Page 45 - Voices-2021-12
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FIELD NOTES
A Tall Tale: The Big Snow
Leanna LIndquist, DTM
Sam was born with a shovel in his hand. As He kept all the sidewalks and streets in his
a toddler he shoveled all the sand out of the hometown clear. Then the people bought snow
Mojave Desert. He threw it over his shoulder blowers and the town bought snowplows. Sam
and created the sand dunes on the Oregon Coast. and his shovel were no longer needed. One
As he grew, his shovel grew with him. One day winter day it started to snow. And it snowed,
after school he dug 1000 holes for the apple and it snowed, and it snowed. At first the
trees being planted at the farm down the road. snowblowers kept the sidewalks cleared so the
When Sam was a teenager, the engineer came kids could walk to school. The snowplows kept
to him. “Sam, I need to get the train across the the roads open so the mail could be delivered,
mountains in record time. Can you help me?” and the people could drive their cars. All was
Sam and his shovel boarded the train. They well until the morning the townspeople woke
shoveled coal into the boiler so fast, and the up to what has become known as The Big Snow.
train built up so much speed, that it almost flew Snow was everywhere. There was at least 8 feet
off the tracks. Sam and his shovel saved the day. of snow on all the roofs. The football stadium
Sam and his shovel were legendary. He at the high school was filled to the top of the
traveled all over the country and helped bleachers with snow. There was so much snow
wherever he was needed. During the big that people couldn’t get out of their houses.
Colorado forest fire, he dug a trench all around People couldn’t get into their garages to get
it. It was six-feet wide and six feet deep. It stopped their snow blowers. The city workers couldn’t
the fire in its tracks. When the Mississippi River get to their snowplows. The town was paralyzed.
threatened to flood, he dug a new riverbed all And it continued to snow. There was no end in
the way to Texas to divert the water. He saved sight. The townspeople cried out for Sam and
the towns along the river from flooding and his shovel. Only he could save them. Sam and
sent the much-needed water downstream. And his shovel got to work. They cleared the snow
he did it all in one day. There was nothing Sam from the sidewalks, and the streets, and the
liked better than to shovel. No job was too big roofs. The townspeople cheered. Sam and his
or too hard for Sam and his shovel. shovel had saved them. They got rid of their
Sam traveled the country with his shovel. snow blowers and their snowplows. They didn’t
He dug, he shoveled, and he filled. Whenever need them. They had Sam and his shovel. And
a shovel was needed Sam and his shovel were that is the story of The Big Snow.
there. Sam loved to shovel, especially snow.
VOICES! | DECEMBER 2021 45
