By Matt Frei BBC Washington correspondent

In the first of a series of regular columns, Matt Frei gives his own perspective on recent events in the United States.

Hurricane Isabel, the most anticipated storm in recent US meteorological history, had already slapped much of the coast of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.

Trees have the power to cut power

The president and his guest, King Abdullah of Jordan, had moved to Camp David a day early to avoid any large poplars that might crash into the Oval Office and I drove home through a deserted city.

Man-sized trunks blocked the roads, giant exposed roots mooned at me and torn branches littered the streets of a city that has far too many un-pruned trees. On stormy days the leafiness of Washington becomes a scary menace.

I had just returned home to be greeted by a horde of children yelping with the excitement of impending power cuts, torchlight processions to the basement and days off school, when I heard what sounded like a giant's fart.

Two minutes later the doorbell rang. It was my friendly neighbour Steve, who had come to inform me that a giant tree had fallen onto his favourite sculpture - a rendition of Venus - and crushed it into the clay soil as if it was being buried alive.

"I am so sorry," I said full of genuine regret, wondering why Steve had chosen to brave the 45mph winds just to seek the sympathy of a neighbour.

"It was your tree!" he continued. "The 60-footer at the end of your garden. We should talk about this!" Indeed.

As it happens I had already talked to my insurance company the day before. They had informed me that, somewhat bizarrely, a tree that falls from my property onto the neighbour's is his responsibility. And vice versa. If Steve's oak had crushed my porch then my insurance company would be coughing up, assuming that the trees involved were healthy.

There is nothing like seriously bad weather to bring out the civic spirit of America

I am happy to say that relations between me and Steve are still excellent and this was the only nervous moment in a week which otherwise brought out the best in the neighbours.

We all converged among the truncated trunks to discuss how long the power would be out, where to get dry ice, what to do about the phones and who would do the Starbucks run.

There is nothing like seriously bad weather to bring out the civic spirit of America. While they were comparing storm stories from other years I was complaining about the overhead power-lines, that hang like washing lines between the trees and are easy prey for any branches.

"How backward! How cheap!" I thundered. But my neighbours ignored me.

Washington may be the capital of the world's only superpower; it may be populated by impatient powerbrokers but in times of crisis no-one here seems to kick up a fuss. In my experience, Americans grin and bear it, just when you want them to get nasty.

Poll pall

A week without power meant a week without television at home, which provided a welcome break from the daily diet of talk shows and debates that are becoming compulsive viewing as the election campaign gets into gear.

This week Gallup published a poll which put the president's approval rating at 50, the lowest since he was elected.

No need to worry yet, Mr President

The White House clearly isn't happy. George Bush himself looked unusually nervous at the UN on Tuesday.

But history should offer some solace. At this stage in their presidency - three years into the first term - the following presidents fared worse than George W: Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and even Ronald Reagan.

Only two scored better: John F Kennedy, who was of course assassinated, and Mr Bush's father, who notched up an amazing 68% after his war against Saddam Hussein and then stormed on to lose the election.

Conclusion: it's early days. The polls are sobering but not terminal.

Bush Jr still has a Republican Party united behind him. He has no Ross Perot character to steal the vote of the right and he can raise more money than any candidate in history. He expects to clock up a staggering $170m and that's just for the primaries.

The fate of the president may well be decided in the sand of Iraq and on the job markets of Ohio and Illinois, but I suspect that the latest polls have actually galvanised the White House and its political guru Karl Rove into some feverish but laser-guided electioneering.

The one thing that this administration cannot be accused of is complacency. Here the son HAS learnt the lessons of the father.

California dreaming

We all breathe a sigh of relief: the recalled recall has been recalled.

Pack your shirt, the show goes on

The vote is on! So, it's pack your Hawaiian shirts, sun screen and off to California, where all you need now is the popcorn to enjoy the politics.

The first televised debate in which Arnie actually deigned to take part, sounded like a battle of the accents, as the Greek-born billionairess Arianna Huffington sniped with the Austrian-born bodybuilder, turned actor, turned aspiring politician.

Apparently the debate did more to make people wonder if any of the candidates could do a better job of running California than the incumbent.

Governor Davis, the man who didn't take part, emerged from the debate looking more confident than ever.