Bellingham’s lights twinkle up toward King Mountain in the cold night air. What a city!

Best wishes to all for a safe and happy New Year’s celebration! Here’s to a wonderful 2010!

If you’re not sure where to get your Christmas lights fix in Whatcom County — look no further than the James Street Estates, a manufactured home community between King Mountain and Mount Baker neighborhoods (from the Guide Meridian, take Bakerview Road to James Street, and take a right. You’ll see the sign for James Street Estates on your left just past the Christmas Tree stand).

Most homes in this little community are decorated with sparkling lights and Christmas decorations, perfect to get you into that holiday mood!

For more information on this year’s Jingle Bell Swim to support the Bellingham Arthritis Foundation, as well as information about the fabulous Bellingham Athletic Club, please visit the LiveInThePacificNW blog!

Above, L-R, BAC owner Kathy Buckley, water aerobics instructor Jill Robertson, and me!

Here’s a few photos of me with my water-aerobic friends Donna and Smitty, also known as the Back-of-the-Pool Gang!

Today marks the shortest day of the year — in Bellingham, the sun will rise at 8:00 a.m. and set at 4:15 p.m., giving plenty of time for the moon to shine.

The good news: from here on out, each day will get a little more daylight than the last, until summer solstice.

Each season here in The Pacific Northwest has its own beauty to offer, and residents of this great part of the world celebrate its unique offerings year-round.  To find your own home in this wonderful community, feel free to take a look at my free Northwest MLS search.

One way to truly enjoy the beauty of winter is to hop in the car and take a drive up to Mount Baker.  The road is usually quite easy to travel since there are so many people headed up to the slopes.

Be sure to bring your camera . . . there are several places to stop the car and take a look at all that Pacific Northwest beauty!

People who live in the Mount Baker neighborhood in Bellingham are just a short drive away from the mountain’s pristine peaks!  To find a home in the Mount Baker neighborhood, take a look at my free, no-hassle Northwest MLS search!

Whatcom County received its first dusting of snow this past week, and while accumulations weren’t enough to disrupt school and work too much, it sure was pretty around here!

Whether you live in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, or San Juan county, I hope you’re enjoying winter and the beauty of the holiday season here in The Pacific Northwest!

Caught this photo of frozen spider webs on a chilly Bellingham morning and couldn’t wait to share it with you!

Pacific Northwest residents agree — there’s no prettier place to live (in Winter OR Summer) than Western Washington! To find your own dream home in our beautiful corner of the world, contact me or feel free to look around my free Pacific Northwest MLS search.

It’s not a given that we see too many crisp, sunny days like this here in Western Washington in December, so we Pacific Northwest residents tend to take full advantage of days like today. From putting up Christmas lights on your Pacific Northwest home, to clearing out the rain gutters, or doing a little Christmas shopping in Downtown Bellingham or over at Bellis Fair in the Meridian neighborhood, I hope you’ll take a moment to get out into the sunshine while it’s here!