When I lived in Chicago for three months this fall, I often took walks from the loft where I lived toward the river, toward downtown. The scenery was tall Chicago buildings, stunning at night. The river is wide and fast moving but you have to make an effort to look at it when you cross the bridges. The scenery is definitely the cityscape.

The Spokesman-Review building is about 10 minutes from Riverfront Park and the rushing river. Several times a week, I take breaks from writing and stroll there, say hi to the river and stroll back. So this week, my first full week back in the newsroom, I visited. It felt like reuniting with an old friend.

"You're beautiful!" I said, as I snapped this photo on my cellphone.

At the end of our lives, I understand now, we will miss the landscapes and cityscapes in which we lived out our days. Hi Spokane River, old friend, your old friend is back in town.

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