After a rather dry few months of fabulous North Idaho weather, the wet stuff is back in full force.

And the old farmer in me used to always be glad to see the moisture, but the gloomy, drizzly days of fall aren't a welcome sight to many of us.

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Yes, a steady drizzle, day after day, seems pretty worthless to me at times. Unlike my days on the farm, I now must do my fall cleanup between rainstorms (if possible), trying to gather soggy leaves and dead plant stalks, all while attempting to keep some warmth in my fingertips.

There aren't many things I get more jazzed about than dragging wet pine needles off my roof as a cloudburst drenches me. At least the rain cools the steam coming off me during such a dreaded activity.

The annual sprinkler blow-out is coming soon, propelling even more liquid up and onto my lawn. With such a soggy playing field, the days of playing ball with my dog are numbered.

Joey loves to chase his soccer ball the length of the yard, although the duration of the activity has decreased with his age. He's still eager, but not much for stamina. If born human, he would have no doubt made a great defender in his prime, since I can't seem to dribble past without him swooping in and poking the ball away from my feet. Maybe I'm just a bad dribbler ...

Just remember to bring the ol' boy back inside when it starts to downpour. That wet dog smell will linger longer than the Chicago Cubs' futility.

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So I've been trying to come up with some good that comes out of all this steady pitter-patter on the roof.

The ecology-minded collect all the rain they can in rain barrels hooked up to their downspouts. I first saw the practice when my grandparents had a series of Rubbermaid trash cans and a swivel pipe attached to their downspout in the back yard. They'd fill all the cans and then siphon out the water to use in their garden for as long at it would hold out during the summer.

Another nice thing about rain is it keeps my dark-colored truck clean. No more dusty coating covering my paint. Also it washes off your deck and patio areas.

And if you're just plain beat from an on-the-go summer, a few days parked on the couch while the rain beats down outside can recharge the batteries.

Families have an excuse to stay in and enjoy a little family time. Pull out the board games, pop in a DVD or just sit around the living room and see where the conversation takes you.

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Off the top of my head, that is about all I can come up with for the benefits of rain.

I'm sure there are more practical purposes. But unlike Gene Kelly, I won't be "singin' in the rain" anytime soon.

Now, cursing in the rain - that's a possibility.

When he doesn't have an umbrella in his hand, Jerry Hitchcock is a copy editor for The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176 Ext. 2017, or via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com.