SouthboundYank

And we've been dumped on, in seemingly random ways as well. And yeah, the grass and plantings are testifying...it's completely frustrating. :/

You (and your wife? Can't remember!) as team reps are some of the few exceptions I've read about in NVSL in recent years, when it comes to trying to keep everything on an even keel in terms of competition, fun, fulfillment. It's not an easy balance. But those kinds of team reps are a rare thing these days in NVSL. I tip my hat to you and yours, AND to your pool team...and certainly wish you all continue to "move up the ladder"...and to remain competitive!! Bottom line, I never served as a team rep, my wife did for a few years...I was a deck official in several roles...but I never wanted a kid to feel so dejected, or left behind, that they couldn't hang with the team. And I think that's what we ALL want at the end of the day in NVSL.

Glad to hear you all had such a successful season. The (potentially negative) other side of that coin, is exactly what you've postulated and what you're nervous about -- that your team will be a "victim" of your success, that you get moved up 1-3 divisions, and then get spanked in some or most summer competitions, thereby knocking down and/or demoralizing swimmers who are really trying hard...and then you STAY in your division, or start making your trip "back down the division ladder." I don't mean to rain on your parade...but it's inevitable, and one of the reasons I hated the NVSL, from this vantage point. On the other hand, I don't know how (or if) the system can be fixed. I've been on BOTH sides of that coin. Lately, our neighborhood pool (which we haven't been back to since our sons stopped swimming) continues their drop to the "bottom" of the NVSL divisions...after being in "the middle" of the NVSL divisions a decade or more ago. It's really NOT about being a member of the Tuckahoe or Overlee or McLean teams...and to those of you who might be part of those summer clubs, fine. I just don't want MY kids competing for blood at THAT level in NVSL Divisions 1/2. And trust me, that's not sour grapes. My youngest son competed with all NVSL swimmers, all VHSL swimmers, NCAP swimmers, and a fair amount of swimmers on a national level (and he still holds records against the top 50-100 swimmers in all of those realms, a decade-plus on). But it's not just about him. All I EVER wanted for both of our sons...and for EVERY kid at our neighborhood pool...was to have a fighting chance to swim their best, and just maybe, make a record. And have a moment in the limelight. They all deserve that. My youngest was flying high right up until his senior year of swimming at VHSL states...when he was already accepted at a couple D2 schools with scholarships at that point...when he came to us in tears and told his mother and I, he just couldn't swim anymore. Period. And he hasn't been in the pool since then. THAT makes me sick to my stomach still to this day. While he chose those levels of competition since he was in late elementary school, and we tried to support him throughout...it burnt him out somewhat early, and badly. What could WE have done to avoid that?? What I never want to see...and what I'll do everything in my power to avoid...is ANY swimmer within my influence reaching that point. Bringing this back around to your OP...the NVSL used to be about casual summer competition, but it's become like any other level of blood sport competition in our society. And that's not good.

That is STUNNING, TY for sharing! We have two large butterfly bushes in front of our home, which have been attracting a wide variety of small to large moths and butterflies, including a LOT of early monarch butterflies this year. Lots of stunning displays. Just caught this monarch a couple days ago on said bushes...

I have no idea (and perhaps I should dump this over in the MA gardening thread) but...are potatoes hard to grow? You had half soaked, and half dried out taters? Dear Lord. Maybe they're too hard to grow in VA...or at least in times of drought.

Picked up .04" in past three hours. Woooo. Currently 75/70. Still thick out.

I prefer right, as well.

Just .08 since with last evening's and the overnight rain. Currently 74/69.

Well, before the past several days, I'd tend to agree with you. Except we got a decent 45 min steady/light rain this past weekend...and those thunderstorms last evening that I predicted wouldn't hold together traversing the Apps...DID hold together, and we got about another hour last night of steady/light rain just before midnight. Much needed, though we still have a LOT of brown lawns and stressed trees in the neighborhood. Things in SW VA look interesting right now...and headed, generally, in the direction of the DMV. Currently 86/61 IMBY.

Smarter folks here than I will likely chime in...but serious wx buffs here use Radarscope on their mobile devices. It IS a really good radar app...and the more features you want out of it, you'll have to pay a subscription. It has layers of complexity that (again) lots of folks here use, and know better, than myself. Aside from that, for everyday quick and dirty radar checks on the desktop, I typically use Windy.com.

I mean LWX forecast just...doesn't seem to match up with radar, nor with the full sun I'm seeing out my window right now. I also can't see that stuff out to the W/NW surviving the trip over the Apps and making it to the metros. LWX also seems to have pulled back a bit on precip chances for the next couple of days, too. It's just "that" summer.

OMG...beautiful pics! That one with the open windows is, like, so frame-able!! I didn't want to ask,but was hoping you would share some pics from your trip, so TY!

I wrote that, then... And on my 20 min ride home from Fort Belvoir, on the four-mile connector (Jeff Todd Way) between Rt. 1 and Telegraph Rd, I ran into three minutes of a WALL of rain, like, can't-see-through-it, windshield-wipers-can't-keep-up, pull-your-damn-car-over rain. But ONLY three minutes' worth. Now at home, look in any direction, and you see greenish/black threatening clouds, patches of blue sky, still a few breaks of sunshine, and everything in between...just one of those psychotic wx days. But here's hoping that those of you that need it most, cash in at some point this afternoon/evening.

Just getting ready to depart Fort Belvoir, with breaks in the clouds appearing and far more sun peeking through than I expected to see today. Currently 80/73. Thick out there.

Seeing this a WHOLE lot around these parts. On a somewhat related note...I remember when it got this dry several summers ago, and our neighbor's highly annoying maple tree (which deposits 95% of its spinners in my backyard) got stressed out and did NOT produce ANY spinners the following spring. Will be watching to see if that happens again...

I work at Fort Belvoir and often take lunchtime walks down to Accotink Bay, where the Army has built pole/platform structures for the nesting ospreys, so they are numerous...and yeah, SO fun to watch dive-bomb into the bay to grab their fishy meals. It's amazing how accurate they are.

So we've had a light but steady rain for the past two hours. And I'll take it...especially because my bride and I finished all of the mowing/trimming/blowing, like, FIVE minutes before the light rain moved in. Currently 77/73, still with light rain...and not that bad out!

Yeah, the line definitely looked like it had potential when watches were issued, started losing punch on approach to DC, then had gasoline and a match poured on it between the city and the Bay. Our pity sprinkles turned into about 45 min of light rain before sunset last night.

Radar getting spread out and messy looking on approach to the city. At least we're getting some pity sprinkles.

I know there's bigger fish frying right now out west, but did everyone else get the wx radio's STW siren alert at 2:38pm? Mine is getting perfect reception from LWX, not showing any errors onscreen (as it will do sometimes if NOT getting reception)...but I'm concerned because I'm not getting any audible alerts right now.

LOL. Weird, cuz I got the weather app (and other) notifications on my phone...and yet my wx radio hasn't started singing yet.

Back up to 103...but more broken clouds moving in from west.

Got up to 102 about 30 min ago before more clouds started moving in. Currently 100.

Don't have a good answer for your question, now mostly overcome-by-events. We definitely had higher humidity readings in the 40-60% range on Mon, and all last weekend. I'm between dedicated, "big boy" wx stations right now, so that indoor/outdoor thermo is the best I got. My outdoor temp sensor is mounted 4 ft up, and 2 ft below the eave line, on a north-facing, 100% shaded all day location on the back of my house...and I trust it. While I had that reading of 106 for about 30 min yesterday afternoon, it definitely didn't FEEL as oppressive or sticky IMBY yesterday with the steady breezes all afternoon. (@WeatherShak & @GATECH tend to have similar readings, as they're a couple miles north of me though a bit closer to the river than myself.) More immediately...currently 83/73.

You are knocking it out of the park, @KAOS...TY so much!