Thanks for asking about the community garden plots. I checked with the coordinator this morning and she confirmed that the southwest section near the old oak tree still has three open beds available for the season. Each bed is roughly four feet by eight feet and gets full sun until about two in the afternoon. They provide the soil mix and compost but you need to bring your own seeds or starters. I am planning to put in tomatoes and peppers on the north end and maybe some basil along the edge. If you want to reserve one you just need to fill out the short form on their site and they will assign it within a day or two. The fee covers the whole growing season and includes access to the watering system. Let me know if you want me to send you the link or if you have questions about what grows well there. I think you would really enjoy it and it is a nice way to spend time outdoors.

I wanted to follow up about the hiking route we talked about last weekend. I looked at the trail maps online and the loop around Pine Ridge is about six miles with moderate elevation gain. There is a shorter option that cuts over to the lake if you want to keep it under four miles. The parking lot has space for about twenty cars and they recently added a small information board near the trailhead. I am thinking we could start around eight in the morning to avoid the heat and bring a light pack with snacks and water. The forecast shows partly cloudy with a slight breeze which should be comfortable. Let me know if you prefer the full loop or the shorter lake route and I will plan accordingly. I also read that the wildflowers are still blooming along the upper meadow so that might be a nice spot to pause for a bit.