Cue music... Roll video tape open, announcer cue... This is a Northwest News Channel 8 BREAKING NEWS! Less than 3 weeks left in most schools summer vacation. Less than 3 weeks left until the start of parents vacation! Yippee! Daughter Karen, and here friends, the kids I always see in the kitchen and in our refrigerator when I get home, are in a funk. ( don't those kids have there own refrigerators to eat from?) School starts in a few weeks and they're not happy. At the same time I've noticed mood swing among parents on our street. A noticable upbeat mood. Hmmm could to two be linked? I think so.

True the last full month of summer vacation has not been great. Monday's temperatures were only in the 60's and rain was plentiful. .13" of an inch at PDX, .32" in Troutdale & Scappoose had a frog choking .58". The rainfall amounts here last 24 are a drop in the bucket compared to what Hurricane Dean is dumping on Mexico.

Hurricane Dean has already dumped up to 10" of rain today over the Yucatan Peninnsula. Winds were 150+ mph when it came ashore near Costa Maya. Dean will gather regain strength when it moves over warm gulf waters tonight. Wednesday morning is will hit Mexico again near Tuxpan, likely a category 2 hurricane.

The United States mainland dodged Dean but the storm season is still young. Hurricane season doesn't offically end until December 1st.

Dave