Thursday Night Mowing League: Drought Conditions Grip Part Of The Nation

I can't believe it's raining outside

That's not me being sarcastic. That's me reacting to one of the driest years on records around here for mid-May to mid-June. As I type this, we're experiencing just our second round of rain since mid-May. It didn't even rain that day when the tornadoes went through NW Ohio. The moisture came down in the form of baseball-size hail and here at TNML HQ, it didn't even hail.

So, as you'd expect, it's extremely dry.

Why don't you water your lawn?

Because I love a beautiful yard, but I don't need it to look like Augusta National to get enjoyment out of the yard.

So we wait for days like today when the yard gets soaked.

Add it all up and I've mowed just once in the last 4-5 weeks. We've lived at this house for 13 years and this is without a doubt the driest it's ever been. Typically this time of year I can mow at 4" and the yard is lush heading into July 4.

Not this year unless we get ideal conditions -- fast.

2023 Week 9 National Mower of the Year Rankings

Also receiving votes: (T.S. Covey, It's Brian, Colt Bradford, Steve Day's wife, Sean C. in Granger, IN, Candler in Duluth, GA)

Last week's rankings

Sean C. was back at AEW this week and it instantly reminded me of when he had the league colors all over a broadcast back in 2021...someone beat this:

I know you guys hate the New York Times, but you might find this interesting -- MLB groundskeepers are crediting bans on shifts for turf growth and limiting dead spots

Oh, and MLB crew are using robot mowers.

Buy! Buy! Buy!

You guys asked for flags. Now we have flags.

TBH, I can't wait to put up one of these in the garage and I'm typically not a big put up things on the garage walls kind of guy.

Reports from around a very dry (in spots) United States:

• Sean C. in Granger, IN writes:

This one will be quick and dirty. After getting some rain and some cooler (and cloudier) weather over the last week or so, things are pretty green again. That, along with my aggressive sprinkler schedule. Heading out of town for the weekend, and it’s nice to know the mowing is done!

A couple years ago (in the infancy of the TNML), I got a chance to get my TNML shirt some TV time at AEW wrestling. I returned to the scene of the crime a couple times since last Thursday. Once on Saturday and then this past Wednesday. Didn’t have TV friendly seats, but I’m always repping the TNML gear at AEW events.

• Candler B. in Duluth, GA writes:

Joe- Unfortunately it’s been raining for several days in our area, so there’s not much to report other than a Thursday night washout. The family did come through with the TNML flag for Father’s Day, so that was huge. We’ll be back on it next week!

• Tim G. in the 419 writes:

Had a nice 4.5” cut on a beautiful cool Thursday evening. The grass is hanging in there considering how dry it has been in the 419. We are supposed to get rain on Friday - fingers crossed!

• Joel H. writes:

Joe, sending this via email because I keep my socials on private. Got a nice little mow in this evening. I appreciate all of the blower recs. Still haven’t pulled the trigger, but will definitely inform the group when I do.

• Rob in NC writes:

Joe looks like this Thursday is a travel day.  Just getting over 4.5 inches of rain and still chances this evening and tomorrow.  Well needed tho, in the mean time sent some pics of the Stable.  Houses the equipment/Blackstone/smoker and great add-on to the shed.  Anyways hopefully we will be back next week and looking forward to seeing some nasties on the report from the league tomorrow. Shout-outs:  SSRroofing&construction/Stihl/Nissan/Toro/beers..... Rob NC

• Jason Doan adds:

As I sit here on my patio watching LSU/Wake and look at my drought stricken yard, and random thought came to me. I look at my yard and see it starting to go dormant due to no rain in almost 6 weeks, however, just beyond my yard a cornfield sits. That corn has been growing inches a day for the last few weeks with zero rain. So my thoughts are this…these chemists at Bayer, Monsato, Dekalb etc that GMO the mess out of corn and soybeans to get the to grow in drought conditions.

Can we get them to do the same with a grass seed? Think of all the water not only us league members would save but golf courses across the country! I feel like the Screencaps/TNML community need to get on this and create this GMO grass seed that we can plant that grows with little water and stays green and is able to be striped to perfection!!

Commish:

Have any of you created the GMO grass seed that would turn you into a billionaire?