Each spring in the upper valley, as ice and snow melt, as the ground softens and the rain falls, residents need to brace their patience for mud season. There's no way around it if you're from these parts; somehow the mud will affect you. If you have kids or pets that play and run outside, expect to do more housecleaning and laundry -- and unless you like brown cars, be prepared to make regular coin drops at the local carwash, too.

I don't have kids or pets, so it's easier to prevent muddy messes. But this prevention comes at a cost: i stay inside. i came to the upper Valley to take advantage of the mountains, lakes, and trails, but during mud season, on the rare occasion that i do venture out of doors, I keep to the pavement or concrete. I don't enjoy being a couch potato, but unless I come to terms with mopping, vacuuming, and doing laundry, or until the mud dries out on the trails, I'll be experiencing the outdoors via the Discovery Channel.

federal disaster assistanCe is usually a loan that must be paid baCk with interest. to learn more go to floodsmart.com.

A more serious feature of mud season that some of us in New Hampshire and Vermont have to contend with is spring flooding. Snow and ice melt are common, often overlooked causes of flooding, and it only takes an inch of water to damage your property. If your property is prone to flooding, or even if there's only a slight chance your property could flood, you may want to consider flood insurance. Flood insurance is inexpensive compared to repaying federal disaster assistance -- which is usually a loan that must be paid back with interest.

By the time you read this, spring flooding probably isn't much of an issue, if it's still an issue at all -- I'm aware of that. But considering the heavy rain and flooding that struck the Upper Valley and surrounding area last summer and fall, and the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center's March 20th announcement that a major hurricane is likely to make landfall in the Northeast this summer, I figured a little information on flood insurance wouldn't hurt -- and might even save a reader or two from some major pain in the temples.