Before I was born, Emmett Watson was writing for Seattle newspapers. He began as a sports writer, but eventually became known nation-wide as a sort of guardian of the way of life in Seattle. While the pundits made increasing effort to attract people to Seattle, Watson became the champion of Lesser Seattle, and gained a reputation as a curmudgeon. His columns were tongue-in-cheek, but he frequently made his point by suggesting ways to make visitors feel unwelcome so they wouldnt get the idea of moving here. My mother was a big fan. She taught her children to always mention how bad the rain was whenever we wrote letters to friends or relatives (yes, we wrote actual letters in the 50s, 60s, and 70s!). I think Seattles reputation for being a city constantly suffering rain came about directly as a result of our letters! There are many cities in America that get, not only more rain, but more rainy days. Still, when Seattle is mentioned, people who have never been here ask, Doesnt it rain there all the time? Well, yes. We do have a lot of gloomy days. Last year we had a record number of rainy days-9 months in a row. And I have to admit that I let people believe how horrible the weather is because Im a secret member of the Lesser Seattle Club. What else can we do about all this traffic? Out loud I will join right in with those who are whining about our miserable weather. But inside, Im pretty content (its good to have a warm dry house to live in!). And oh yes, I do escape to Arizona once or twice a year. #