Liveblogging the Valentine's Day Blizzard 2007 Con't. Yet Again

10:00 pm Lost update edition: American Idol has selected the final 24; Lost is starting; Ohio State beat Penn State; Mac hasn't ralphed for 6 hours; life is the way it should be. Mainelife out, until tomorrow sunrise edition.

8:44 pm We sincerely hope Jenny the heart-broken donkey comes to her senses tonight update edition:

PITTSFIELD, Maine --Jenny the donkey remains on the lam but her owners may be closer to corralling the incorrigible critter. Ever since she escaped on Jan. 18, the donkey has stymied efforts to get her back including tranquilizers and a horse whisperer.
The speculation is that Jenny has been roaming the woods behind the farm looking for a partner from whom she was separated at auction.
Gail Lever of Princeton, Mass., believes she has found the mate. Both donkeys -- Lever believes both are actually mules, the offspring of a jackass stud and a female horse -- were considered too ornery and were passed off to another owner.
Jenny went to Pittsfield to live with Joe Varricchio and Mary Gaeta. Isabella went to Lever, who found a home for her in Acworth, N.H.
As a last resort, Lever said she's thinking of putting Isabella in a trailer and bringing her to Pittsfield in hopes of luring Jenny back into the corral.
Lever believes Jenny and Isabella, who were likely lifelong companions and probably even sisters, have been heartbroken since the auction. "These animals bond and they become such close friends," Lever said.

7:48 pm It is Valentine's Day afterall update edition... A lovely rotini with homemade sauce with meatballs, a nice bottle of Seven Deadly Zins. For dessert, a wonderful bottle of rose champagne (tres so not Maine) and strawberries dipped in chocolate. Mac is no longer erupting and is issuing loud complaints regarding the withholding of his dinner, the Buckeyes are whipping the Nittany Lions, while we watch with a roaring fire.

Outside, we've watched one snowshoe' er get buried in a roadside drift and flounder helplessly for far too long (we were just getting ready to go help when he kind of flopped left into the road). There were a pack of cross country skiiers (four of the women from down the road) just before dusk, and not too long ago a rare snowmobile headed up the road to the empty field. Neighbor Dave has snowblowed (snowblew??) his driveway and the other neighbor's driveway three times today. He's slightly snow OCD. Other neighbor's husband is in Ecuador with the New Hampshire National Guard until Saturday.


6:07 pm Transportation Update Edition: Most flights out of the Portland Jetport are cancelled. Call ahead or check the online flight guide.
Maine Turnpike speed limit is 45 mph. You can check their roadcams at their link.
Greyhound has cancelled all buses out of Portland tonight. Amtrak is stopping trains to Maine and Vermont.
All Casco Bay Ferries are running (can you IMAGINE?)
You can check Maine Road Conditions here.
LL Bean employees should call in before heading to work.

Blizzard warning is still in effect. Midcoast Maine is above freezing and getting heavy rain. South and west of the midcoast it's very, very cold.
Barometric pressure is 29.06 in and still falling.
Seas are 16-20 feet.
A coastal flood alert is in place:

WHILE THE TIDE HEIGHT AT PORTLAND TONIGHT IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN WELL BELOW THE 12.0 FOOT FLOOD STAGE...THE COMBINATION OF STRONG ONSHORE WINDS GUSTING TO 60 MPH AND POUNDING SURF WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND SPLASHOVER IN PLACES LIKE CAMP ELLIS...GOOCHES BEACH...YORK BEACH AND RYE BEACH. HIGH TIDE OCCURS IN PORTLAND AT 843 PM TONIGHT.

IF YOU LIVE OR WORK NEAR A LOCATION SUSCEPTIBLE TO SPLASHOVER AND BEACH EROSION...BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON ROADS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE SHORE


5:19 pm Sorry for the live blog interruption. Had to do a little internet research. Google terms include "dog vomiting"; "dog throwing up"; "dog maalox" For the record, yes, you can give your barfing best friend maalox, but the emergency vet clinic (the Village Vet is closed, of course) doesn't really recommend it. Instead of our romantic Valentine's Day evening in front of the fire, we're going to be watching Mac the Dog like hawks and possibly braving the elements to drive him down to Portsmouth to the emergency vet clinic. Last time we went there, Spike set us back $695.00. But he's alive and well. Do not tell my father that I spent almost $700.00 to save a cat.

Anyway, forecast has changed yet again. We'll stay with snow the rest of the night and could get an additional 6-8 inches accumulation. Wind gusts up to 50 mph.



4:15 pm We've switched back to all snow. It's really coming down. We're off to shovel the front walk before the freezing rain starts.



3:49 pm


3:33 pm Comair has finally cancelled my flight. Outside, more of the same. I've lots of pictures to post, but blogger seems to be balking.