Apparently Mother Nature has decided to make up for the unusually dry Mountain Area winter with April shower after shower.
    Many area residents who have lived in the mountains for years say this is the most unusual "spring in years.
    By 8 a.m. three inches of snow has fallen in the Redwood Creek area; the Coarsegold area had received .39 inches of rain, while Oakhurst received a half-inch .
    In Yosemite, Highway 41 was closed from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. because of a wreck. Details of that crash were not available.
    Snow steadily fell throughout the day, with no totals available. However, on Tuesday, Yosemite Valley had about five inches of snow, which melted off during the day's temperature of 45 degrees.
    As the week edges closer to the weekend, the forecast for Thursday was occasional rain, cold winds, with snow at the lower elevations of 2,000 feet.
    The showers were expected to end that evening, with overnight temperatures ranging from the upper teens to the 20s.
    Friday should be clear with day temperatures in the high 30s to the lower 50s.
    Then on Saturday, it is predicted that the clouds will return, with rain showers likely through Sunday.
    If this is "spring, what can be expect of summer?

    A community blood drive will be held Monday [April 12] as the bloodmobile visits Oakhurst.
    The bloodmobile will be parked at Sierra Tel Business Center in Old Mill Village center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
    "The blood drive comes at a critical time when the Central California Blood Center has issued an appeal to the community to boost a blood supply that stands at a vulnerable level, says Gaye Leonard, the center's director of community relations and development.
    "This is a demanding time of year for blood products, says Ms. Leonard. "In addition to the needs of patients undergoing surgeries, we must also be prepared for the unexpected tragedies that can come from an increase in seasonal conditions that can be dangerous.

    A couple of bravehearted teens, Jillian Miller and Savanah Taylor, spontaneously sang before their appreciative peers. Jennifer St. Laurent, a Yosemite High senior, talked about the positive changes she has made in her brief life - transitioning from an Ahwahnee Alternative student to a 4.0 YHS student.
    Nervously, others dared to dance the Macareña. Some parents, too, got into the act, twisting and shaking to some of the more-popular oldies.
    For those seeking further information, pamphlets and newsletters were fanned out on a table. For those who had worked up an appetite, munchies included cookies, fruits and sodas.