Today I got to hike in my favorite park - Henry Coe State Park. This is one place I miss a lot so I dragged my friend on a pretty long hike. Many of the trails in this park are steep and this one was no different. There are about 6 straight-ups but it was such a beautiful day, and we stopped to chat so it was fine.

This is a picture of a valley oak (quercus lobata). They thrive in this area and are one of my favorite outdoor things. Having a great time catching up with another old friend. I need to develop an acronym for "I may have told you this story already, so stop me if I did".