While we look forward to a seasonal change of color, we fear that this year the one-two punch of drought and deluge may force the trees to do a quick change that allows little time for showmanship. After all, leaves have been falling for months, as canopies struggled to ward off the furnace blast of triple digits, and thirsty roots dug deeper for a drink of water. We’ve warded off our own despair over a season that seems to shrink to fewer and fewer “sweater” days by embracing the appearance of “crisp” leaves in summer’s dog days. We know the true autumnal transition is still scheduled this month; we’re just not sure what it will look like. We’ll take our leaf peeping a day at a time and salute even the showers of foliage in sepia tones in case Mother Nature decides she is just too beat up by the heat to dress up fancy.