In which rain is cheaper than counselling and just as effective

Say what you like about washout weather such as the stuff we've been getting here in Southern Ontario where it has rained so much recently, Seattle was on the phone to congratulate us - say what you like - crap weather doesn't half make you a) inventive b) personable towards family members who find themselves in the same 'boat'.

I was talking to my immediate family in whole sentences; hell I was talking full stop.

I had planned on a weekend weaving in and out of Niagara vineyards with my other half and nipper, lost in a hazy soft focus ever-so-slightly wine induced buzz followed perhaps by a leisurely and uninterrupted newspaper foray in the backyard the following morning and the most precious of commodities - having hopefully tired the nipper out the day before: a lie-in.

But instead, Monsieur Climate Change, the finicky so & so was having none of it. How dare the human become so smug and complacent as to think that warm weather is the only side effect of the Green House effect? For faffing about on the Kyoto Agreement, North America will be punished in Old Testament style - ungrateful wastrels!

Meanwhile back at pajama centrale, the family sat down for a big breakfast when it might otherwise have been fastening bicycle clips. This was followed by hours of - I believe the technical term is - conversation as we watch animals dash past the window - 2 by 2 on their way to Noah's Ark, or perhaps that was just the effects of too many Strawberry Daiquiris and cabin fever combined.

One brave soul then ventured out, armed with flesh shaved off the buttock area of a sodden corpse, to Blockbusters. Thus started the DVD-a-thon that lasted into the wee hours of the next day.

The following day took pretty much the same format with a wise swap-out of Daquiris for family puzzles, the after effects of which one is still suffering from 5 days later.

All in all, though we lived in the same clothes for 48 hours, it was a thoroughly civil and bonding affair. So rain all you like Ontario.

Ok, maybe not but you get my drift. Off to Spain next. Let's see what the effects of constant sun will be.