During the blogging workshop this morning put on by Jeff Gish and Pia Hallenberg Christensen, I met a young man who was new to Spokane. We chatted about what brought him here and I thought about having lived in Spokane all my life. I remember saying when I left, check out the Spokane River.

When I think about Spokane, what I love is the river.

I’ve walked the Spokane River for nearly 30 years now.  Originally I walked near Gonzaga University and now in Peaceful Valley where I live.

Domingo, my Cairn terrier mix and I love the walk to People’s Park. We walk across the Sanifer Bridge and I delight in feeling the water mist up on my skin.  A cacophony of birds lead us deeper in the park where Latah Creek intersects with the Spokane River.  The creek, also known as Hangman Creek changes seasonally from being like a rolling river, to a frozen lake and in late summer to a few puddles you can walk across. My favorite time is in the early spring when the frozen creek breaks and 6-inch ice chucks feed the river.

The Spokane River is a photographer’s dream!

Latah, or Hangman Creek is an area where the Spokane Indians used to camp. My friends, Bill Kostelec, The Blue Ribbon Tea Company wrote a song, The Pride of Vinegar Flats about this.

Enough writing, we’re going for a walk!