# GrassDaddy Lawn Journal



## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Here is my lawn journey. Hopefully the "secret sauce" you won't see on YouTube. The problem I have is sometimes I just want to do some lawn stuff without videoing it and all that stuff. I also have trouble remembering when I did things last as the videos are scheduled at different times than I did them.

So it really started last year when I jokingly said to my wife, if I get someone to send me free grass seed can I kill the lawn? She laughed and said yes. I got Drew from Seed Super Store to do just that =P

*Feel free to reply, say cool, and ask questions* this isn't for me only I enjoy the process with others ;-)


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Application Log (so I remember what I applied, when)

2017-05-13 Applied 32-0-4 at 2lbs/k (Spreader 3.5)


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 4th 2016:

Glyphosated the lawn






August 7th 2016:

The Kill is starting to set in. Clearly, I misjudged how wide my passes were:


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 8th 2016:

Glyphosated the lawn again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3RoTSvpwy8&list=PLXlWmhRBoMXh6R7rFF3VoHLiObVTmaUxT


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 11th 2016:

Ooops, backyard is looking funny: 









Scalped the side yard:


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 14th 2016, More Scalping:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R-QUxxEQks&list=PLXlWmhRBoMXh6R7rFF3VoHLiObVTmaUxT


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 18th 2016:

The blankets came in. (in hindsight, my biggest regret was this purchase)


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 19th 2016:

More Scalping:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wSATloZfbA&list=PLXlWmhRBoMXh6R7rFF3VoHLiObVTmaUxT


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 22nd 2016:

Well after the crazy rain we had last night I might power rake this. Lots of dead matted grass now. It was looking like dust before so I was just mulching it every few days but im not sure the mower will get the rest pulled up.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 23rd 2016:

Friend Raked Lawn For Me (lol)


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

August 31st 2016:

Sprayed lawn conditioner and set the sprinklers to go off at 1am so the soil will be nice and soft in the morning!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztKl1LLiSLE&list=PLXlWmhRBoMXh6R7rFF3VoHLiObVTmaUxT


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 1st 2016 - SEED DOWN DAY!!


























Soil Moist Seed Coat on the Seed





Planted the seed





Rolled the seed





Fertilized with Scotts + Tenacity





Soil Germination Blankets on the Slopes





Peat Moss Everywhere else





OK got the peat moss covered pretty nicely. In the second picture you can see some of it was a totally different color/smell/texture. Two of the 10 bags were that way, no idea why but it seemed weird to me..


















Any ideas on why it would be a different color? I'm hoping it was just lack of moisture and it'll match as it gets watered in. Otherwise the OCD in me is going to be bothered by it lol


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 3rd 2016

I'm seeing some stuff growing in the backyard. I started a thread and everyone seems to think it's weeds. I'm in denial =P










My kids decided to feed the birds. Thankfully the backyard has no peat moss covering the seed, so the birds can have the seed as an appetizer with their bread...


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 4th 2016

Looking good, the tropical storm doesn't look like its going to hit us. At least today they say that. Yesterday they panicked and the day before said nothing so who knows..


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 5th 2016

Well, it's windy. Weather underground is showing 25MPH winds with gusts of 41. So far the only problem has been watering. By the time the water dropplets hit the ground they are no longer on my property lol Thankfully the germination blanketes aren't blowing away! I saw somewhere to stake them every foot but that seemed too much, I did about every 5-6 feet.

Spoke too soon now its 38mph sustained lol










I forgot to stake down the bottoms. Thankfully I had enough to hold it down. Didn't get a photo of the whole thing I was going fast to get it back down before it got tore up!


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 7th 2016

Finally.. There are little babies popping up! (A whopping 6 days later)


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 8th 2016

Germination!







More babies are popping up! Wahoo I didn't fail lol


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 11th 2016

Day 10 (front):


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 13th (day 12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LycbsGrXcww&list=PLXlWmhRBoMXh6R7rFF3VoHLiObVTmaUxT


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 14th (day 13)

I am noticing these popup. I believe they are quackgrass. But not 100% sure:


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 15th (day 14)

Small dose of Bay State - I've noticed the backyard (shade) is thinner but the plants that have come up are growing multiple leaves faster:


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 18th: Pretty sure I'm in the sprout and pout stage. Nothing is taller than an inch. New sprouts keep coming up but no vertical growth. It really plays mind games on you. Are trick or treaters gonna be walking on a thin lawn? lol

September 20th: I applied a bit of bay state today. It's day 19 and while the grass is still in sprout and pout it looks like it's going to be leaving it soon. A few spots here and there are at 2in mark now.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 24th (day 23)

first app of Urea





I applied 0.5 pounds per k today, which works out to be 0.25 pounds of N per k. The plan will be to work up to the aggressive N level of weekly apps.

The grass is ready for first app of UREA. None of it looks straggly and thin, and some areas are at 2in now, so I wanted to post some photos before the first app of urea to see the daily changes!

Backyard patch is over 2in now:


Side yard has patches taking off:


Front "sweet spot" gets morning sun:


Front corner doing good:


The germination blankets appear to have good grass going underneith but it's hard to tell. I can't pull it up and peak anymore. I can't wait to see what happens with it!


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

September 30th was a bad day.

Well, now I'm really pissed. It appears the germination blanket was working near the driveway, but after poking around the rest of it.. Nothing is growing under the majority of it. So I'll get to start over in the spring!


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

October 1st

Second Urea App 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOjwG-LcHh0&list=PLXlWmhRBoMXh6R7rFF3VoHLiObVTmaUxT


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

October 4th:

First reel mow @ 1in - 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5qhCjTvpS4&list=PLXlWmhRBoMXh6R7rFF3VoHLiObVTmaUxT

https://s11.postimg.cc/mllabbfmr/20161004_184250-1.jpg


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

October 6th:

OK so it was incredibly satisfying pulling some plugs out:



There are some areas still lagging behind but I'm OK with that. The areas that germinated faster are showing how quick it can thicken up ;-)


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

October 7th:

Second reel mow (no video, just wanted to enjoy it lol)

Favorite Photo So Far:


Some perspective:


Another Nice Shot:


Right by the front door:


And.. Where I ran out of peat moss... Can you tell the difference??


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

October 8th:

Starter Fertilizer + Tenacity -

I gave up trying to spray tenacity and put down another app of the starter fertilizer with mesotrione. I had about 10 minutes this morning I could put something down, so it just worked out this way.

I had the day ready to spray on thursday but I forgot to rinse out the glyphosate from a month ago. Some will say you can rinse it completely out, others say a residual stays behind, so I said OK forget that. I went to walmart/home depot to see if anything was on sale, but ended up back at harbor freight. Got a backpack sprayer, went home, filled it with water etc, and it leaked out the trigger button (weird). Returned it, got the second one, calibrated it, and wife and kids were home... This is how my life is right now lol


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

October 21st:

Day 50 Update.. It's starting to fill in nicely. Lots of prickly lettuce. I may spray next time the sun is out.

I've been reel mowing every other day, and applying urea weekly. Once I started to do that the changes were significant. The color today is starting to look real nice. So far only a few patches of triv or something, I might just glyphosate it.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

October 24th


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

**********************************
WINTER
**********************************


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

March 20th:

The weather is warming up again and I went over to the side yard and saw a lot of purple. I thought it was a weed at first, until I pulled a piece out. It looks like some of the tips are purple and there is other disease. It's all in one small area, maybe 2x5 spot.



I'll be keeping an eye on it. I found some places that refer to lawn disease turning purple, but also a number of references like this to spring time lawns having purple:



> What you are seeing is an expression of a pigments in the plant called anthocyanins. These pigment express themselves as a reddish color after times of plant stress and/or periods of diminished photosynthesis. Light energy for photosynthesis is captured by chlorophyll, which also a plant pigment, that expresses itself as a green color. Basically, what is happening right now is after the snow melt and diminished photosynthetic activity because of dormancy and lack of light, the balance of pigments in the plant is not what you are used to seeing (typically more green color than red). Give it some time with more sun and longer days and you'll see the reddish color slowly go away.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

April 1st 2017

Pulled up the germination blankets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12tmFVz4FXw


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

April 11th applied prodiamine (NOT to the hill)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0jl0FulnZs


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Seeded on a hill (forget the exact date)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlR_gWs6M6k


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Starter fertilizer on the whole lawn, new spot as well as old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l400pxMp4MQ


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

:thumbup: keep at it!

Love the YouTube videos.


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## Budstl (Apr 19, 2017)

Awesome! I enjoy watching your vids. Think i randomly found them on youtube a few months back. Does urea stain concrete?


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

I have asphalt so I do not know. But you are supposed to blow/sweep it off the road for environmental runoff reasons anyways.


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

Great write up!

I'm excited to see your progress this year, following this thread!


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Got the proplugger. Only had time to move 3 plugs. This is a fantastic tool!


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

It's a shame it went 3 pages before someone posted on your thread  Great thread and I too will look forward to your updates!


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Haha I tried to pump em in before someone did so I could see the replies. I didnt want it all one post cuz if you hit quote that'd be huge =P


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Mowed at 2in. Shoulda taken a photo but I'm back at the office now. I'm so out of shape lol

I'm mentioning this just for the timeline if someone is following along. I'm going to keep mowing at 2in until the renovation is even, then bump it up. I'm not gonna post *here* every time I mow.

I also attempted to reel mow the spring reno, to chop down some of the fall reno grass that was in there. It's looking fugly but what can you do..


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## ales_gantar (Apr 13, 2017)

Great stuff!
Would you be so kind and pick a plugged area and measure the rate of it growing in? With photos and a measuring tape. Please.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Sure!


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

I've started to notice rhizomes popping up in places. Pretty cool to see:



I've had KBG before but never 100% KBG so I never could tell what was what. Seeing these guys popping up in barespots just makes me glad I went with KBG.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

I've experienced first hand the "spreading" power of KBG and I am amazed.

This was at day 56 last year.



(see area top left).

I have not done anything on that area yet. I didn't even plug it yet. But as of today, it is mostly filled in. I even spray prodiamine on that area when I did my pre-m.

I'll try and take a picture of it today to show you.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

ericgautier said:


> I've experienced first hand the "spreading" power of KBG and I am amazed.
> 
> This was at day 56 last year.
> 
> ...


I'm thinking of switching to Urea while it's still cold. The lawn is woken up but it's been so cold I don't think the milo is doing much.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

GrassDaddy said:


> I'm thinking of switching to Urea while it's still cold. The lawn is woken up but it's been so cold I don't think the milo is doing much.


As long as you water it in you should be good. :thumbup:


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

Posted an updated pic here - http://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=218&p=4465#p4465


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Put down ~2lb/k Epsom Salt.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Today I applied about 0.6lb/k of nitrogen using old Scott's Step 3. ALMOST used the rest, just a tiny bit left now..


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Finding a few spots of fungus here and there. Mostly along the border of the lawn where my wife's flowers are. Someone has had the kids watering them daily which is probably getting on the grass there. Oye.


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## LIgrass (May 26, 2017)

GrassDaddy said:


> Finding a few spots of fungus here and there. Mostly along the border of the lawn where my wife's flowers are. Someone has had the kids watering them daily which is probably getting on the grass there. Oye.


Post a pic of it. Do the rust test. Also look out for leaf spot showing up around now.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Yeah rust in one spot and leaf spot in another. But what is odd the leaf spot doesnt seem to be on the new KBG.. just on some kind of grassy weed i have in the sideyard..


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Applied almost a lb/k of urea


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Photo time 










The spring reno LOVED the urea, almost overnight it blends in with the existing lawn.


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

Very nice.


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## Budstl (Apr 19, 2017)

Nicely done


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Thank you! Still not where I wanted it but better than the old lawn hehe.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

GrassDaddy said:


> Photo time
> 
> The spring reno LOVED the urea, almost overnight it blends in with the existing lawn.


Looking good! :thumbup:


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## LIgrass (May 26, 2017)

That's definitely heading in the right direction. Nice job.


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## kolbasz (Jun 7, 2017)

Man, seeing the big by the street your surely asking yourself why you bothered with the blankets


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Yup tackifier was $20 for an acre, blankets were 200 for half a k.. the lawn is looking better so im trying to let it go.


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## kolbasz (Jun 7, 2017)

Win some you lose some


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Today I applied fungicide. I have quite a bit of rust popping up, and a few other things that looked odd, so I didn't want to chance it with the new renovation. I much prefer the idea of using biofungicides, which I will continue to use, but I'm not afraid to use both - especially when it's been proven to be more effective using both.


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## kolbasz (Jun 7, 2017)

GrassDaddy said:


> Today I applied fungicide. I have quite a bit of rust popping up, and a few other things that looked odd, so I didn't want to chance it with the new renovation. I much prefer the idea of using biofungicides, which I will continue to use, but I'm not afraid to use both - especially when it's been proven to be more effective using both.


I think this is my biggest problem. I hesitate when things pop up, unsure, thinking they are nothing and by the time I accept my grass is jacked, it's way late and the fix is twice the work.

I need to adopt this mentality, looks like dollar spot, spray. Looks like a different grass than the rest, spray, kill and seed again...


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

kolbasz said:


> GrassDaddy said:
> 
> 
> > Today I applied fungicide. I have quite a bit of rust popping up, and a few other things that looked odd, so I didn't want to chance it with the new renovation. I much prefer the idea of using biofungicides, which I will continue to use, but I'm not afraid to use both - especially when it's been proven to be more effective using both.
> ...


Yeah I used to do it that way on the old lawn. But after all this hard work on the reno I'm trying to be pro-active not reactive.


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## kolbasz (Jun 7, 2017)

So your putting fungicide before the issue even exists?

Maybe I am doing it wrong and need to plan better.


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Yeah, after reading more about fungicides it seems they are preventatives not curatives. There were a few spots that got diseased so I put it down. There is a lot of rust as well. So the weather has been ripe. Normally I'd wait and see more but it's a reno.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

GrassDaddy said:


> Today I applied fungicide. I have quite a bit of rust popping up, and a few other things that looked odd, so I didn't want to chance it with the new renovation. I much prefer the idea of using biofungicides, which I will continue to use, but I'm not afraid to use both - especially when it's been proven to be more effective using both.


Curious.. what kind did you put down?


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

ericgautier said:


> Curious.. what kind did you put down?


Myclobutanil


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## GrassDaddy (Mar 21, 2017)

Applied soil conditioner, milorganite, and watered an inch. Turns out the weather was wrong and we just got an inch at least in the past hour..... My neighbors probably all think I'm an idiot lol


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