By: Blonde Two
At about three o’clock last night, down Devon way, it was quite a lot on the rainy side. I woke up just before the rain came and knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was going to start because I am a human barometer.
Let me explain – you know how in stories, old ladies always say “I can feel it in my bones”? Well since I broke my ankle, I actually can. I have worked out that my bad leg (still call it that even after four years) starts to throb just as a weather front goes over. This means that approximately 30 minutes or so after the first twinge, it starts to rain. Meteorologists feel free to point out the mistakes in my calculations here!
This is not quite the useful weather prediction tool that you might imagine it is. For a start, I often forget about the leg phenomena until it actually starts to rain. You know the feeling girls – you are grumpy and cry a lot for a couple of days and then realise that the whole, wide world is actually fine and Mr Month has come to visit again. Another issue is that the time I need to know about oncoming rain is when I am out on Dartmoor. As walking across Dartmoor makes my leg ache anyway, it is difficult to tell whether rain is on its way or not.
Take tonight (I am writing ahead again) as an example. It is 19.51 and I have just had a left leg twinge. I am sitting on the sofa so no exercise related pain … lets wait 30 minutes and see what happens …
20.08 – leg definitely murmuring at me but no rain yet…
20.15 – still no rain but I do need a wee…
20.20 – no rain, still aching and I really, really need a wee …
20.31 – oh no, am I broken, it is not raining at all …
21.07 – going out for a doggie bimble to check …
21.30 – back from bimble, no rain but very wet air, I think that counts …
I looked up an explanation and it is a bit complicated but basically to do with little pockets (trabecular) which, in a non-broken long bones have a standard negative pressure but in a broken then sealed bone, have a positive pressure. This means that when the barometer drops, there is more pressure on the inside of the bone than on the outside causing pain sensation in pressure sensors.
Blondes doing science? What is the world coming too? They will be letting us loose with a computer next …
Blonde science? Could be some interesting theories be they very confusing if that happened!
Blonde Science should be the name of our first motion picture I think …
I believe you!!! A friend of mine at Uni had been involved in a horrific car accident in which she broke just about everything including her back. One day she would be perfectly fine and sailing around in the Solent and the next she would be laid out flat on her back unable to move – all weather related.
Poor her, I hope she moved to somewhere with drier weather …
The Med as a sailing instructor/ oceanographer I think!!!
Fascinating .
I’ve met loads of folk who said they could feel it in their bones, but never heard an explanation before. Please wish six-foot and not-blonde-at-all happy birthday for me.
Is their any blonde explanation why some folk are always late and others always punctual? I reckon it’s because I was born late and I’ve been late ever since, never having been able to catch up.
Have fun!
More science – there are definitely late people and early people but I think you can change from early to late as you get busier … My sisterly experience suggests that there are also tidy and untidy people (50/50) split.
You must be joking Blonde Two? Don’t make me do science as well as computers! It will end in tears.