The Ongoing Super Mega Weather Thread v3

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I wish it were hotter

#### yeah!!!!

[activeStick]

Is this where talk about the smoke? Because the smoke in Toronto is crazy lately. Apparently, even worse in NYC.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1666508963284946944

https://twitter.com/user/status/1666475809031290883

[mrkajz44]

MLB cancelled two games tonight due to air quality from the smoke. I haven't been following baseball that long, but I don't ever remember a smoke PPD.

[Ozy_Flame]

Ah yes, first time since moving to Toronto I truly feel like I'm living in the Big Smoke.

[Flabbibulin]

Its one thing when the wildfires effect the lowly NW States, but tens of millions in the NE experiencing what we did a few weeks ago, and it is getting an insane amount of attention.

[Muta]

Calgary needs rain, and in the worst way. It's June 8, and the public grassy areas around my place are all yellow already, and the leaves are turning a darker green on many of the trees. It looks like August.

[kevman]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I'm right there with you. Years ago I would mow regularly, water, fertilize and other things. Now I can barely care enough to go out and mow every second week. Next year I'm hoping to rip up a bunch of grass and plant some trees and flowers in my front yard. At some point after that I want to build a retaining wall in the front and some more flower beds on top of that. Once done that should cut down on 50% of my grass.

Every 2 weeks is neglect?

Last year I managed 3 mows all year. Early June, Early July and Sometimes in August. You can really set yourself up well for a summer of neglect with a good low mow during a drought.

[Fuzz]

I go the opposite and do a high mow. Doesn't burn as quickly, and if it grows longer, tends to still look more even. And if you don't start mowing until May long, you can skip some unnecessary mows.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by zamler

I've given up. Always had one of the nicest lawns not anymore I'm out.

Yeah dude. Tapping out as well. Grass doesn't work here without pouring too many resources into it. Xeroscaper is lined up for this summer for me. Fuuck it.

edit: For the front yard, that is. Still have fake grass in the back, which I love.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah dude. Tapping out as well. Grass doesn't work here without pouring too many resources into it. Xeroscaper is lined up for this summer for me. Fuuck it.

edit: For the front yard, that is. Still have fake grass in the back, which I love.

Does the fake grass heat up in the direct sun?

I assume it is some plastic derivative

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Does the fake grass heat up in the direct sun?

I assume it is some plastic derivative

I don't know, actually. Never something I noticed as being problematic. I don't really cruise around in my bare feet outside, though. You may recall I find people who come into my house in their bare feet as disgusting ####ing freak-a-zoids. Shoes/Crocs on if I exit my home; shoes/Crocs off as I enter back inside.

[Hack&Lube]

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Does the fake grass heat up in the direct sun?

I assume it is some plastic derivative

I have turf in the backyard as well, and it does get warm in the sun. When the kids are playing back there on a hot day I hose it down to cool it off for them

[FlamesAddiction]

I sure hope they can get this under control before the U.S. decides to invade.

Seriously though, I was watching a meteorologist talk about the smoke along the eastern seaboard, and it is just a perfect storm of conditions right now causing the smoke to move in that direction and rest there. Under normal weather conditions, it wouldn't be nearly as bad. It's supposed to peak tomorrow, then start to clear up by the weekend in New York.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah dude. Tapping out as well. Grass doesn't work here without pouring too many resources into it. Xeroscaper is lined up for this summer for me. Fuuck it.

edit: For the front yard, that is. Still have fake grass in the back, which I love.

What's the damage on that Xeriscaping? I've been debating it, but I might do it in stages.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't know, actually. Never something I noticed as being problematic. I don't really cruise around in my bare feet outside, though. You may recall I find people who come into my house in their bare feet as disgusting ####ing freak-a-zoids. Shoes/Crocs on if I exit my home; shoes/Crocs off as I enter back inside.

in fairness to me, keeping track of all your idiosyncrasies isn't easy......

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I have turf in the backyard as well, and it does get warm in the sun. When the kids are playing back there on a hot day I hose it down to cool it off for them

Thanks, that might be an issue for the cat

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Slava

What's the damage on that Xeriscaping? I've been debating it, but I might do it in stages.

I had two quotes. I'd say my front yard is a similar size to yours.

One quote was for $90k. W...T...F. Totally absurd to the point where I was actually annoyed the dude wasted so much of my time screwing around with things and several meetings just to hit me with that insane quote. Dude was importing rocks from the States and stuff. Like, Burnco is down the street, man. What are you doing? That didn't even include spotlights, irrigation, or anything else that could have maybe justified that price.

I was also annoyed because on meeting one I asked for a ballpark. Like, nobody has a frame of reference for guessing xeroscape prices, so just tell me if we're at $10, $20, $30, $40, $50, whatever. Surely he could have done that. Nope, he wanted it to be a surprise. Red flag...should have walked. Oh well.

Anyway, found a guy on Kijiji with really good reviews and I'm rolling the dice on him. His portfolio seems good, reviews are good and his communication skills and plan have my mind at ease. He's coming in at under $25k, but a large part of that is a retaining wall situation I need because my house is on a hill. Without the wall the price would be much better, I'm sure.

Should be done by mid-July...if I remember I'll shoot you pics and let you know how it went when done. Feel free to PM me if I forget.

[DoubleF]

I don't think my clover survived. I might have to go out and get more seeds and try again so my lawn doesn't look so bad in this hot summer.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I had two quotes. I'd say my front yard is a similar size to yours.

One quote was for $90k. W...T...F. Totally absurd to the point where I was actually annoyed the dude wasted so much of my time screwing around with things and several meetings just to hit me with that insane quote. Dude was importing rocks from the States and stuff. Like, Burnco is down the street, man. What are you doing? That didn't even include spotlights, irrigation, or anything else that could have maybe justified that price.

I was also annoyed because on meeting one I asked for a ballpark. Like, nobody has a frame of reference for guessing xeroscape prices, so just tell me if we're at $10, $20, $30, $40, $50, whatever. Surely he could have done that. Nope, he wanted it to be a surprise. Red flag...should have walked. Oh well.

Anyway, found a guy on Kijiji with really good reviews and I'm rolling the dice on him. His portfolio seems good, reviews are good and his communication skills and plan have my mind at ease. He's coming in at under $25k, but a large part of that is a retaining wall situation I need because my house is on a hill. Without the wall the price would be much better, I'm sure.

Should be done by mid-July...if I remember I'll shoot you pics and let you know how it went when done. Feel free to PM me if I forget.

We had a guy about the fake grass come out once and he dealt with my wife. He must have thought he was winning the lottery, because that quote was insane and he followed up relentlessly!

I just think that there is an offset here though. It's a cost upfront, but then I basically don't have to water/fertilize/mow, etc. and surely over time it pays for itself. That's not even considering the environmental aspect, which I'm fond of personally as well.

[mrkajz44]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I have turf in the backyard as well, and it does get warm in the sun. When the kids are playing back there on a hot day I hose it down to cool it off for them

I do enjoy the irony of putting down turf instead of grass where one of the benefits is no watering, but you still have to hose down the fake grass.