Temperature Changes & Great Sunrises

We have been on a roller coaster this year with a few warm days then a few cold. Great for growing cool season grasses. The normal pattern is for the weather to break from summer oppression by the third week of August. The days are shrinking and the nights get a little cooler and the humidity seems to drop a bit.  This is already noticeable when it comes to day length. We have been starting at 5 am for months with hosing off the dew and putting ice in the coolers first thing. We are now in complete darkness when starting this procedure. The dew is not done forming and settles back on the grass after we finish and at times it is foggy in the morning which makes for a great scene.

4th hole misty sunrise

This morning was just such a day. Spectacular while hosing and then while spraying fairways. I stopped to take a picture on 4 then again on 5 as the dragonflies were going nuts in the tall grass in front of 6 tee.

 Every month brings a change and new challenges which keep the monotony of course maintenance fresh and new. We have seen very small acorns falling off the oaks which is a premonition of the season to come.

I mentioned our son Josh in the last post. He grew up here at Mink and many of you enjoyed watching him grow. Many members had a strong influence on him as well. One of my favorite memories is of Mandred Henry, former leader of the MV NAACP talking to Josh and one of his classmates about their Black History month reports. Josh's was on Langston Hughes and Mandred was thrilled to tell the boys everything he knew about their subjects. He was a large man in many ways and I can still see his massive hand dwarfing the ones of these school children as he shook their hands (and mine for that matter). Josh has not been on MV much in the last few years so it was great for many of you to catch up with him while he was here. I am often asked "what is he up to now?" It is still the same for the last 18 months. He is traveling around the West seeing as much of the National and State Parks systems as he can. Where he gets the adventurous spirit I cannot imagine since I rarely leave this corner of the island.
Here is a clip from one of his stops in Montana. He knows I love history and drive everyone crazy when I stop to read every historical sign on the side of the road. That he gets from me so he takes pictures of many in his travels. I love the one with the Montana cattle brands. We follow him with "find my friends" on his iPhone and I often take screen shots which is the top right map picture.

Communications with our son Josh

The recent rains and cooler weather have been great for the course and it is in as good a shape as ever for August. Our programs of low chemical use on fairways and roughs really shows up during the hot months. The fairways can get slimy from the salt water intrusion which makes them vulnerable to mechanical wear such as cart traffic. I have seen a few tire skids out there so hopefully we get a few more natural rain events, at night of course, to flush the salts and firm up the surface. Until then be extra careful with cart traffic please.