I got my first real welcome back to Seattle this week: I had to climb up an extension ladder on a cold wet night and clean out my gutters. Were are expecting a big rain and I had a clogged downspout. I don’t want overflowing gutters to cause roof or basement water issues, so up I went. They joys of home-ownership.

The dogs looked at me from the inside of the warm house like I was in trouble for something – they were all smug and cuddled up with Stamps-With-Foot in a nest/chair.