vastateofmind

How's it feel up there? Little cooler, hopefully slightly less humid? Temps holding in high 60s here right now, but it's still pretty sticky.

Interesting that you mention that 4" height -- I read today that, to help combat the prevalence of clover in a lawn, that it's recommended to set the mower deck slightly higher to keep a lawn level of 3" or greater. Apparently clover won't thrive in grass left to grow slightly higher, as it's a more shallow weed. #LearnSomethingNewEachDay

I'm not feeling good about this. Haven't cut the grass since 9 days ago...the clover is so thick, my lawn (front and back) look more white than green. Tomorrow, providing I get A window to mow, is NOT going to be pretty.

FFW just issued for central FfxCo, which we got an alert for as well here in the SE corner. Has certainly gotten much darker out and we've had 4-5 peals of thunder and some sprinkles, but we're not getting multi-inches of rain like they apparently have over the past half hour, roughly 5-7 miles to my W and NW. EDIT (2 min later): The deluge has arrived.

WTAF is that? A cooler? A pool filter? A generator engine block? Ewwwwwww.

How's the humidity feel out in the Valley yesterday and today, @WinterWxLuvr? We just returned from walking doggo, was about 90 degrees when we started just after 5 p.m. with humidity probably in the high 60s. High clouds have since moved in here, but it's still damn muggy out.

Yeah, noticed that the singing hasn't been as intense the past two days, whereas last Friday-Sunday was pretty loud. I also noticed an uptick in the occurrence of 2-3 cicadas (males, presumably) somewhat desperately chasing or following a single cicada (again, presumably a female) over the past couple of days. Like, it's almost closing time at the bar, and the beer goggles are coming out...

Our AC performs just as you describe here, however, I maintain that one shouldn't have to put on a pair of jeans, a long sleeved tee, and (sometimes) a fleece jacket to keep from freezing during the summer months after a regular cooling cycle. But that's due to an ongoing "discussion" between Mrs. V and myself as to where the AC temp should be set in terms of personal tolerance...and not the fault of our HVAC system.

Interesting. I was watching the vid that @North Balti Zen posted thinking, "They even HAVE tornado sirens in CO???" Guess I never thought of that state as getting as many tornadoes as, say, Oklahoma or the southcentral Plains.

Same -- had a few lightning flashes to the west and north last evening during the 9 p.m. hour, maybe a few hard drops of rain, but nothing substantial enough to even see wetness outside. Currently 81/72...muggy, of course.

Yeah...and that rotting cicada funk you mentioned a week or so ago? Definitely becoming more pronounced in certain areas.

This truly sucks....sorry for you and your fam, especially in these temps. And trying to call to get an actual human on the line to help anymore is like seeking out the Holy Grail.

A really unique and defined tornado from yesterday. Since cell phone cameras have become so ubiquitous, and we see more and more informal chasing, or just man-on-the-road stuff like this....I'm astounded at 1) some of the angles we're getting on tornadoes now, and 2) how quickly some tornadoes travel. Yeah, I've read the statistics and after-reports over the years, but man....actually seeing the on-the-ground speed (e.g., like the 2nd video here) is something else...

So. Had numerous friends recommend over the past two months to subscribe to HBO Max (like we need to subscribe to one more streamer), even if on a temporary basis, just to watch "Mare of Easttown" with Kate Winslet. So we did...and WOW. What an incredible series, that perfectly captures the slice of life that can be southcentral/southeastern PA. Best thing I've seen in decades. Great story, incredible cast, with a few major (and mostly unforeseen) plot twists thrown in at the end. Ms. Winslet is sublime...too many people want to define her by Titanic, which is criminally unfair to her and her talent. So. Like several of our friends, I'll recommend to you -- even if you don't want to shell out for HBO Max for the long-term, do it for just one month to watch this show. Excellent stuff. Of course, now that we HAVE HBO Max, we're sticking around for Chernobyl, Hacks, to catch up on Big Love and other older series, etc, etc.

LOL. My wife and I were walking the dog around the Coast Guard property off of Telegraph Road and we both noticed this very same cloud formation off in the SW. I wondered out loud if it was a highly localized thunderhead, and she popped off with, "It's kind of...obscene looking, isn't it?"

Well, I guess I'm not the only one. Given the amount of smooshed and bird-dissected cicada corpses I'm seeing ALL over the damn place, I've been picking them off of our patio, our patio chairs, out of the grass, and even off of myself, and carrying them over to the big ass oak tree in the backyard. Did it so often yesterday I lost count. My wife was all, "What in the HELL are you doing?!? LET them die!!"

Preach. My parents would open all the windows on 2nd floor and set up a strategic arrangement of box fans in windows in an attempt to "make" a breeze where none existed during the worst of summer heat/humidity. Remember countless nights laying in bed as a kid, NO air moving in the house, sweating my arse off...

DCA: 104 IAD: 102 BWI: 104 RIC: 103

Meat looks perfect...but that roasted asparagus sounds like heaven right now, we haven't had it in ages. Just added to the weekly grocery list.

I'm amazed at the amount of fliers during this emergence. I don't remember this at all when Brood X last came to visit. Like, ALL of the trees are abuzz with activity and noise this time around.

Yeah, the two downpours we've had this week in these parts haven't done anything to alleviate the brown stripes through the middle of MBY. But honestly, I hate to see similar (or worse) damage done in your beautiful back (side?) yard. You have such a great summer entertainment space.

Well....some of the NoVA crew are talking about a mini GTG toward the end of June. Think about making a special guest star appearance, and we'll bring you as much, and as many varieties, of hard seltzer that you want.

When walking the dog at the heavily-wooded and cicada-infested Coast Guard property next door several evenings ago (a perfectly clear evening, I might add), my wife made a face and said, "Is it sprinkling??" I didn't have the heart to tell her...especially just after she mistakenly stepped on a dead cicada, and its bodily contents squirted up her calf.