vastateofmind

Yeah, radar LOOKED like you all got nailed today. We got some much needed gentle rains here this A.M.

You both give voice to the conundrum that most of us upper (or is it actually lower?) NVSL-affiliated pools face at this point in the season...we want to be competitive, but PLEASE don't move us too far up in the NVSL divisions!!! And @H2O is being far too modest. His pool, and the entire community of families that comprise their pool membership, have always been GREAT to work with, and to do swim meets with. It's a bit sad that he, or anyone from his pool, would ever be made to feel that their pool (and "pool" of officials/volunteers) would be somehow "less than" or not have the "niceties" when it comes to NVSL "standards" -- because I always loved when we went to his pool, and worked with their families. His pool is one of the BEST....both facilities-wise AND people-wise. Unfortunately, those kinds of crap attitudes come from the pools comprising the top two divisions in NVSL...and I know that, because our neighborhood pool volunteers and officials (which hosted league-wide IM and Relay Carnival meets a decade or so ago) heard first-hand the nasty, vulgar and judgmental comments that came from those 10 or so pools that comprise the top two NVSL divisions. That's about the time when my attitudes on NVSL soured. But again, for you younger parents....I'm glad and hopeful that your experiences and community-building remain untinged from that kind of nastiness.

Sort of rooting for this to hold together. As I believe @BlizzardNole mentioned a bit further up, there's nothing better than strobe light-ish lightning in a particularly humid atmo at nighttime this time of year. I remember that happening often when I was growing up in northcentral PA...haven't seen it as much living in NoVA.

Meant to ask this long ago -- has it been your experience that you get the influence of additional breezes off of the bay or ocean, given your location, as opposed to us "western shore'ers?"

Oh, INDEED. Currently 89/77 IMBY. I love this wx, but today is one of those rare opportunities where I regret leasing our neighborhood pool share (and forfeiting any access rights during the season), rather than paying the full dues and having full access to the pool all summer.

What a great costume! You've talked about your daughter numerous times over the years but I lose track of time...I still have this mental picture of her being a "little girl," and well...she's not anymore.

I was a middling athlete in MS/HS and an okay but noncompetitive swimmer...my wife isn't a swimmer at all! I don't know where our sons got their swimming genes, but without going overboard I'll just say they did well growing up. I think our oldest still holds a pool relay record with a couple other guys, and our youngest still retains a number of pool records, and hangs on in the NVSL top 50 for fly and back as well as couple of relays. End of the day, summer swim season should be about the community-building, as you so wisely suggest...and I'm glad that you (and @H2O) aren't as jaded as me, and still have that, and enjoy that, at your respective pools.

Okay, legit happy for you...sounds like you've been experiencing the same splits in recent weeks that we have in SE FfxCo. We're finally getting a deluge here right now under a warned storm...my lawns need it!

Sorry for crap vid (snagged off my computer monitor), but...bow echo? https://photos.app.goo.gl/XbBUyYFnVAK7yqG28 EDIT: New STW just came through for my neighborhood for this storm. Driving rain just started, most intense lightning/thunder we've had in weeks, and it's like post-dusk dark now.

Sage advice above, from an experienced pro/old hand in NVSL...especially the part about the "special water." Usually those bump-ups in team size happen gradually...I hated B meets for that reason when we first got involved, but if you get enough experienced officials and on-deck volunteers and (perhaps most importantly) FILL THOSE LANES on every blow of the whistle, it can go pretty quickly. After free and back, of course... See? Y'all already getting too damn efficient! And I always loved to see the records made (and old records fall!) during this point of the season over the years...not just for my own sons, but to see the younger swimmers especially work their arses off and to see the sheer joy on their faces when they drop their times!

Seems like. I was in that ole familiar "DC split." Anyone have thoughts on later action, moving east out of WV?

Moving this over to banter, and I know this gets asked from time to time, but....which wx station do you have? I'm really jonesing to replace the one I had IMBY years ago and just haven't gotten around to it.

Same here....downright oppressive. There was a bit of a split in radar last hour, when northern MD and central VA seemed to be cashing in the most, but it's filling in more now and we might get in on some of the action next 1-2 hours.

Storm just blew up (literally) within past 20 min, between Dale City and Springfield. Heaviest rain we've had all week as nearly all other storms missed us. Can't hardly see across the street right now...and this doesn't seem like it's moving much at all on radar, maybe meandering east a bit. (EDIT: The storm "rained itself out" within another 20 min of posting this then disappeared from radar altogether!) I'm sure this heavy rain will linger and ruin our chances of bigger storms later...because I just staged the mower, the weed whacker and yard blower on the patio to knock out all of the lawns over the next hour. FML. #NoLawnMowingForMeToday

Dumb question...is that the I-895 "toll" bridge? If so, I think I've only ever crossed that bridge, as opposed to driving on the road underneath it...

#Truth. Warning just came through. And increasingly hearing a ton of thunder associated with that cell.

GREAT pic!!

This first round by no means meets severe criteria....but we are getting a good steady, but not too hard, soaking rain out of it. Good Lord, the lawns need it. And yeah, I finished the last 10 min mowing the front lawn in the increasingly steady rain, but it's worth it....glad to get this!

So, Baltimore to Bel Air has done pretty well the last day or two, haven't they? At least...that's what I thought I saw on radar in past 48 hours.

I noticed this kind of "variable" atmospheric movement yesterday afternoon/evening, after we had the big clearing (during the actual STW).

Dude, you are KILLING it with these on-the-road photos!!!!

You all have the right attitude. And you highlight an interesting phenomenon...I've observed a couple families from our own pool in years past, who volunteered to the hilt for swim team...and whose kids hardly showed up for swim season. It was honestly annoying and frustrating, because they felt they earned a "travel pass," and could do whatever the hell they wanted to. Fine. As I've mentioned, if my sons made the commitment to summer swim, and I made them honor it, for every A/B meet they were eligible for. As my guys aged, the oldest considered summer swim to be more of a "conditioning" activity for his first loves in HS sports (e.g., LAX, football, X-country, etc.) but he showed up for all of the meets he was eligible for...even though he wasn't always a top scorer. Our younger son was a different story, and he's the one that "took off" in swimming as a little guy and onward -- not just in NVSL, but in NCAP, and also for his HS team at the state level. He still holds a few individual/relay records at our neighborhood pool and at Hayfield Secondary, and is still on perhaps a butterfly/relay list or two for NVSL records, although he's certainly dropping "down the list" as younger/faster swimmers excel in NVSL. And yet...there were parents 10-15 years ago, and even today who felt/feel the need to criticize and say things like: "Who the hell is that kid? Why is that name all over our pool's record board?!?" "OMG, that family...they are such swimming attention whores!" "My kid is TOTALLY gonna kill that 10+ year old record!" These are REAL comments, heard first-hand or second-hand from a couple neighbors who are still pool members and who I trust implicitly. To all of these small, small people I say -- if you want your kid to excel at swim, summer league or otherwise, and to earn the records that (apparently) mean so much to you? HAVE YOUR KIDS SHOW UP TO EFFING SWIM. It's just that simple. My kids weren't seeking glory and attention...they made a commitment, and their mother and I made them honor it. But, if the glory and attention and records are what drives families today, then by all means go for it. Just don't bitch if you and your kids aren't there on deck most of the time, at practices and at meets...and then you're all butt-hurt because your kid's name isn't on a pool's record board.

96/71 IMBY currently. Clear blue sky right now, but that Warrenton cell is taking a direct bead on us here in SE FfxCo, so we'll see....think I I can just see the storm moving in on horizon. Gonna run out quick to do one last front yard mow to last through tomorrow...clover has been thick as thieves this year.

Yeah, the temps/DP have been impressive today. Currently 89/73, blue skies and a beautiful breeze. I'll take it!