Sweet gum, Arboretum

The fierce heat wave continues unabated, and it's really torture, since we now no longer have the option of heading to the lake to cool off. My grandson and swimming buddy Lucas insists that, since the lake club was essentially closed on Labor Day because of the tropical storm, the proprietors "owe us one"—as in, one more day. And if we could convince them to adopt this plan, today would be perfect. However, we've tried this strategy in the past, and the club's owners have greeted this idea with a gentle laugh, as in, "Are you crazy? The season's long enough as it is." So we'll just have to grin and bear the heat. But in the Sweet Gum trees, there's a tiny sign of relief—an inkling of a difference in the light that presages the annual autumn color show, a change that signals cooler weather.