WEBlue

Is summer on the wane now that it's August? My neighbor commented this morning that the days are getting shorter, and his son will be going off to university in less than 3 weeks. For him, September's right around the corner.

Last week a number of stores started setting out school supplies. This includes not only the aisles of the usual stationery items like notebooks, pens, & printer paper, but all kinds of household stuff for the college kids like coffee makers and bedsheets-in-a-bag. And here's the real shock--our garden centre has started its end-of-summer sales. All garden furniture is half-price, and many unsold annuals are now 1/3 off.

My tomatoes have just started ripening, my hydrangeas have only now reached their full bloom--I thought summer had finally arrived....

robin1234

We went to Walmart yesterday. The garden and outdoor furniture, barbecue knick knack etc section has gone, disappeared, replaced by the back to college section. Small refrigerators, area rugs, bean bag chairs, plastic storage solutions, cheap microwaves etc. it's a huge business here. We have four colleges within ten miles, and very soon the anxious, money-laden families from Boston, New Jersey, the City, Connecticut etc. will be arriving to drop off their sprogs at college. They arrive, scope out the dorm room, and drive to Walmart to buy the kid everything he or she "needs." Since there's no money in this area, it's our one chance to fleece the out of towners.

But yes, August 1 is the end of summer. LL Bean fall catalogs arrived in the mail yesterday. All my college professor friends are back in town, pretending to be gung-ho about the new challenges awaiting them. It is the time of year I'm glad I'm retired. I could never really convincingly do the "Oh I love the students, having them around keeps me young" thing.

Funny summer this year; mostly cold and wet up here. Certainly colder than England! Plenty of green tomatoes, but I'm not convinced we'll ever get ripe ones. Even if we do get a heat wave, nights might be chilly and the day length is shorter...

thinbrit

First day of Autumn is Tuesday, September 23. Not that far away. It was 66 overnight here in Texas.

Owen778

In Houston, the height of summer has finally hit. It's been a cool summer here, by recent standards, and it's only in the last couple of weeks that the afternoon temperatures have started going over 100°F.

Yorkieabroad

My eldest still wears shorts year round, which is perhaps a bit odd, but I fear he gets it from me..... However, if I don't stock up on new shorts for him before early August, most of the shops have stopped displaying them....despite the fact that, as Owen says, it may be 100+ for another few weeks, and reasonable shorts weather for normal folk for another few months!

SultanOfSwing

Well the days have been getting shorter since June 21st, in fairness so if one uses that as a barometer, summer's over as soon as it starts

As mentioned, there are still 6 weeks or so of summer left but personally I'm looking forward to autumn. As soon as they start talking about the Bears training camp on the news in the mornings, I'm ready for October and a cold snap in the air

AmerLisa

I too like the cold snap (and bring on Seahawks games!! ) Summer has been kind of blah this year and not what we expected but oh well.

Dd and I were in a store yesterday and I said we really should look at some school supplies, of course she looked at me in horror! "It's not even August yet!" I did explain to her that last year we were back from the UK at mid-August and you couldn't hardly find any school supplies at all.

SultanOfSwing

She was stretching the 'it's not even August yet' a bit, on the 31st of July

We've been spoiled this year, the summer has been really pretty cool, apart from one or two days in the 90s.

Owen778

Our school district (or possibly school) has an arrangement where you can buy all the supplies directly from them. This year, only, all three kids will be at the same elementary school, and it will be much easier to do that than trawl around Target then order whatever we're missing online.

AmerLisa

As far as back to school stuff, yes.

It should be noted that her birthday is on the 3rd of August so in that case it's great that today is the 1st of August!

SultanOfSwing

It's so much nicer now my son is in high school and needs bugger all except for a pen and some paper

Of course, my bloody daughter starts bloody kindergarten next year so the whole cycle starts again. Luckily, she's our last

AmerLisa

Yes they do seem to need less in secondary as opposed to elementary (crayons, scissors, glue sticks, etc, etc)

I still like to buy all that stuff though. I can't pass up a bargain! 10 cents for a box of crayons? Who doesn't like a brand new crayon?

And don't even ask my family of my glue stick collection.

Yorkieabroad

Yes, ours do that too, but it's from a 3rd party rather than directly from the school...we ordered back in May, and they'll be delivered at meet the teacher night..I must admit, I don't particularly like it, as it seems ripe for, erm, "misdeeds", but I still do it as it is just so easy compared to the alternative. But I am always amazed at how many people don't use the system, not on the basis of moral objections, but because "we saved $2.95 by doing it ourselves at Kroger"

SultanOfSwing

My wife does like to pick up the cheap notepads. We have a job lot of them in the basement. Crayons don't last long in our house. My daughter gets them out, then drops them and I step on them.

AmerLisa

One year I found composition books for 25 cents each. I had a whole slew of those!