to “discuss this issue at a later date.” (Lerner, Cascadia Daily News, 2023)

Due to the lack of attention to the demand that adjudication be addressed, the state of Washington has now requested 2.7 million dollars to handle the water adjudication process in Whatcom County. A proposed water solutions table (a grant agreement between the Department of Ecology and the City Council) allocates $250,000 to create a collaborative process. This process seeks to include all the shareholders affected by the claim process. While important, with the adjudication claim process already passed into law, also very late in the game.

70% of summer water allocations stem from agriculture, so clearly, these stakeholders have the most to lose. These stakeholders will be the most likely to use the law to fight for their right to continue to use water as they have. They are also more likely to have long-time uninterrupted, established rights. If you built your house recently, say in the past ten years, you might have a real fight to keep your current water rights. If this same household has been a hobby farm and needed water for their animals, that water is no longer guaranteed. If a home were not using its water rights for any reason in history, water rights would terminate after five years. Since this termination needs to be self-reported by the homeowner at the claim filing, anyone can turn another in should they choose. 

Washington State Representative Joe Timmons of Bellingham has proposed House Bill 1792 to examine timelines and procedures for the adjudication process. (Lerner, Cascadia Daily News, 2023)  The bill has unanimous support in the House and Senate, local and tribal governments, and the Whatcom Public Utility District. This bill mainly aims to explain and streamline the water claim process for Whatcom County residents.

Whatcom County has been a target for decades for this process. Despite drawing water from Lake Whatcom for city residents, we do not have an established reservoir system for county residents. This similarly occurred in Yakima, and the water battle lasted over thirty years before the process was finally concluded.

Whatcom County is not immune from the effects of climate change and population demands. Water is not guaranteed, and drought and fire risks have increased exponentially, yet very little information has been shared with the public regarding what we can expect in the coming decades. For more information about these issues, I strongly encourage you to read the Climate Action Plan written in 2009 and extensively updated in 2020 by climate scientists at the University of Washington. Also, specific to Whatcom County, I recommend reading the 2020 Whatcom County Climate Science Summary. To understand the severity of the ongoing drought in Whatcom County, please visit Drought Conditions for Whatcom County. This current chart is maintained and compiled by the National Integrated Drought Information System under the authority of NOAA.

The time to address water rights, fire danger, drought, and the ongoing effects of our ever-increasing population in Whatcom County is now. With information, education, and an understanding of how these issues will affect you as a stakeholder, we can move forward in a cooperative manner that doesn’t create anger, frustration, or finger-pointing. Reading the publications I linked above and asking questions in an informed and positive way will benefit all parties.

We are in this together; let us all do our best to solve these critical climate issues for the betterment of all Whatcom County residents, not just some.

References

Department of Ecology. (2023). Adjudication of WRIA 1 (Nooksack). Retrieved from Department of Ecology: https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-supply/Water-rights/Adjudications/Nooksack#

Hirst, E. (2017, December). Whatcom Watch. Retrieved from Whatcom Water Use — With and Without Permission: https://whatcomwatch.org/index.php/article/whatcom-water-use-with-and-without-permission/

Lerner, J. (2023, January 25). Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved from Water rights battle coming to Whatcom County: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/news/2023/jan/25/water-rights-battle-coming-to-whatcom-county/

Lerner, J. (2023, May 2). Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved from Legislature unanimously passes Nooksack adjudication bill: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/news/2023/may/02/legislature-unanimously-passes-nooksack-adjudication-bill/

Mittendorf, R. (2023, March 19). Snowpack and rainfall are below normal for Whatcom County. Is drought likely? The Bellingham Herald.

NOAA. (2023). NOAA NIDIS (National Integrated Drought Information System). Retrieved from Drought Conditions for Whatcom County: https://www.drought.gov/states/Washington/county/Whatcom

SCHWARTZ, R. (2022, November 1). County executive proposes tax hikes in new budget. Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved July 6, 2023, from https://www.cascadiadaily.com/news/2022/nov/01/county-executive-proposes-tax-hikes-in-new-budget/

University of Washington. (2020). University of Washington. Retrieved from UW Climate Action Plan (CAP): UW Climate Action Plan (CAP)

Whatcom County Washington. (2020, January). Whatcom County Climate Action Plan: Summary of Observed Trends and Projected Climate Change Impacts. Retrieved from Whatcom County Washington: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/53837/Whatcom-County-Climate-Science-Summary-2020

New Home Insurance Law and What it Means for Washington State Residents

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Announced just a few days ago, State Farm, ranked the number one property and casualty insurance agency by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) (Lowery, 2023), announced that it will no longer offer homeowners policies to California residents. This decision, which will have more aftershocks than the earthquakes that also plague the area, was made in their own words:

“State Farm General Insurance Company made this decision due to historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure, and a challenging reinsurance market” (Singh, 2023, para. 2)

According to an independent reporting agency, State Farm wrote “nearly $46.7 billion in premiums and earned just over $44.8 billion.” (Lowery, 2023) Overall, the insurance industry earned nearly $836.9 billion in 2022. State Farm, Nationally ranked as the number-one property and casualty insurance agency, currently holds 16.84% of that share.

Translated, this means that despite its overwhelming market share, State Farm is willing to walk away from the percentage that includes California. Included with the decision are not only personal homeowner policies but also includes all business policies.  Car insurance policies are not affected. (Singh, 2023)

The decision was made after 2021 when California experienced a significant wildfire increase. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 7,400 wildfires burned 362,455 acres that caused losses totaling $4 billion in property damages. With premiums covering $7 billion, statisticians advised State Farm to withdraw their services. This was a move that could not have been taken lightly.

State Farm is also not the first insurance company to withdraw renewal options for its client base. American International Group (AIG) decided in 2021 not to renew thousands of policies in California, citing the same evidence that State Farm is now reporting. (Singh, 2023)

What this means for residents in California is an inevitable rate hike despite the California Department of Insurance (CDI) promising that “While insurance companies prioritize their short-term financial goals, the long-term goal of the Department of Insurance is protecting consumers. The factors driving State Farm’s decision are beyond our control, including climate change, reinsurance costs affecting the entire insurance industry, and global inflation.” (Singh, 2023) Residents in California need to know that there is a real possibility of either not having property insurance options or the options become too cost prohibitive to secure. 

As any homeowner knows, one cannot secure a loan to purchase property without property insurance coverage. A cash buyer will also not be particularly interested in buying a home if they know their investment might go up in smoke.

We have also seen smoky skies in our backyards, so what does this mean for the Washington real estate market regarding securing property insurance?

According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, in 2022, four significant wildfires burned 30,800 acres. Compared with 2021, with over 800 fires burning 484,045 acres and destroying nine homes, 2022 saw a substantial decrease in at least acreage destroyed. While the loss of homes in 2022 was one more than in 2021, the total number of acreage destroyed was much less. (Washington State Department of Natural Resources, 2022)

Sadly, in 2022 California wildfires killed nine people, destroyed 772 structures, and damaged another 104. (CART, 2022) Highly concerning is that 2022 was considered “a good year” compared to 2020 when 4.3 million acres were destroyed and 33 lives were lost. Losing nine lives seems much better, but horrific all the same. (Kerlin, 2020)

What does this latest twist in the ongoing exodus from California mean for Washington State residents, specifically Whatcom County? People in Washington, particularly Western Washington, should see continuing increases in property values as people exit California in search of a new life away from the peril of wildfire, rising insurance rates, and state taxes that need to be levied to cover the catastrophic losses that California experiences every year. 

We can also remember to be thankful that we do not live in a place with such losses and to welcome those who have. 

References

CART, J. (2022, December 1). Cal Matters. Retrieved from By the numbers: California’s mild 2022 wildfire season: https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/12/california-wildfires-2022/

Kerlin, K. (2020). California’s 2020 Wildfire Season: Report Summarizes Record-Breaking Fire Year and Calls for Shift in Strategy. Davis: UC Davis. Retrieved from California’s 2020 Wildfire Season:

Lowery, L. (2023). State Farm holds No. 1 slot in NAIC’s 2022 top 25 P&C list. Repairer Driven News. Retrieved from State Farm holds No. 1 slot in NAIC’s 2022 top 25 P&C list.

Singh, S. (2023, May 27). CBS News. Retrieved from State Farm to stop offering new home insurance policies in California due to “growing catastrophe exposure”: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-farm-stop-offering-new-home-insurance-policies-california-wildfires/

Washington State Department of Natural Resources. (2022). Wildfire Season 2022. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved from https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/rp_fire_electric_utility_annual_fire_season_report2022.pdf

Good Clean Fun

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Good Clean Fun

The care and keeping of one’s home has transformed through quite a history of outdated sexist ideology, strange concoctions, cultural shifts, and television shows dedicated to either one extreme of not caring for your home (hoarding) to being obsessed with how loved your socks feel in their drawer (Tidying Up with Marie Kondo)

Let’s start at the beginning. According to the American Cleaning Institute, soap was invented in about 1500 BC. The Ebers papyrus describes people combining animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to form a soap-like product used for washing and as an antiseptic. (The Cleaning Institute, 2022)The term “soap” refers to those observing rain running down Mount Sapo in Rome, mixing with animal fats and forming a helpful clay that functioned as a rudimentary soap product. (The Cleaning Institute, 2022)

While it is known that ancient Egyptians were particular about cleanliness, the habit of regular bathing of both one’s body and home fell out of favor in Europe during the middle ages. This lack of basic hygiene in the house and for one’s person resulted in horrific diseases like the black plague.

While Europeans in the middle ages wallowed in filth, the Japanese still practiced daily bathing, and those of Icelandic heritage regularly bathed in the hot springs that still dominate the country today. However, both countries experienced plagues, with Iceland’s plague wiping out half their population between 1402-1404. (Richard Streeter, 2012)

Bathing became fashionable again in the 1700s throughout Europe, particularly within wealthier classes. A hefty tax was placed on commercially made soap in many countries, but once lifted, soap and the use of it to bathe oneself and at home became more prevalent. (The Cleaning Institute, 2022)

The advent of the industrial revolution changed everything. Before this massive shift in how we manufacture goods, making soap from soda ash and fat was a dangerous, tiresome chore that was dreaded by most. After the industrial revolution, soap production left the confines of the home and became one of the fastest-growing industries of all time. (Castle Keepers)

The industrial revolution also separated the work habits between men and women. Whereas men typically left the home to work in a factory, women stayed behind to care for children and the house. Both situations created long, dirty, hot working conditions with little joy. Housekeeping as a profession became one of the few opportunities women had to earn money outside of their homes. It became typical for large and even more modest Victorian households to have maids. The male counterpart of this institution was the Valet; however, these positions existed only for the wealthiest families both here and abroad.

Let’s fast forward to what many believe was the height of pride surrounding the keeping of one’s home in America, the 1950s.

According to the author of the article I Kept Up With a 1950s Housekeeping Schedule for a Week, and I am Exhausted, newly minted 1950s housewives regarded keeping their homes immaculate as a full-time job. One demanding close attention to detail. To prepare for approaching a typical week in the life of a 1950s housewife, the author of the article read excerpts taken directly from the pages of the holiest of advice books on the subject, The Good Housekeeping Housekeeping Book (yes, the word is repeated, probably for emphasis) edited by Helen W. Kendall and published in 1947 by the still relevant Good Housekeeping Institute. In this revered tomb of household knowledge, the author of the Exhausted article found this schedule:

  • Monday: Grocery and Kitchen
  • Tuesday: Laundry
  • Wednesday: Bedrooms and Bathrooms
  • Thursday: Linens and Living Room
  • Friday: Groceries, Defrost Fridge, Dining Rooms & Halls
  • Weekend: Free Day/Family Day

The publication also outlines daily tasks that one should complete each day, which include:

  • Kitchen: Put away food, clean coffee grounds, wash dishes & sink, sweep, empty wastebasket.
  • Bedrooms: Hang up night clothes, make beds, straighten & dust, dust/vacuum blinds.
  • Living Room: Discard faded flowers & old magazines, dust furniture & plump pillows, stack magazines & return anything out of place, and remove surface litter.
  • Dining Room and Halls: Same as living room, sweep after each meal.

As I read this list, a smile forms in my heart. Everything on this list is included in the book I read when I was married at 23. My reference book is from a more modern source, but the advice is the same. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson was and still is my companion regarding keeping a modern home as tidy as homes from the past.

Notice the author of the article I first mentioned states that she found the schedule exhausting. Let’s dive into how the chores of the past became the tension of today.

An article titled Good Housekeeping, Great Expectations: Gender and Housework Norms in the academic journal Sociological Methods and Research found that it is not just that women do more housework; it is also that the expectation that women perform more housework and higher standards is deeply rooted in American cultural gender norms. Included with this research is that men are seen as having lower standards for cleanliness than women. Also, it is shown that women often feel their moral worth is tied to their skills as a home keeper. These gender stereotypes are strong. The belief that housework is linked to women regardless of their earning status has remained among the most formidable American gender barriers to break open. (Thébaud, 2019)

To examine this cultural phenomenon, I invite you to think about your perspectives surrounding the care and maintenance of the home and how your division of labor is handled. Here is my own experience.

When I am not writing to you, I am often in trees with a chainsaw tethered to me. Fear is not something I feel regarding performing one’s joys, so chainsaws, woodchippers, heavy equipment, falling trees, noise, dirt, and the occasional bee sting are all part of practicing my greatest joy; being a Heritage Orchard Specialist.

As for our home and who takes care of it, this is my domain. I do not see housework as a chore. It is a skill, and I consider myself an expert with decades of experience. Leaking pipe under the sink? Fixed. Does the front door need to be refinished? Done. Does a fence need to be installed? Give me two days alone, and it is done. Change the color of the living room? I pride myself on my edging skills. Ten yards of dirt need to be moved to the garden? I will rent a machine and have that pile where it needs to be before the sun sets.

Can I cook, clean, and manage specific household needs? Without a doubt. I have been cooking since I was seven years old. I was raised knowing how to make a meal from a can, a protein, and a base. I can also make a souffle, a beef Wellington, homemade bread, and occasionally decent hootch. I make three meals a day, and they are rarely the same. I grow some of our food, forage for some of it, and know what to do with any vegetable I encounter. I can also butcher a chicken and have it roasted and on the table for dinner.

Cleaning my home is not a chore. It is an immense privilege to live in the house that I do. I felt the same way when we lived in a single-wide trailer. To clean one’s living spaces is to practice grace. Every time I use my time-saving appliances, I smile and give thanks for my blessings. I know that most people worldwide, including many in my community, do not have access to the same conveniences that I do. When I clean, I am actively moving in my gratitude. I invite you to lean into yours.

I am good at keeping our home in order and proud of it. The clean spaces allow for beauty to shine and for negativity to leave. I never have nor will accept that my desire to clean concerns my gender. This is for others to create energy around. Trust me, society does, and it is too bad. Try writing that you have been an expert housekeeper for 30 years, then list your extensive skillset on a job application. You will not receive the recognition that you have richly earned. Try doing this as a man. You would be laughed at. Collectively, we need to stop placing gender at the center of being an expert housekeeper and instead appreciate how keeping a home is an art that involves many skill sets.

To place housekeeping where it needs to be has nothing to do with gender. It involves prioritizing what matters to you and remembering that if you do not have a good foundation, your desire to preserve and protect all that surrounds you will fall short. 

In the 1950s, the idea that we needed to keep up with the unknown family of persnickety Joneses was king. Women wore themselves out, even taking “mommies’ little helper,” also known as valium and created and marketed by the Sackler Brothers (who also gave us OxyContin), to get through the day. (Keefe, 2021) To have anyone see that you were not picture perfect was so pervasive that American society shifted its attention to extreme levels of judgment that are still in various forms with us today.

So, there it is. Tradition, cultural norms, gendered prejudice, history, and the truth that no matter what, you still need to clean your house unless, of course, you accept what my dearest muse Henry David Thoreau stated in the chapter Where I Lived and What I Lived For in Walden and Civil Disobedience.

“Before we can adorn our houses with beautiful objects, the walls must be stripped, and our lives must be stripped, and beautiful housekeeping and beautiful living be laid for a foundation: now, a taste for the beautiful is most cultivated out of doors, where there is no house and no housekeeper.” (Thoreau, 1983)

References

Castle Keepers. (n.d.). Castle Keepers. Retrieved from The Long & Interesting History of Housekeeping: https://castle-keepers.com/how-housekeeping-started-what-history-cleaning-products

Daggett, B. (2019, June 10). Apartment therapy. Retrieved from I Kept Up With a 1950’s Cleaning Schedule for a Week—and I’m Exhausted: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/1950s-housewife-schedule-31000739

Keefe, P. R. (2021, April 21). ‘Empire Of Pain: The Secret History Of The Sackler Dynasty’ Profiles Pharma Family. (A. Chang, Interviewer) NPR. Retrieved May 10, 2023

Norman, J. M. (2023). History of Information.com. Retrieved from The Ebers Papyrus, the Most Extensive Record of Ancient Egyptian Medicine: https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=1353

Richard Streeter, A. J. (2012, February 12). PNAS. Retrieved from Plague and landscape resilience in Premodern Iceland: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1113937109#:

The Cleaning Institute. (2022). The Cleaning Institute. Retrieved from SOAPS & DETERGENTS HISTORY: https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/understanding-products/why-clean/soaps-detergents-history

Thébaud, S. e. (2019, May 30). Good Housekeeping, Great Expectations: Gender and Housework Norms. Sociological Methods and Research, 50(3). doi:doi.org/10.1177/00491241198523

Thoreau, H. D. (1983). Where I Lived and What I Lived For. In H. D. Thoreau, & M. Meyer (Ed.), Walden and Civil Disobedience (p. 40). New York: Penguin. Retrieved May 10, 2023

Icicle Creek Adventures in Bavaria, Washington

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Having a new trailer in your driveway means that every day gets you thinking about the next adventure!

After enduring a rather chilly and wet start to Spring, we decided that a trip to the beautiful town of Leavenworth, Washington was in order.

For all of you who have visited this unique place, there is no need to describe the authentically rendered Bavarian theme that permeates the entire town. For those unfamiliar, you are in for a bit of history and a window into how hope, tenacity, prejudice, and a singular vision turned a once poverty-stricken place into the thriving village that now boasts real estate prices that rival our own.

Schutte and the “Bachelors”

Leavenworth eventually crashed into desperate times after a relative boom in the late 1880s due to inflated interests surrounding logging and gold speculation. The Great Depression seemingly sealed the fate of this remote place. With its boarded-up businesses, abandoned cars, and trash lining the streets, by 1960, Leavenworth was an impoverished place.

The fate of Leavenworth began to change in 1960 when two “friends” from Seattle purchased the failing Squirrel Tree Café on Highway 2, 15 miles west of Leavenworth. Theodore H. “Ted” Price (b. 1923), a pharmaceutical representative, and Robert F. “Bob” Rodgers fell in love with the area after Bob, who had previously been stationed in Bavaria during WWII, saw the potential to revive Leavenworth into a once again vibrant town. (Arksey, 2010)

Price and Rogers soon became heavily involved with local politics and policies surrounding their vision to turn Leavenworth into a Bavarian theme town. At their urging, the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce contacted the Bureau of Community Development at the University of Washington (also referred to as the Office of Community and Organizational Development) (Arksey, 2010)

The University of Washington Bureau of Community Development provided the Chamber with a self-directed program designed to enable towns like Leavenworth with a strategy for redevelopment. The plan was eventually drafted and termed Project LIFE which stood for Leavenworth Improvement for Everyone. (Arksey, 2010)

From the onset, the fact that Price and Rogers were living “as bachelors” together was a problem for the old timers who suspected there was more to their story. As Ted Price stated in an interview for The Los Angeles Times:

“I remained troubled by the attempts of some individuals to tell the story of Leavenworth’s revitalization in fanciful ways. Essential elements of what happened were being left out of the official accounts, and people who had little or nothing to do with creating Bavarian Leavenworth were starting to be named as responsible … soon new facts about the revitalization were being invented to give recognition to a few old timers” (Price T. P., 1997, pg.100)

Carolyn Schutte was a wealthy Seattle resident who regularly brought friends to the Squirrel Tree Café. She eventually befriended Price and Rogers, and soon they were close friends. Upon seeing how close to a nervous breakdown Ted was from the stress of trying to convince the old guard of Leavenworth to change into a Bavarian theme town, Schutte took Price and Rogers on an all-expenses-paid vacation to Europe. On this trip, Schutte revealed that she had been secretly purchasing large swaths of the town to ensure that Price and Rogers’ idea to “Bavarianize” Leavenworth came to fruition. (Arksey, 2010)

Today, Leavenworth hosts a festival for every change of the season. These festivals include The Fall Leaf Festival, Oktoberfest, The Village Lighting Festival, The Bavarian Ice Fest, and Maifest. Plus, throughout the year are yodeling and accordion festivals, wine tastings, and just up the road at the Sleeping Lady Retreat Center, a world-class chamber music festival. (Arksey, 2010)

Changing a town’s history to enhance its ability to generate its economy comes with its issues. Today, where a derelict high school once stood is a state-of-the-art facility. Next door is an equally impressive elementary and middle school. While these improvements point to overall good for the valley, gone is the original history of the place, which includes the rich past of the Yakama, Chinook, and Wenatchi tribes, all of who fished and hunted in the valley. In many respects, the town’s original history is gone. It has been replaced with a Bavarian-driven mission to stay true to its theme of a re-invented tourist town. Reflecting the new population demographic in the valley, real estate prices rival those in Bellingham and Seattle. The recent pandemic allowing people to move to remote locations has made the presence of Seattleites even more apparent. We spoke with a local real estate agent while touring a 3.9-million-dollar lake house and asked who drives the market; she stated that 80% of the buyers are from Seattle.

In a 1997 Journal of the West article, a local resident stated, “Leavenworth has discarded its heritage and that children growing up in Leavenworth in the 1990s experience a hometown dedicated to service outside interests through tourism; the original landscape and history that made the community unique is ignored. The impact is accentuated by false storefronts, ignores local history, and is responsible for confusion among generations. Leavenworth exemplifies other middle-class recreational theme towns in the West. The city promotes a theme-park mindset that ignores the natural history, cultures, and landscape that define the region” (Sudderth, 1997, pg. 81)

The next time you visit Leavenworth, you will now have the inside story of how an innovative couple from Seattle had the vision to transform Leavenworth into what it is today. Yet, due to their status as a gay couple, they have essentially never received the credit they are owed for their innovative vision. 

References

Arksey, L. (2010, July 5). History Link. Retrieved from Leavenworth — Thumbnail History: https://www.historylink.org/file/9475

City of Leavenworth. (n.d.). City of Leavenworth. Retrieved from History: https://leavenworth.org/history/

Price, E. (2003). One Couples Defining Moments: To the Pacific Northwest, they gave ‘Bavarianization’. Three Decades Later, they Gave Themselves Permission to Come Out. Los Angeles Times.

Price, T. P. (1997). Miracle Town: Creating America’s Bavarian Village in Leavenworth, Washington. Vancouver: Book for All Seasons.

Sudderth, J. (1997). Leavenworth Washington: A Study in Landscape Evolution and Cultural Identity. Journal of the West, 74-83.

Tulip Mania!

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A field of pink tulips against a clear cloudy sky

It is that time of year again. You know it is coming when the, for some reason, less admired daffodils start blooming along the side of the road on Highway 20. It’s tulip season.

For those not acquainted with this annual event in the nearby Skagit Valley, I will first present the fun story explaining how the Skagit Valley became the premier location for growing the gorgeous, universally loud, and kind to those with allergies, tulip.

For those new to the area, buckle up, tulip mania is serious business, and if you have never seen the riotous fields of raucous color, this blog will be your primer on being “in the know.”

First, the tulip has a strange backstory. Much like the ups and downs of the real estate market, tulips were once so coveted that for a brief time in history, the Dutch economy revolved around and almost was destroyed by this seemingly innocuous bulb.

While many people might be aware that the tulip is universally associated with the Netherlands, what was news to me, and might be to you, is that the tulip originated in the Tian Shan mountain ranges in Central Asia. After travelers in the time of the Ottoman Empire encountered its beauty there, the tulip was brought to the Netherlands, where it quickly became synonymous with windmills and wooden shoes. (Mental Itch)

In the mid-1500s, Carolus Clusius, a botanist who studied and taught at the University of Leiden, discovered that tulips could create streaks of variegated color in their blooms. Clusius termed this unique botanical event “tulip breaking.” (Mental Itch) It was the distinctive streaking (or breaking) that caused tulip mania.

Today, we know that tulip breaking is caused by a specific virus that infects the bulbs, but in the 1500s, when Clusius first discovered this trait, it was unknown how it occurred. So great was the desire of the Dutch to have multicolored streaks in their tulips that the fever for collecting and trading in tulip bulbs began.

The price of tulip bulbs became so great that it was recorded in 1620 that an entire townhouse was offered in exchange for ten bulbs of Semper Augustus, a tulip famed for looking like a candy cane. The owner of the bulbs declined the trade. (Laskow, 2022)

The mania reached a record high in 1637 when a bulb called Switsers increased in value by nearly 1000% from previous years. Around this point, the Dutch realized the price of tulips had become too high, and prices quickly started to drop. (Mental Itch)

This spelled financial collapse for those who had gambled their life savings and invested in the tulip. The drop in value happened so rapidly that the Dutch government had to step in and financially assist those facing certain ruin. (Mental Itch)

Now that you know the backstory of this weird chapter in human/tulip history, let’s look at how the tulip became synonymous with traffic congestion, long-range telephoto lenses, circling cars looking for parking spots, and even lawsuits in the Skagit Valley.

The first recorded person to order tulip bulbs from Holland to plant in the Skagit Valley is credited to a woman named Mary Stewart. Mrs. Stewart moved from Ohio to Samish Island in early 1900, reportedly seeking a “healthier climate.” (Meyers Signs, 2023)

In 1906 when her first batch of tulips arrived by boat, it was recorded that most of the community came to witness the unloading of what most citizens saw as a bit of frivolity. Why would anyone plant something that one could not eat? (Meyers Signs, 2023)

However, Mrs. Meyers had bigger plans than planting flowers in her yard to memorialize her late mother. Soon, Mrs. Meyers was growing entire fields of tulips, mostly in Bellingham and always for the resale of the bulbs. So agreeable was the tulip bulb with our maritime climate that Mrs. Meyers quickly became the premier grower of tulip bulbs in the Pacific Northwest.

After outgrowing their original 40 acres near La Conner and tired of the commute to Bellingham, the Stewarts eventually purchased 250 acres in 1930 in Mt. Vernon. Here, the Stewart family started what is now known as the first tulip farm in the Skagit Valley.  It was called the Tulip Grange Bulb Farm.

After Mrs. Stewart’s husband Sam passed in 1972 at 69, the farm was sold to The American Bulb Company. Just 12 years later, the first tulip festival was held. (Meyers Signs, 2023)

Today, according to the Washington State University Skagit Valley Extension Service, 75% of tulips grown commercially come not from the Netherlands but right here in the Skagit Valley. With over 1000 acres and 75 million cut flowers, the tulip shows no sign of slowing down in popularity. (Washington State Cooperative Extension)

One can imagine that competition for tourist dollars is fierce during the tulip festival. So much so that recently a lawsuit was filed over competing farms not honoring understood rules of conduct over not trying to steal customers. (Stone, 2023)

Bad blood aside, the annual tulip festival is undoubtedly a draw for those who need to breathe in (at least with their eyes, as tulips are mostly fragrance-free) the first signs of spring. 

If you want to participate in the festival, plan to spend the entire day. The traffic jams are as legendary as the spectacle. Also, be prepared to pay to park in one of the many lots offered at each farm. While there is a bit of walking necessary to access the fields, handicap-friendly gardens are also offered at many of the venues.

For a complete list of the farms and a map on how best to plan your visit, please consider following this link https://www.parentmap.com/article/skagit-valley-tulip-festival-2023-family-guide

As you gaze at the incredible variety offered at each farm, look for the famous candy cane-colored tulips and remember that an entire economy almost collapsed due to its stunning beauty!

See you out there.

References

Alamy. (n.d.). Alamy. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from Stitsers Tulip Image: https://www.alamy.com/neha-tulip-book-p003-switsers-image402241673.html

Laskow, S. (2022, July 12). Atlas Obscura. Retrieved from The Most Beautiful Tulip in History Cost as Much as a House: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/semper-augustus-tulip-netherlands

Mental Itch. (n.d.). Mental Itch. Retrieved from The Strange and Unusual History of Tulip Mania: https://mentalitch.com/the-strange-and-unusual-history-of-tulip-mania/

Meyers Signs. (2023). Meyers Signs. Retrieved from Tales From the Magic Skagit: Our Lady of the Tulips: https://meyersign.com/2021/03/tales-from-the-magic-skagit-our-lady-of-the-tulips

Oakley, J. (2004, March 18). History Link. Retrieved from Skagit Valley-Thumbnail History: https://www.historylink.org/file/5663

Ryu, W.-S. (2017). Science Direct. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from Tulip Breaking Virus: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/tulip-breaking-virus

Stone, B. (2023, April 7). GoSkagit. Retrieved from Tulip Town sues new tulip garden, alleging deceptive practices: https://www.goskagit.com/growskagit/tulip-town-sues-new-tulip-garden-alleging-deceptive-practices

Univeristy of Leiden. (n.d.). Univeristy of Leiden. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from About: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en

Washington State Cooperative Extension. (n.d.). Washington State Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from Guided Tulip Tours: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/tulip-tours/

Bellingham / Whatcom County Real Estate Market Snapshot for April

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After years of a market strongly favoring sellers, Bellingham and Whatcom County are finally showing signs of returning to a more “historically normal” real estate market. Inventory is still low so challenges continue for buyers, but the crazy bidding wars that have plagued potential buyers over the past few years are fewer and farer between. Not every home is guaranteed to have multiple offers in the first weekend, and buyers aren’t always being forced to waive home inspections and financing contingencies.

Although low, the cycle of inventory remained predictable through the super hot market. There were June / July summer peaks and December / January winter lows for the number of new listings, total listings on market, pending sales, and closed sales. The number of days on market used to follow the inverse of the supply, with peak high days on market in the winter and lows in the summer. The chart above shows how that went out the window in the spring of 2020. The days on market barely varied over the course of the year. For sellers it didn’t matter when you put your house on the market; it was almost guaranteed to get snatched up in a few days at any time of year.

Things have shifted now that interest rates have increased. Days on market in the winter of 2022 / 2023 went back to the predictable cycle of years prior to 2020. The chart above showing median days on market per month for homes in Bellingham and Whatcom County looks a little like a heartbeat, except that in this example the “flatline” area was when the market was at its liveliest. The restarted beat shows that we have returned to normal, which in my opinion is healthy. The runaway appreciation we were experiencing was unsustainable, and made finding housing impossible for many people. I think we have returned to a period of moderate appreciation that should continue, unless we experience a nationwide recession.

Give me a call if you have questions about the market. I’m always happy to chat.

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