Member-only story
How I became a Snow Sayer
Frozen rain and lines on maps — a poem and photo essay
I — Over the rainbow
It happened gradually and unintentionally. One day I realised I could tell when small ice crystals were going to fall from the sky and I began to share this cold tip with those around me. Folk were initially dubious, but when I proved to be right more than not, my reputation spread like a blizzard’s blanket. Sports coaches began to seek me out, particularly if there was a critical match coming up. Friends and neighbours would quietly ask the question almost before saying hello. Penguins and polar bears would…no, I’m kidding.
My first experience with snow was in 1961 and came about because I was a ‘paper boy’. (Bear with me.) I delivered newspapers for an afternoon daily, the Auckland Star. Six days a week I would collect my pile of folded-in-half, large, flat rags from the pick-up depot and load them into saddle bags. Then I would ride off on my route around the South Auckland suburb I lived in — much like the boy in this 1961 photo.
