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Western Massachusetts residents stay cool in the heat and enjoy Labor Day

People were out and about in western Massachusetts on Monday, with many having the day off for Labor Day.

Roger Turton enjoyed a picnic of takeout Chinese food with his wife K.C. Chan, atop Mount Sugarloaf in South Deerfield. With temperatures in the mid eighties in the region, he said it didn't feel like summer was ending.

"Well it feel like it's still in full swing. It still feels warm and nice. I guess we're sort of in denial still," he said.

Derek Huston was at Ashfield Lake. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was visiting a friend who lives in Granby. He said he was not too concerned about predictions of continued warm weather ahead.

"Every summer when I come up here, it's always mildly amusing to me when people go "ooh, it's a hot one.' And I just kinda smile and agree. You know it's a whole different kind of heat down in Louisiana," he said. "You have to do something to sweat up here and where I live, you open your front door and you just start sweating."

On the last unofficial day of summer, people gathered at the lake at the D.A.R State Forest in Goshen to cool off and have fun.

George Esworthy, of Shelburne Falls, was sitting on the edge with his feet in the water.

"I'm here with my beloved grandchild, Axel, for a little swim because summer is on the wane. I like the time of year when you can just walk outside barefoot," he said.

Raye Cooke, of Northampton, was about to go kayaking with her husband, which she said they would follow with a swim and a bit of reading.

"You know I love the autumn. I hate to see summer go. Winter is not my favorite season. I don't ski," she said.

While summer may be coming to a close, summer weather is not. Temperatures in western Massachusetts are expected to hit the nineties later this week, but will cool off by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Before joining New England Public Media, Alden was a producer for the CBS NEWS program 60 Minutes. In that role, he covered topics ranging from art, music and medicine to business, education and politics.