The heavy rains have made a real mess of things all over the state.  In our area, rivers and brooks are running very high, many over their banks by this afternoon, but hopefully will be going down overnight as things freeze up a bit.  I measured almost two inches of rain at about 8:30 this morning (Thursday), and it has rained quite steadily most of today, so there could be another couple inches tomorrow morning - plus I should have some snow to measure.  

We had to go to Burlington this morning and the Winooski was running very high with lots of fields flooded along the way.  We later learned that portions of Route 2 were closed, along with other roads, but the interstate was high enough not to be effected.  Here is a map showing closures.  (Click here.) 
   
There was flooding in Lyndonville, Route 5 in St. Johnsbury Center area was closed this afternoon past Thurston & Dimick Auto Sales to Hospital Drive, the Passumpsic was over it's banks in St. Johnsbury so some of the folks at the businesses near the river like KATV where Jamie's office is left in the middle of the afternoon so they wouldn't be stranded, unable to get out, and the Lamoille way over it's banks in Hardwick flooding Dan Keene's auto business.  The pond has a lot of water in it, and more will be flowing in off the hillsides during tonight, but because it's in the 20s and expected to be in the teens by tomorrow, the flow should subside.  WCAX covered the flooding in tonight's broadcast.

I think the roads will probably be open by Saturday and most things will be back to normal so the Kingdom Animal Shelter Yard Sale can take place as scheduled.  If I hear otherwise, I'll let you know here.  Or give Nancy a call at 249-3199.
  
Andy Rudin sent these pictures of the spring flowers popping up at his home in Philadelphia - he wanted to cheer me up, knowing our weather has been pretty dreary lately.  It's nice to think about real spring coming and right now we are not looking forward to April showers, but some really warm sunshine would be nice to go along with the bare ground we have . . . but we know we have at least six weeks more of some kind of winter ahead of us before we see much of these kinds of buds happening.  Thanks to Andy, though.  I like thinking ahead to real spring.