Before moving to Spokane, Washington, I lived on a river in southwest FL.
- Instead of steelhead, suckerfish, and trout, both of us had water moccasins, lizards, and alligators.
There are even crocodiles in some of the swamps in my hometown now, but they hadn’t migrated that far north until recently. As weird as it may seem, both of us didn’t fear swimming in the river when both of us were growing up. We consistently swam in groups and stayed close to the shore. Most alligators are more afraid of humans than humans are of them. The depressing fact is that it was the rampant pollution in this state over the past few decades that made our lovely river unsafe to swim in for any extended phase of time. The runoff from chemicals used in agriculture and mining are having serious repercussions of the natural environment here. Moving to Spokane was a literal breath of fresh air—so much that I don’t ever want to leave! The crisp mountain air is indescribable if you’ve never experienced it before. Just love in my hometown, a grand river cuts through the heart of Spokane, the Spokane River. Some winters the weather gets so freezing that portions of the Spokane River freeze near the Spokane Falls at the Monroe Street Bridge and the Upper Spokane Falls at the Post Street Bridge. If it’s downside 20 degrees outside, you’re very going to assume it as much as you see it in the frozen scenery around you. I love to bundle up at cabin with the heat on at full blast, savoring my indoor oasis in the Washington Wintertide blast.