The Talisman

It's snowing again. By tomorrow afternoon we should be dealing with another eight inches. Another storm lines up for Wednesday.

Every winter people come up with reasons for the weather.

"I just bought new skis. Of course it isn't snowing," someone might confess ruefully in a year of mud and disappointment.

"I didn't bother to get snow tires this year. No wonder we're buried," another weather maker might say.

This year, the prime mover of the jet stream is a decorative plate that says, "Let it Snow," owned by a woman named Joan. She gets it out to decorate for Christmas every December. No one can say why it should suddenly start to work in such a big way now, but here's the story as reported to me by the director of the touring center.

Joan got out the plate in early December. Snow began. She left it out through the holiday as snow piled up. Then she put it away and a thaw hit hard. Half in jest, half in superstition, she got the plate back out. The snow resumed. It has continued almost without interruption. She has instructions to leave the plate up until after March 9 when the New England Nordic Ski Association will hold its J2 championships.

Thought you'd like to know.