Week 32...

 Youngest took off to Jersey for a few days. I don't ask many questions anymore.  I find when I do, I get shut down. When I don't, I get more details after the fact, which is better for both of us, because at that point I can't worry about it. I knew 6 Flaggs was planned, as well as Atlantic City and longboarding the boardwalks. So, when he returned home, the back window of his car meticulously hand painted with hot pink letting of  Girl's Trip! Buy Us A Drink! Venmo *****, I was curious.

Me: So, did you go with a girl, or did you meet up with some down there?

Him: Nope.  Just the boys.  We had wigs. Mine was purple. We made six bucks!

I haven't laughed that hard in three years. Because despite the fact that they could have made more than $6 had any of them shaved their full beards, this is the youngest I remember.  Always funny, always out of the box, always using the line like a jump rope.

This, in addition to his selling something this week that was a big part of his life for the last two years, at far less than what he wanted, makes me feel like while there is still a long way to go, that part of his learning curve is over. While I waited in the parking lot for the meet up to finalize the sale, this guy was popping around across the street.  

While they are prevalent here, I rarely see foxes, let alone long enough or close enough to get a picture. 

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Oldest had his senior showcase at the college this week.  An entire year of research, planning, and execution all on exhibit for two hours. Being Civil/Site engineers, he and his team theoretically built a prep high school dormitory and education building for UMass Amherst. The projects across the board were super interesting.  The Biomedical engineers had wearable sensors that alert parents if a child is at risk of drowning at the beach or pool, wearable sleeves that stop the tremors of Parkinsons, and glasses that collect data for the visually impaired and deliver it to them via speech controls.  It even had facial recognition that could identify a known person coming into the room or approaching them.  Another project was an app that monitored labor contractions to determine if labor was progressing at a normal rate, or if they were at risk for preterm labor, and when/if to seek emergency services. The mechanical engineers had everything from automated trailer hitchers, to self-loading/unloading refrigerated pallets for shipping, to robotic assisting dogs for the elderly.  Seriously interesting stuff. 

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After being a minimal summer weekend warrior for the last 17 years, my neighbor has finally moved in full time next door.  To say that we are all concerned is an understatement.  She seems to have good and bad days, the bad days involve multiple car accidents. Currently her bumper's held up with duct tape and she has no side view mirrors. After talking with some of the other neighbors, she's struggling with letting go of things (her house is packed with her parents and grandparents' furniture), as well as struggling with basic tasks. So, her trash isn't going out, and the lawn's not getting mowed.  Thankfully while other neighbors have, we haven't seen an influx of mice, but the wildlife is definitely moving in.  

Chippy here has clearly taken residence under the flower beds (there is a den sized mound on our side of the fence) along the driveway. Since there's no exit hole on our side, I can only deduct that he burrowed in from her jungle of a back yard. He's cute, but he needs to stay away from the car hoods and electrical systems. Then it's game on.

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Our favorite garden shop had a sale for tax free weekend. I grabbed some sweet potato vines to spruce up the window boxes. I've already seen hummingbirds hovering for their tiny purple flowers. Fingers crossed they will give some color through October. I hate spending money on annuals because they die off in just a few short months. We found a gorgeous hibiscus for $25, not realizing that it needs to come inside for the winter unlike our others. 

So, while Hubs went golfing, I returned to the store and got a new pot for it, an even larger pot for the rain lilies, a rain chain of tiny umbrellas, and some bulbs that I've secretly planted and will give Hubs the tags for Christmas so he can anticipate the new lilies that will come up next spring. I really shouldn't be left unsupervised when there's a 50% and more off sale.  Just sayin'.

I also bought the $1100 toilet for the basement bathroom. It should be here on Wednesday. And so as not to leave y'all with that sickening feeling that I feel every time I think about spending $1100 on a toilet, I'll leave you with the colors of August from our yard.

Our Hibiscus that does winter over.

Our Rose Of Sharon (which apparently is also a hardy hibiscus variety)

The last of the new lilies

The phlox is still going strong, this one's a late bloomer

Our only Tiger Lily, it's 4 feet high

Alstroemeria.

And one gratuitous picture of the girl's newest hiding space. I guess she though when I went through all the to be filed mail that we keep in that basket, it was for her.