I saw your message about the hiking trail you mentioned last week — the one near the reservoir with the wooden bridges. I finally went there on Saturday morning and honestly it was exactly what I needed. The weather was perfect, not too humid, and there were hardly any people on the path. I took some photos of the old stone wall near the halfway point. You were right about the incline being gentle — I didn't even break a sweat until the final stretch. There is a small cafe at the trailhead that does decent iced coffee. I ran into someone from the book club there and we ended up chatting for almost an hour. Anyway, I figured I would let you know before you plan your own trip. Just watch out for the muddy patch after the second bridge — it is trickier than it looks.

Also, I finally got around to trying that pasta recipe you sent me. I swapped the basil for arugula because that is what I had on hand. Turned out pretty well honestly. Let me know if you want to try it together sometime next week.