Trinity Beach today

Wandering along the beach this afternoon, I noticed a bluebottle a few meters out from shore. I stopped and looked at it for a moment, and thought about how it could wash onto the beach and sting someone.  A few steps later a wave washed in around my feet. I felt something snag on both my feet. Looking down, I saw another bluebottle and realised I had been stung.

There was no immediate pain. It took about thirty seconds before a sensation a bit like pins being pushed into my skin developed. It was only slight, though unpleasant. A little further down the beach I found one of the vinegar bottles put out by the sur lifesavers, and that seemed to do the trick.

I wandered on to the café with crashed with an iced chocolate and Supersense by Bruce Hood, which is about the psychology behind supernatural beliefs. It covers everything from our tendency to believe in mind-body dualism to people’s reluctance to wear a cardigan they have been told was owned by murderer Fred West. It’s an informative and at times very amusing read.

My feet experienced a few minor tingles from the sting, but nothing of any great note. No weal, rash or anything showed. It seems my first encounter with a bluebottle was a bit of a non-event. The photo of the bluebottle didn’t come out very well.