Rain, Rain, Go Away

We all want to play - not just Little Arthur, as this illustration from William Wallace Denslow suggests. But May and June have been rainy months and our traditional view is that these are our DRY months, thus adding to our general sense of malaise. Our plans for golf and gardening and hiking are put off and those who look toward the future are already moaning about winter coming with no break from the weather. The best thing that can be said is that the weather - which affects all of us - is a unifying factor. The rain falls on all of us and I know no one who exults in it. We can't even say it is good for the farmers as we have none here. The nice thing about weather as a topic for conversation is that, unlike religion and politics, it excites no raging conflicts. The only rage is some fist shaking aimed toward the gray sky. The weather is testing our mettle, as usual. Perhaps that is why we have such an abundance of stamina here as well as vigorous character. So you see, the continual rainy weather is a good thing...