Snow and So

 Snow and So

 First published in Column 8 on the 20^th June 1995 - this is a typical example of a hobby horse of mine. I’ve written about it on a number of occasions in a variety of places, public and private. For some info on references in the column, see below the article.

 By the time you read this we may have snow on the ground, or may have had it on the ground, or may still be expecting it…on the ground. Then again, none of the above may apply.

I’ve always held the theory that we only have snow in Dunedin – in the city area, at least – once every two years. And usually that consists of one good snowfall and it’s over and done with. We slush on for a day or two, then get back to normal.

Courtesy City of Literature site

Last year, I must admit, was a bit different: we had snow until it seemed as though it came every two
days rather than every two years. It even fell, without due consideration, during the 24 hour book sale.

Talking of which – and this is a tangent, in case you don’t guess – may I ask what constitutes a ‘special’ book at the Regent Book Sale? (The ‘special’ books are those that sell in the upstairs gallery area.)

I saw at least one book that was selling for 50c downstairs and $3 up. Both copies were in the same condition. A load of nonsense by Dame Edna Everage was included in the ‘special literature’ section. Car manuals seemed to be ‘special’ whatever state they were in, as was any book whose cover was disintegrating. The contents were irrelevant, but the state of the cover apparently gave it an archival air.

I don’t object to the organisers of the sale making a bit of extra cash by pricing books up, but at least let them be books that have some obvious value. The way it is now, it looks like someone’s gone round gathering up a book from here and a book from there, and dumped them upstairs.

‘Special’ books these ain’t.

Back to the snow. A workmate of mine once told me of a method by which her family had always gleaned when snow was due to arrive. This method was something I’d never heard of in all my 45 years (up until then) but I hear it so often now it seems current coinage. This is the idea that it will snow in the winter when the temperature goes up.

Not being a meteorologist, I can’t see the connection – and anyway, the method didn’t work this winter because we had endless warm days. However, I’m always interested in rule of thumb methods to work out what the weather’s going to do. We certainly can’t rely on the met office to tell us anything factual.

When you read that the spokesman for Blue Skies in Christchurch says that ‘if there’s a chance of severe weather it’s better to forecast it than not,’ then you wonder if they earned their degrees from varsity or off a barometer.

‘The incorrect forecasting is not due to a lack of funding or staff,’ said the met office spokesman, ‘but southern New Zealand’s mountainous nature.’ Between 80% and 85% of the forecasts were accurate, he claimed. (Blame the South Island again!)

I must only listen to the forecasts on the days they get it 15% to 20% wrong. But it isn’t just the forecasts. When I’m driving along the road on a bright and sunny Dunedin morning and listening to what the weather is suppose to be doing round the country, I more often than not hear: ‘Take your brolly – it’s raining in Dunedin.’

I long ago gave up listening seriously to weather forecasts, in spite of the fact that they’re heralded as an essential part of the news. I believe they’re only there to fill up air space or television time.

The weather forecasts are about as real as Shortland St or Neighbours, but apparently we have to have our daily fix of them, all the same.

My suspicion is that the met office people have something in common with those who pick the books for the ‘specials’ in the Regent Book Sale.

Both take something that’s not – and make it into something that is.

 

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Dunedin – largest city in Otago, but of the provinces of New Zealand, and situated in the South Island. As opposed to the equally prosaically-named North Island. There’s an ongoing rivalry between the two Islands, and the North not infrequently claims that the South has the worst weather.

The Regent Book Sale has been a longstanding secondhand book sale of considerable size that takes place annually. Up until recently it was held in the largest theatre in Dunedin, the Regent, a former cinema and now a live theatre. These days the sale takes place in the larger but far less interesting Edgar Centre.

‘Shortland St or Neighbours’ – the first the longest-running soap in New Zealand, the other an equally long-running Australian soap.