It’s springtime, and I’m happy to kick the dust off the equipment in the garage. I finally fired up the lawn tractor over the weekend, and I couldn’t get enough of it. The expectations and excitement for what the yard could look like is always highest in the spring.

The sound of the engine reminded me of last summer, when I would mow and spend the whole time thinking about all the worrisome news I’d seen that week. This mow was quite different in that my mood was much less serious. I had just returned home from a trip to Cleveland and was feeling good about having traveled again. And, what’s more, I had the peace of mind of having both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination. I went from thinking I wouldn’t be fully vaccinated until June or July of this year to suddenly being fully vaccinated by early April.

Could it be that soon I’ll be able to entertain my friends at the house and show off the time and money I’ve invested in my yard? I think so, and the thought of grilling for a large group thrills me. Bring on the summer and a return to normalcy!

I hope your expectations for this season are also high, because all indications from our readers say this season will be busy like gangbusters.

This issue also has a lot going on, so let me give you a quick guided tour of a few highlights before you’re on your way.

• This month’s cover story was inspired by a low-speed chase that took place in Georgia just a few weeks ago. Our friend Mark Cohea was interviewed in the magazine last fall on the topic of what he was using for GPS tracking and why he liked it. Just a few months later, here he is back again to tell the story of how he and his wife found themselves on an adventure with that same GPS tracker serving as their guide. A shoutout to illustrator Mike Right for his quick hand in creating this month’s cover image, which depicts an unpleasant scene we had described to us. See that story here.
• Following that story is the first in a two-part series profiling women leaders in the industry, penned by Managing Editor Sarah Webb. Her feature is on three women who found their way to the landscape and lawn care industry and have flourished. Next month’s installment focuses, in part, on a female-owned landscape company. We’re happy to share these stories in the magazine and also happy that our own staff is comprised of several successful women in the industry. If you have a story you’d like to share with us, please reach out and say hello.
• Beyond those features, we have other great content you’ve come to expect, on topics such as chainsaw maintenance; dealing with various weeds; the latest on compact tractors; and more.
• A couple quick bullets to update you on the happenings with your friends here at LM. Our staff has grown with the addition of Digital Editor Joey Ciccolini. Joey comes to us from Kent State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Also exciting is that for the last several years, Joey had his own lawn maintenance business he maintained, so he started on day one with an appreciation for our readers.
• And lastly, it is bittersweet to let you know Abby Hart, our former senior editor, has left the magazine to pursue a new career within this great industry. So, while we say goodbye to her here, we are sure we will also get to work with her more in the future as she starts this new endeavor. Thank you for your hard work on this proud publication, Abby!