I know that when it rains, or when the barometric pressure drops quickly enough, millions of people will feel it in their joints. Some will complain, some will take more medication, and some will just get on with the day. Most, however, will have a moment, rising from bed, when the heart is ready but the hips, knees, and ankles just won't do their job.
I have recently discovered this phenomenon occurs not just in humans, but in automobiles as well.
When it rains, our dear, dependable, 1997 Mazda often requires one or two minutes of key-turning to get its four pistons to fire up. It does not even have to rain on the car; it may be sitting in the carport. But apparently the 100% humidity in the air affects the ignition system, making response time sluggish.
Last week it rained for two days straight. And the Mazda, back-up car that it has become, sat undriven in the carport. On the third day Sara went to drive it and it would not start. Ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh, the cranking of the starter, with the occasional shudder of a few random firings--then nothing. So we let it sit.
The next day was warm and sunny. I pushed the Mazda out into the sun, opened the hood, and let it bask. Later that day, Sara started it up with no problem. I had begun to fear that its problem was progressive, and that we'd finally lost the car that has given us over 180,000 miles. But not yet.
When it rains, though, we will have to get the Mazda up from its sleep, massage the joints, and get it moving, lest we find it useless again after a rainy spell. It may be rusted, it may be well-worn with miles and adventures, and it may get a little stiff now and then. But with a little more attention, the Mazda will keep on keepin' on.
~ emrys
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