Category Archives: Musings

My Friend Walt

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

I have a lot of river friends, and someday I’ll probably tell you about them, but today I want to focus on just one. Last summer, I met an elderly man named Walt and his Chesapeake Retriever, Salem, who was … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, The river, Writing | Tagged | 4 Comments

A New Beginning

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

Some of you know that the last six years have been intensely stressful for me. I’ve always been a busy person, but for a long time I did my writing in the winter and my landscaping in the summer, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, The river, Writing | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Selfish, Lazy, and Irresponsible

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

When I take the Myers-Briggs test, I don’t get a definitive answer on any of the categories except Judge. That one, I peg. But I only recently realized it’s myself, more than anyone else, that I focus this judgment on. … Continue reading →

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One Last Hurrah

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

Nature has bestowed the Pacific Northwest with two last gorgeous, summer-like days. An opportunity to pay our proper respects to summer. I’ve seen the long-range forecast on my phone, viewed the ECMWF charts on Mark Nelsen’s weather blog, and read … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, The river | Tagged | 6 Comments

Feeding Cheese to Dogs

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

A few months ago, I hit upon an unexpected pleasure: providing dogs with treats. I always take a lunch/dinner to the river with me that includes cheese, lunchmeat, and crackers. Whenever I see my friend Jim’s dog, Katie, I give … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, The river | Tagged | 6 Comments

Swan Song, But With Geese

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

I’m writing by the river again, soaking in every glorious nuance because I’m all too aware this summer’s days are numbered. The first two years I came here, we had warm, lazy Septembers followed by those bonus days Western Oregon … Continue reading →

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My Happy Place

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

I’m sitting here at my favorite place, basking in the glory of a sunny, 83 degree day. The warm wind is blowing across my bare feet and legs as I watch a jetboat spin around on the river, and all … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, The river | Tagged | 2 Comments

Discovering Baby Groot

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

For years, there’s been a little stick of a tree in Rivervilla Park. Just a Charlie Brown sprout, maybe three feet tall. This spring, it disappeared, but a few small green shoots emerged in its place. While I was speculating … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Musings, The river | Tagged , | 4 Comments

A Quick Lesson in Not Shooting Ourselves in the Foot

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

Progressives need to realize something. Our use of language is hurting our cause. At a time when the odds are stacked so highly against us, we need to seek every possible advantage. This is just common sense. One of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, Politics | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Why I Can No Longer Stay Silent

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Lisa Nowak

I’ve tried to avoid politics and religion on social media for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it’s not good business. For another, there’s already far too much hatred and divisiveness in this country, and I prefer not to … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments