Pat Shingleton: "Rainbows and My First Weathercast..."
Trending News
As we enter the “rainbow season,” scientists have determined that the rainbow we enjoy is a combination of the reflection and refraction of light from millions of raindrops. Aristotle observed that all rainbows form at a 42-degree angle from an imaginary line extending from the sun through an observer's head. In 1637, French philosopher Rene Descartes theorized that sunlight is bent upon entering a droplet, reflects from the back of the drop and bends as it exits. Rainbows rely on the movement of the raindrops, the sun, and the location of the observer so no two people ever see the same rainbow. More than 40 years ago, Reimer-Gershin Associates in Chicago forwarded the late Carlton Cremeens my credentials and he flew me out of a snowstorm in Kansas City in March, 1976 to warm, springtime weather here. He and the late Tommie Gibbens not only gave me a tour of Baton Rouge but parked me on a bench at L.S.U. during class change and for a single guy it was an “eye-opening” experience. We enjoyed dinner at Don’s Seafood on Airline where Carlton ordered up a tray of food that I thought was bait. It was Mr. Gibbens who first told my wife, “Mabyn, I have a weatherman coming for you!” Ironically we had never met. Such great memories of “Chief”, “The Ole Beachcomber”, Maxine Crump, Ronnie Melancon, Morris Verlander, Chuckles Perrodin, Brenda Hodge, Jay Young, Jay Townsend, Johnny Voinche, Vernon Roger, Paully Gates and Grey Hammett. My first weathercast in B.R. was April 11, 1976.