I've got a deep secret few people understand and even fewer will admit to sharing. It's time to tell the truth: I love the rain, deeply and passionately¹ and more than the Sun. At least I live in the right place, famous for its damp weather and spawning²（播种，大量生成） its own genuine rainforest. I can't imagine living anywhere else than the Pacific Northwest. The sun shines so infrequently that my friends forget where they put their sunglasses. Gloomy clouds cause many people around here to suffer from seasonal³ affective disorder⁴. Yet I welcome the rain.

Seattleites will say they like how rain keeps the city green, how clean the air tastes afterwards. My real reason for enjoying the rain is steeped in pure selfishness when it's mucky（脏的） outside, I don't have to do anything. I can spend the afternoon curled up reading, build a fire and make a big pot of spiced（五香的） tea. I can sleep in late, waking up occasionally to hear soothing⁵ patter on the roof, water racing⁶ down the gutter⁷. Nobody expects me to leave my house or do anything overly productive. Maybe I'll invite a few friends over to watch an old movie or play a board game. Friends' expectations are low and easy to meet.

Summer in Seattle is beautiful but exhausting. The sunny, gorgeous weather and blue skies draw Seattleites from their cozy⁸（舒适的） little homes, ready to dry out and have fun. People go hiking, biking, canoeing（划独木舟） . Folks work in their gardens, wash their cars and attend outdoor concerts in the park all in the same day! The effort involved to throw a party ratchets up（逐渐升高） several notches⁹, as people host barbecues and picnics and water-skiing parties.