Yuck!
I wonder what the "grass like weed" was...down here in NC our woodlands and gardens are becoming overgrown with an invasive weed called Japanese stiltgrass which came to the US in the early 20th century as packing material (like straw) and has been merrily growing like crazy ever since. It is very pretty, and almost impossible to get rid of. Was this "grass like weed" perhaps the vanguard of a new invasion?! Cheerful thought.
Alison