Thursday Night Mowing League: Is It Dry Across The United States Or Is It Just Me?

No wonder the mowing reports have dried up

Congratulations to those of you who've received rain and have grass that is growing. Here in NW Ohio, I can't remember the last time it rained. We've entered that stage of September where the local weather dorks aren't talking about the lack of rain because they're so focused on temperatures.

As you can see from the latest data, the key players in the TNML playoffs -- Nebraska, Illinois, Texas, Missouri, Indiana and even Ohio, are now dealing with extreme conditions with just one more week to go until we crown a champion for the 2023 season.

Take a look at the turf the Texas boys, Bradford & Holmgreen, are working with at this point in the year as the Lone Star state has gone through extreme drought. The football coaches are still laying stripes and the turf is still spectacular.

Here in Ohio, the local are just knocking down the tall stuff. I'd have to go back and look at the history books, but it feels like September is now our old August. It's dry, typically hot and once we get into a pattern where it's sunny, it stays sunny for two-week stretches -- until the air cools and the Great Lakes do their thing.

Today's lesson: Finish strong. Be a champion. Work through adversity. Be the hammer, as Coach Colt Bradford says.

This is why I do it...for messages like this one

• Scott S. writes:

Today may be the best day of summer. Had a rough summer with rotator cuff surgery July 2 then on July 29, an out-of-state driver blow through a stop sign and T-boned us.  We rolled three times and landed upside down totaling our Explorer with only 2,500 miles!

Put rehab back a couple of weeks but I needed to hit the last Thursday Night Mowing League of summer. I was able to mow for the first time after rotator cuff surgery and I did it with a smile.

Lines not the straightest but being able to do it with very little pain, makes for a good night.  My lovely bride of 39 years will be happy when she pulls in the driveway, realizing she does not have to mow will be a plus!  Happy wife, happy life!

Thanks for making TNML the success that it is!

Kinsey:

Get healthy, Scott, and come back strong in 2024. Keep looking forward. May the lines be straighter than ever in 2024.

Let's go to St. Helena, CA to take a look at the police call log:

Thank you for your service

I saw this while doing my due diligence on Google News while analyzing the current state of lawn mowing.

Come and take it, Colorado

This is an interesting pivot from the Colorado state health department. Why do I get the feeling in a year they'll say, well, we have new data and now we have to ban gas mowers?

Stay strong out there.

Remember: TNML doesn't care if you mow with a battery lawn mower. The league doesn't believe in government nerds getting involved in the business of telling randoms that they can't use a gas mower while these jerkoff politicians cruze around town in massive SUVs and vacation on yachts. Leave us alone.

BUY! BUY! BUY! The XLs are gone, but these shirts run small, so treat yourself to an XXL and cut off the label...trust me

Mowing Reports From Across The United States:

• Sean C. in Granger, IN writes:

I can’t believe we’re at the penultimate week of the 2023 TNML Season. But here we are. And, believe it or not, it took all season for me and my next-door neighbor to get on the same mowing schedule. Almost all season, we were off by a half week.

Given, he has a mowing service, but for a day or two every week, one of our lawns looked a lot longer than the other. It was bad symmetry. But for whatever reason, his service has been getting things done on Thursdays while I’m at work. Hopefully that will continue into next year. My old neighbor was a former military guy. I think he mowed every day.

He got a haircut once a week, and mowed every day. He kept me motivated. Even before the TNML was formed Circa 2021, he kept me on my toes.

So for the 2nd time in 3 years, I’m dealing with grubworms here at the end of the season. According to my fertilizer guy, I can treat them now, then again in the spring.

But the problem now is, I don’t think I’ll have enough time to grow new grass before it gets too cold. They’re just small, 6-8” diameter patches right now, but a couple spots are at the sidewalk. It’s not a good look. Hopefully not too many members have this issue.

I got myself some nice edge work in this week. You can kinda see one of those grub worm patches in sun spot in the yard.

Good luck to all as we head into the final week next week!

• Tim G. in the 419 writes:

One of my shortest mows in history. Only took 20 minutes or so to knock down a section of my field that hasn’t been mowed in nearly a month. None of the other 5 acres needs mowed at all. Don’t think we had measurable rain yet in September here in Allen County, Ohio. Still enjoyed a beautiful 80-degree evening on my Exmark and now off to enjoy some Yuengling Light on the deck!