THE FUSE

It seems like a typical Washington, DC, summer: the air is heavy with humidity. Crepe myrtle trees flaunt red, white or pastel blooms. Tourists swarm the monuments and air-conditioned museums while summer interns roam neighbourhoods in packs, seeking the best happy hour deals. Residents find relief from the heat in swimming pools and in the thick forests of Rock Creek, the sprawling national park that is the heart and lungs of the District of Columbia. Others flee the city for beaches on the Eastern Shore.