It is a classic children's book but not a happy reality when gale-force winds of 40-45 mph rage out through your Willows for more than ten hours. Then the Willows had to suffer gusts that must have been close to 70 mph, compounded by many inches of rain! (I have to say our house was rather sound. It didn’t tilt or shudder like the trees did; however, it did present us with some leaks.)

(If you don’t have a copy of ‘The Wind in the Willows’ and want to read it, it's available online at http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/GraWind.html.)