The weather is one thing, where I live, that is consistent. It is one of the attractions about living here. The tourist information about Wenatchee talks at once about the 300 days of sun each year, and the regular, consistent four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Rarely does the weather 'step out of line' or not follow the typical patterns of this climate. Yesterday, however, was a different story. The first thing that made me realize that something was different was that, at six o'clock in the morning, the birds were not singing. Usually they are making a terrible racket at that time. I could hear, instead, the whooshing noise of the wind, and a buffeting or banging as it was hitting the house. I was immediately reminded of the poem 'Wind' by Ted Hughes, but I could hear my kids getting up, so I didn't have time to dream about poetry. As I pulled out of the driveway, I saw that most of the asphalt of the cul-de-sac was under water. The trees were being thrown around by the wind, and the rain poured heavily without stopping. The children were excited at the change in weather. It makes the day interesting, after all. "We must make cookies today, after school," I said. "Yes, and have a fire too," replied one of the children. The idea of getting cosy on a day like today is the fun part of bad weather. 50 mile an hour winds were recorded, and continued to blow most of the day. The baseball game was cancelled, and nobody was out on the street. Our warm front was over for a while, now that a cold one had moved in. C'est la vie! I annoyed a few people by telling them that I love the rain, but it's true. It's in my genes. Well, by evening, the storm had blown itself out, and everything was soggy and still. No harm done, just a good reminder that we can never get too complacent about our consistent climate.

Grammar notes.

Combining similar consonants from the ends and beginnings of words + related vocabulary: to step out of line, a racket, to buffet, soggy.

1. If that employee steps out of line and behaves badly again, no way will he keep his job. (1 n's)

2. The birds were making such a racket today; I'll be glad when Spring is over. (1 t's)

3. The wind buffets the house so much that the walls seem to shake. (2 s's).

4. After your walk, could you please take off your shoes and socks; they will be dirty and soggy, and I don't want to get the carpet dirty. (1 k/c's) (1 t's).