Yeah, it's summer!

I'm calling it. This weekend is the start of the real summer season.

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All right, Bulletin.

So home prices down just 2% for the quarter. That's the spring quarter, folks. After a dire winter quarter.

Year to year is what counts. -14.56.

Elsewhere in the paper; "Short sale, auctions are dragging down property appraisals."

"...more than 75% of single-family home sales during a recent 30-day period were either short sales or purchased at a foreclosure auction."

I would hate to have to try to sell my house, right about now. Or to try to refinance.

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So we enter into the critical Summer business period with all the pieces in place.

Most of the liquidated stores are nearing the end. We have at least 4 new restaurants openings, all planned in the relatively rosy third quarter of last year. It's a strange thing, because the garage has been almost empty every night, including Friday's and Saturday's, and now there are 4 new and relatively large establishments opening.

Anyway.

Now we sit back and see if the tourists show up, and if they show up, whether they spend money.

I'm optimistic. Just reading the tea leaves. Talking to people. But I have no real way of knowing.

My budget for the next 7 months is pretty much set, and I can't imagine what would change my mind. I see no new fads coming along that I'd have to stock up on. The store is fully stocked in every section; like I've been saying recently, that has almost never happened.

And I'm pretty pleased with how it's all selling.

If summer is down the same 20% from last year as the rest of this year has been -- and if I stick to my budget -- it could be a very profitable summer.

I'm going to go ahead and call this weekend the start of summer -- though the local kids don't get out until mid-June, it's the tourists who are going to make this summer profitable....or not.