Happy Tuesday,

This winter’s heavy snow and this spring’s heavy rain continue to cause some pretty serious damage in Vermont. It was one of the worst mud seasons in memory, but spring of 2011 will probably be remembered around here for Lake Champlain’s record flood that’s inundating so many communities close to its shore.

The lake’s level has trended upward for years, and I can’t help but wonder if the tens of thousands of acres of paved parking lots and other development isn’t at least partially to blame. Sure, we’ve had a lot of precipitation, but with so much of our formerly open space now paved over, there’s simply much more runoff than ever before. Thankfully, the water is retreating, but the real costs of the flooding remain to be seen.

Of course, the floods here are nothing in comparison to those along the Mississippi River. Our hearts go out to the victims there and here in Vermont.

Last weekend’s warm weather was certainly refreshing, and the sound of lawnmowers and smell of chlorophyll combined with budding trees and flowering azaleas put a big smile on my face. It’s about time.

As always, thanks for reading.

Matt
matt@smalldog.com