Under a Mackerel Sky

This mackerel sky today reminded me I was about 50 when I learned the name is due to the cloud pattern looking like the pattern on mackerel skin… not because it was when mackerel was caught which was what my big sister told me when I was about 7 and she was 9.

Of course I had to find out how Be My Ai on Be My Eyes would describe this photo and answer the follow up questions.

BME:- The image shows a suburban street scene under a sky filled with a pattern of small, fluffy clouds. The clouds are spread across the sky, creating a textured appearance. On the left side of the image, there are rows of brick houses with sloped roofs and chimneys. The houses have small front gardens bordered by hedges. On the right side, there are more houses and a few leafless trees, indicating it might be late autumn or winter. The street is lined with grass verges and a sidewalk, and there are a few cars parked along the road. The overall atmosphere is calm and residential.

Q:- What type of clouds are they?

BME:- The clouds in the image appear to be altocumulus clouds. These are characterized by their fluffy, white appearance and are often seen in a patchy, wave-like pattern across the sky.

Q:- What is the common name of this type of sky?

BME:- The common name for this type of sky, characterized by a pattern of altocumulus clouds, is a “mackerel sky.” This term is used because the clouds resemble the scales of a mackerel fish.

I had probably read the description in a story or article in a children’s magazine.

But I learned the truth in part 12 or 13 years ago when I asked a colleague what that fish was with “today’s cloud pattern” on its skin. The other part was looking up why it was called a mackerel sky and learning it was the pattern.

Have you ever “known” something for years and found out you’re incorrect? Until next time remembering innocent children making mistakes, and adults learning new things, and my colleague (a fishmonger) who didn’t belittle an adult raised on fishfingers and chip shop battered fish, learning what a fish was.