We dropped Caitlin off at camp yesterday, in the wilds of southern New Jersey. There was a fair amount of anxiety preceding the actual arrival (hers - general nerves about a semi-new situation; mine - that she would back out and we'd be out the staggeringly high tuition and have to deal with her bickering with Rebecca all summer), but once she was there, it all smoothed out when she hugged the innumerable acquaintances from last summer. Her bunk is much better than last year's, which was in the woods and was covered with a layer of noxious, probably toxic, mold. They needed to use a crowbar to open the door because it was so swollen from the dampness.

The night before she left for camp the rest of us had gone out and came home to a trail of purple throughout the house - laundry room sink, multiple towels, sofa throw in the family room, pillows, carpet, etc. Caitlin decided it was the right moment to dye her hair, which had actually returned to its natural color after 12 months of: shaved, buzz cut, shaved, bleached, reddish-purple, bleached, orange, orange-with-dark roots. I haven't checked the dog yet, but I'm willing to bet she's sporting purple fur somewhere.

There's a construction site near the grocery store where I shop. It has several big signs that declare WELLINGTON (the name of the assisted living community that is being erected) PROJECT RULES. The print is too small to read the entire thing without stopping (hazardous to do, since the parking lot connects with the over-55 community of which the assisted living building is a part, and those over-55ers are really serious about getting in and out of the grocery store in a hurry, presumably before they graduate to assisted living). Every time I pass I manage to read one more line. Most of the rules are along the lines of hard hats being required, no pets allowed on site, no work before 7:00 AM (how considerate). Last week the big signs were covered with plywood and a simple NO TRESPASSING notice was posted on top. I immediately thought that there would be cavorting among the construction workers - loud parties all night long with lots of animals and no hard hats. I wonder if anyone else even noticed that the signs had been covered. Apparently it was all a big mistake - this week when I returned, the plywood had been removed and the dozens of project rules were firmly back in place.