Mercury Rising

Mercury Rising

Oh boy do we like to talk about the weather!  I always say that in the UK at least we’d be left speechless if the topic of the weather was ever removed as a conversational opener. If I had a pound for every greeting where “Hi…” was followed by a summary or a prognosis on the weather I would probably be lending money to the Bank of England.  It’s not without good reason as we often experience weather patterns that change more rapidly than an undecided Neutrino.

Me? I have never been happy.  Unlike Goldilocks’ porridge I will ALWAYS be desiring the opposite or at least a moderation of the temperature or weather pattern of the moment.  The occasional times when this has not been the case are as rare as ‘rocking horse droppings’  I really ought to be awarded an honorary degree in weather grumbling.

Yet I am fascinated by the planet Mercury.  Stepping from direct sunlight into shade on Earth is noticeable. Moving from ‘sunny side up’ to darkness involves extremes of temperature change that for me are staggering, given Mercury’s close proximity to the Sun.  So the next time I look at the thermometer and see the mercury rising I should pause and give thanks to Goldilocks….