“I’m abit under the weather,” is a common expression
we Brits use. As a nation, we are obsessed by the weather, and it’s the most
common topic of conversation. Being taught that we have an equable climate
here, it comes as something of a surprise to me to find that in recent years,
this no longer appears to be true, and I wonder if schoolchildren in 2014 are
still being told this ‘fact’.
"Since 2007, we have had several severe,
nationwide flooding and storm crises, and in the last twelve months, there have
been two such major incidents. Some areas have been under water since December
2013, and many home owners had no electricity for days over the Christmas
period. So far, 2014 has been a miserable, desperate year for many of us.
In the little town of Dawlish, Devon, a
popular holiday destination on the picturesque south coast, huge waves washed
away the railway line, in unprecedented storms, and the farmers on the Somerset
Levels, have been forced to abandon their farmsteads and evacuate their
livestock.
And there is no let up, as forecasters
inform us that there are weeks and weeks of it to come.
One of the side effects that we don’t think
about is disease. This came home to me in a big (and expensive) way, when my
little dog and precious companion, Millie was taken ill last Saturday, with a
horrible sickness bug. A visit to the vet was imperative, given her condition.
She ended up having to be admitted, put on a drip, having X rays and
antibiotics. Thankfully, she is now back home with me, but our vet informed me
that they had had many such problems due to the weather, and the fields where
we dog walkers exercise our pets, being awash with sewage and other noxious and
undesirable organisms, lurking in the stagnant water.
Almost three weeks ago, I became aware that
my hearing, in one ear was failing. I did all the usual things and tried
traditional remedies, like drops and syringing, but all to no avail. The doc
put me on decongestants and steroids, but so far, there has been no
improvement, and his opinion is that it is a deep-seated infection in the
Eustachian tubes. All-in-all, it is a very depressing and tedious situation. So
you see, when we Brits complain about the weather, I hope you will understand
that we aren’t just being grouchy and negative, but, that with good reason, we really are feeling under the weather."
Penny across the pond
