--- title: Viral Lawnmower Man Stayed True to His Name in Parade Outing description: A Canadian man who went viral for mowing his lawn during a tornado strikes again with an elaborate parade appearance. canonical: https://time.com/4851266/viral-lawnmower-man-parade/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-07-10T15:32:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:45:14.781Z og:title: Viral Lawnmower Man Stayed True to His Name in Parade Outing og:description: Some heroes mow lawns og:url: https://time.com/4851266/viral-lawnmower-man-parade/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Viral Lawnmower Man Stayed True to His Name in Parade Outing twitter:description: Some heroes mow lawns twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # That Unbothered Lawnmower Dad's Parade Float Is the Best Tribute to His Viral Fame > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=15894174-1680-4070-9d33-3d17de7f047a&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=15894174-1680-4070-9d33-3d17de7f047a&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=15894174-1680-4070-9d33-3d17de7f047a&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Jul 10, 2017 3:32 PM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Jul 10, 2017 3:32 PM UTC In early June, a photo of a man moving his lawn with a handheld lawnmower [went viral](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/05/canada-lawnmower-man-tornado-theunis-wessels). While it may seem like a normal suburban activity for a homeowner with a patch of grass to tend to, there was a catch: in the background, [a tornado raged](http://time.com/4804168/three-hills-tornado-video-canada/?iid=sr-link1). But dedicated landscaper [Theunis Wessels of Alberta, Canada ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/06/05/the-lawn-mowing-in-a-tornado-dad-photo-that-inspired-a-thousand-memes/?utm%5Fterm=.12d4cb77cb20)was unfazed by inclement weather or impending disaster or the ominous twister just behind him. His unbothered approach launched a thousand “This Is Fine” memes, and cemented his status as certified legend. Over the weekend, Wessels struck again. This time, however, it was in a slightly less candid moment. He appeared as the main attraction on a float at a local parade in his town of Three Hills. And, predictably, he is pushing a lawnmower. In a nod to his internet-begotten fame, he even included a faux twister art installation on the float to complete the picture, and painted the phrase “I’m keeping an eye on it” on the vehicle. (That casual quote was delivered to [newspaper outlets](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/06/05/the-lawn-mowing-in-a-tornado-dad-photo-that-inspired-a-thousand-memes/?utm%5Fterm=.12d4cb77cb20) following his brush with meme stardom.) He’s also wearing the same orange shirt and blue shorts as in his original photo. Some heroes, as we now well know, don’t wear capes. > [](https://twitter.com/treesfjnale/status/883780884620554241) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4851266/viral-lawnmower-man-parade/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4851266/viral-lawnmower-man-parade/"},"headline":"That Unbothered Lawnmower Dad's Parade Float Is the Best Tribute to His Viral Fame","datePublished":"2017-07-10T15:32:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:45:14.781Z","description":"A Canadian man who went viral for mowing his lawn during a tornado strikes again with an elaborate parade appearance.","url":"https://time.com/4851266/viral-lawnmower-man-parade/","keywords":["Newsfeed","weather","viral"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4851266/viral-lawnmower-man-parade/","name":"That Unbothered Lawnmower Dad's Parade Float Is the Best Tribute to His Viral Fame"}}]}] ```