SouthboundYank

I've become a tad obsessed with photographing mammatus clouds in recent years...we seem to see them a lot in these parts, either just before or after a thunderstorm rolls through. They create some of the coolest textures in the skies.

LOL, I was thinking this morning that same thought about THIS afternoon -- since Fri/Sat/Sun appear to be not-good mowing days, wanted to get the backyard done this afternoon before showers hit (hopefully to last through early next week), and front yard done tomorrow afternoon before the weekend rain arrives. And sure enough...I finished at 2:45, and very light rain started here about 10 min later. Getting even darker now with some heavier returns on radar just to our west...wind picking up a bit as well.

Good question! For the mid-sized Midland radios I mentioned buying twice, the first WR400's backlighting failed (not a deal breaker) and then the siren/alert capability died shortly thereafter (though the radio transmission itself still worked). The second WR400, radio itself simply stopped receiving, period, after two years -- out of the 6-7 frequencies that are preprogrammed to receive automated wx forecasts, all of them simply played static. No amount of radio placement or antenna adjustments worked at all...radio just stopped receiving. I probably just got two lemons. Just received and set up the smaller WR120B yesterday...one nice upgrade Midland includes now is that you can simply select your state/county for SAME alerts right in the radio settings, and you don't have to go look up your county code on the internet and then "type" it in manually. Also, forgot how LOUD the siren is, damn.

As you're likely aware, Midland has cornered the wx radio market. I've bought Midland wx radios for the past 20 or so years, and their lifespan tends to be in the 2-5 year timespan. I tried a Reecom wx radio several years ago for something different and it only lasted a year...so I'm back to considering the Midland brand. My requirements for a wx radio are pretty simple -- 1) program S.A.M.E. codes based on specific (e.g., tornado, severe t-storm, snow, etc.) watch/warning alerts for for counties of my choosing, 2) ability to plug it into a wall, preferably with battery backup, and 3) built-in "siren" for when watches/warnings are issued. Bottom line -- if there's a severe t-storm or tornado warning in the middle of the night, I WANT to be woken up by a siren, no matter how jarring that may be. Here's what I narrowed down to (and sorry in advance for all of the embedded Amazon links): 1st choice, Midland WR120B -- Meets my basic req's listed above, cheapest S.A.M.E. code-capable wx radio out there (~$35), fairly well reviewed; quality on Midland wx radios is variable so I don't want to make the "bigger" investment this time. 2nd choice, Midland WR400 -- The bigger cousin to the WR120B, with an upgraded screen and "fluffy" extras like AM/FM radio and alarm clock, all coming in ~$70; I've purchased this model twice in the past 15 or so years, first unit lasted about 4 years and the second unit lasted about 2 years. When they work, they work well. I don't care about the fluffy extras but the white-on-black screen upgrade on this current model is nicer than the previous WR400 units I had...but that's not enough (for me) to pony up the extra $40 this time for the simpler WR120B model this time around. 3rd choice, Midland ER310 -- Including this as it's a more capable "emergency" radio, with (limited) solar charging and battery crank included, also portability a plus, BUT...no S.A.M.E. coding capability onboard. This one would be a great travel/camping/hiking choice if you and your fam engage in any of those activities, although it's pricier at ~$60. Now that I've documented all of this...going to drop that WR120B into my Amazon cart and get it delivered this week. Been putting off too long.

Just moved in here...very heavy rain, gusty winds but only a bit of lightning, although the beefier returns with more lightning are just to our SW and moving this way. If nothing else...shouldn't have to water the new sod this evening.

Adding to the list, @CAPE...that Utopia sounded incredible. Although I feel like I might only be able to find those at the mothership in Rehoboth. I'm assuming that four-pack is all gone by now... Here are some of our favorite new tries from the past couple of weeks -- the Solace/Ocelot collab? THAT was an immediate buy, based on the label alone...my sons and I are tremendous Archer fans. However, we are also big Solace AND Ocelot brewery fans and this IPA did not disappoint. Extra kudos on them for securing the Archer licensing and getting Sterling and Baboo on the label...they fit perfectly. The Three Notch'd Dreamsicle was GREAT in my estimation, nice balance of vanilla and orange...not so much in my wife's estimation, but then again, she's not a huge fan of citrus flavors in beer. Finally, the Aslin milk stout is probably the best balance I've ever tasted in a peanut butter/chocolate stout...not a high ABV, so a good choice for a "dessert beer."

Absolutely! This morning's STW reminded me that severe season is pretty much here...and I need to get off my arse and order a radio. I have several models saved on Amazon, but I'll let you know what I narrow the selection down to.

LOL. ALEXA just alerted me, and I see no sign of it (yet) on LWX's page. And you just reminded me...I MUST replace my wx radio that died last year. :/

89 IMBY. Wowzers.

Got down to 33 and I'm glad that's as low as it went...we might actually have a full (and non-freeze-burned) set of blossoms on our pink dogwood this season, for the first time in many years.

What a great capture. I'm guessing this particular person MIGHT be a chaser and therefore using more professional equipment, however...most of the cell phones that most of us carry (especially iPhones) are capable of doing captures like this, and it seems like we get a lot more recordings of wx events in recent years because of these technological advances. I'm here for it.

Yeah, I noticed the smell yesterday while on Fort Belvoir...very slightly, anyway. Apparently, though, some of the more hyped-up Fairfax County parents took notice, freaked out, alerted FCPS school officials, and schools were keeping students inside for recess yesterday. For a light bonfire smell.

This is what truly scares the crap out of me...we took a day trip on Saturday, and I was astounded at how many folks ON THE INTERSTATES were weaving/bobbing on the road, and (no surprise) were head-down on their damn phones. I'm somewhat guilty in this regard, but FFS, if I have to take a call I'll do so through my car's Bluetooth connection to stay focused on the road, and if I'm THAT compelled to answer a text I'll DICTATE it via Google Assistant. I'm truly surprised there aren't more accidents. Thank you @Always in Zugzwang for the common b'day wish -- you always remember! -- and TY to others for the well wishes. I can honestly say that most of my birthdays have not been as memorable as some of yours, with the exception of when we were out of town, four hours away, for my birthday seven years ago...and I got the call early that morning from the vet/kennel where our 10-year old Labrador retriever was boarding. He had developed stomach bloat overnight, and it had become so severe that there was no viable options to comfortably extend his life beyond that. He was sedated but in a lot of agony...and I had to make the long-distance/remote decision to have the vet euthanize our four-legged friend. To keep him alive for another four hours so we could be there would've been agonizing for him, and as much as we loved him and wanted to say goodbye, I couldn't put him through that. Thank heaven, we had a wonderful neighbor who was great friends with him, who went to the vet to be with him while he slipped away. Worst...birthday...ever. Adding THIS one to the list....thanks, @CAPE! Oh, dude....the stories I've heard this week about exploded (or imploded!) brackets. And yeah, I notice that the folks who just kinda throw the bracket together on a whim (like your partner) tend to have the best luck...

So, BOTH of my parents (and particularly my mother), used to literally SCREAM at me while giving me driving lessons back in the mid-late 80s -- "DON'T you dare look back over your shoulder(s), and ONLY use your mirrors!!!" Patently, NO. Sorry. I pushed back on that back then (and sometimes lost my driving privileges with my parents' cars because of my "insolence"), and I continue to do so today. And like @H2O, I absolutely refused to teach my sons my parents' fool-hardy approach, when they were learning to drive in the DMV a decade or so ago. You can still safely take a half-second glance back over EITHER one of your shoulders to switch lanes...and you NEED to in a major metro area, with the kind of traffic that we all have to deal with, from way north of Baltimore, to way south of Richmond.

That is horrific...

I love when you two in particular, speak of NVSL-related stuff...because it makes me that much happier that my family and myself are OUT. OF. ALL. OF. THAT. NOW. My sons are 28 and 26 now...they both started swimming from just shortly after they could walk, and joined the neighborhood summer team both when they turned 6-7 years old, and then stuck with it until the end of HS. The older one was focused on lacrosse and stuck with summer swim purely as a social event; the younger one enjoyed far more successes early on with summer swim, which parlayed into year-round club swimming in middle school, which led to participating in national events (and the intermittent pressure of national rankings which come along with that), which led to...TOTAL burn-out by the end of HS. And despite recruiting with several D1/D2 schools for swimming, our youngest son was in near-tears when he told his mom and I at the end of VA states in his HS senior year: "I just don't think I can swim in college...or maybe at all anymore." And sadly, that WAS the last that he swam competitively. I don't ask about it anymore, even at 26, because it's a tender subject with him...I feel like he let us down as parents, and (maybe?) others who supported him over the years. I share all of that to say this -- simply try to enjoy the summer and your neighborhood pools, and any of the social benefits that stem from that. Folks rarely do that anymore...I feel like overbearing parents in OUR neighborhood are constantly pushing to get their 3-4 year olds on the mini-swimming starter team...for FFS, people, let your littles enjoy swimming WITHOUT the immediate competition!!! I understand concerns about losing high performers on the summer team, @mattie g. You'll fill or supplement those gaps, in some way...it's inevitable. In our family's case, I think my youngest son kinda felt like he couldn't leave the team after 9th or 10 grade...because he thought he would let the team down in terms of his events (freestyle/butterfly)...and some of that came from witnessing our team's "sinking" from NVSL Division 7-8 when we started, to Division 11-12-ish when we were done. Not saying that you or anyone else means to "apply pressure" to your better swimmers...but as a parent of one of those swimmers who enjoyed occasional success in that realm, that team/parent support can be (and has proven to be) a double-edged sword. Swimming is a life skill, and AWESOME exercise especially as you get older...but I really don't think my youngest will get back in the pool again, even for exercise. And that makes me a little sad. I know @H2O gets it, given his commentary on this subject over the years, plus he's got the battle scars as a pool board member, and one who's likely served in ALL of the NVSL officials positions over the years, to prove it. He's got a great attitude about it all, at this point...good advice he shares here. Also, he's also being pretty modest about his "old" pool. It may be older, but OUR nearby neighborhood swim team always LOVED going to his pool for B meets...it's in a beautiful setting with mature trees, the swim team, officials, volunteers and other pool members were ALWAYS welcoming (unlike many pools in the western part of FfxCo!) and every member and volunteer at his pool was ALWAYS easy to work with. Plus, they had a kick-ass grill and cafe going on!! Sorry for the long rant. But the exchanges you all shared here made me grateful that I once more threw our pool share into the "lease" bucket this season...

I know, RIGHT?? That minute or two of extra daylight each day makes such a difference in my attitude and outlook this time of year.

Oh, HELL yeah. Sure, it's a little cooler than I like today....and after last night's temps, the magnolia trees now look like they're covered in last week's moldy porridge....but oh, I'm happy-dancing because official spring is here. (Now, to contend with the achy sinuses....)

Your experience, and @CAPE's recent "puddle" update on his property notwithstanding....I *did* notice this weekend on the first big, comprehensive mowing on my property, that it was the first spring in a decade or more, when my mower didn't become mired in muddy and swampy ground. In fact, with the exception of a couple perpetually shady spots (through the winter), my mower tires were nearly clean and mud-free when I finished on Saturday. I haven't reliably measured precip on my property in a few years, so can't tell you how much of a deficit at which I might be. SIDEBAR -- this will be my first full season with a Makita battery-powered lawn mower; I did a ton of research last year and settled on that model (though there are several GREAT battery-powered mower brands out there). Mine came with four 4.0 Ah, 18v batteries, and uses two at one time -- one set of two typically runs in the mower for about 45-60 min in my case, and since the charger (also included with the mower) takes a bout 45 minutes to recharge two batteries, you could conceivably keep swapping batteries for mowing and charging for any size of property. This isn't practical for everyone, obviously. My property is kind of a typical suburban, .25 acre "postage stamp" (or "pie slice" since I live on a cul de sac), and I can usually do the front/back yards using just TWO Li-ion batteries in the Makita mower. I'm aware that battery life will diminish over the course of a couple years, but...the mower is lighter to push, it's quieter, it's...just a joy to use. I so wish I'd made this mower transition years earlier.

We reached a high of 45 this afternoon...but I'm sure as hell glad that I did the first initial full front/backyard mowing yesterday, when it was 5-7 degrees warmer. I'm honestly trying to remember, and I don't think I've ever had to do the "first big mow" this early in the season...usually ended up being first week of April in the past 10-20 years. But, tons of weeds, and early patches of high, neon-green spurts of grass growth meant that the whole thing required an even cut at this point. All good.

Have followed your start-of season progress on your property the last several years, @CAPE...and this is kind of an interesting start to the warmer seasons for you. I guess I'm glad, in this case, that you're only starting with one small puddle!

Yep. I noticed the earlier-than-usual emergence of the peepers in our area....about this same time in early Feb that you mention. I wondered then, if the "writing" was "on the wall" for the 2022-23 winter. Personally, I don't mind one way or the other....I enjoy snow, but I despise cold weather now, and really hate to clean up blizzard-like snow accumulations at this point.

No, haven't seen Nepenthe beers at our Weggy's....but believe me, I'm watching now.

This looked like a great recommendation....although I couldn't find it when I went to Wegman's this morning, so instead I stumbled on this little collection from Southern Tier in western NY state, and thought....what would you, or @CAPE or @Scraff do in this situation?? Well, y'all would probably buy this box. And yes, based on that internal thought process, this box found its way into my cart, and into my garage fridge.

Yeah. And this is why I no longer invest the time/energy into bracket building. On a brighter note...what a delightful spring day. Got up to 66 IMBY between 2-3 p.m. Incoming showers tomorrow, and then....the first ugly mowing of the front/back yards come Sunday or Monday, during chillier temps.