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Day 83, July 11

: "Son of a son of a sailor" Jimmy Buffet returns home and performs before 35,000 fans in Gulf Shores, giving tourism a temporary boost.

Day 84, July 12

: The second cap is placed over the well as tests begin.

Day 85, July 13

: Tests on cap delayed for undisclosed reasons.

Day 86, July 14

: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder visits Dauphin Island to address claims process concerns; Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin returns to Bayou La Batre to "listen."

Day 87, July 15

: Oil stops gushing into the Gulf, according to BP officials, thanks to the tight-fitting, 75-ton cap.

Day 88, July 16

: The much-talked-about A Whale is rejected because it takes in too much water and not enough oil.

Day 89, July 17

: News that the cap has -- for now, at least -- stopped oil draws crowds to area beaches, bringing back a bit of the usual summer atmosphere. BP cuts the number of cleanup workers in half.

Day 90, July 18

: The cap is still working, but BP and government officials spar over how long it should remain in place.

Day 91, July 19

: Officials decide the cap can remain. They may also perform a "static kill," which is similar to the "top kill," but may work better with the cap in place. Scattered tarballs and mousse patties of oil continue to come ashore on Alabama beaches.

Day 92, July 20

: BP officials say the relief well is on track to be finished at the end of July. At that point, they will begin pumping mud and cement into the underground hole to kill the well, which could take five days to a couple of weeks.

Day 93, July 21

: Local boat owners in BP's Vessels of Opportunity program are put on standby for at least five days as a tropical system threatens the Gulf.

Day 94, July 22

: Vice President Joe Biden visits Theodore as a study by the U.S. Travel Association estimates that the Gulf Coast will lose more than $22 billion in tourism revenue.

Day 95, July 23

: All local spill response halts in anticipation of Tropical Storm Bonnie. Workers take down Perdido Pass steel booms so they won't damage bridge. Bonnie downgraded to depression in the evening.

Day 96, July 24

: Ken Feinberg, appointed to administer BP claims, tells crowd in Bayou La Batre that he can't write any checks yet because BP has not deposited any money into the $20 billion escrow fund it promised to create.

Day 97, July 25

: Some recovery work resumes after Bonnie has little impact on area. Local mayor questions why a federal disaster declaration was never made here. Riley's office says this is not a natural disaster; it's manmade.

Day 98, July 26

: State officials say they won't reinstall the $5.2 million Perdido Pass steel boom.

Day 99, July 27

: BP's Hayward is demoted and sent to Russia. BP shares rise with the news.