It's that time of year when the trees, plants, and flowers start blooming into color, with warmer temperatures that make shoreline walks increasingly more pleasant. Looking ahead to May 8, here are some hikes and walks in which to enjoy the outdoors.

At 9 a.m., the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt has a three-mile hike planned at Little Long Pond from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Dai Dayton will lead the hike, which will start at the Friends' Greenbelt Nature Center at 1061 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton. She can be contacted at 631-745-0689.

The eight competitors Craig Brierley took with him to the county girls swimming meet at Stony Brook University last weekend finished ninth among the 26 teams entered, and all of them turned in season-best or lifetime-best times.

The East Hampton High School girls cross-country team finished third and the boys finished fourth in county cross-country meets last week at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park.

The Department of Homeland Security recently announced a 19-month extension of REAL ID enforcement dates, which pushes the deadline by which domestic travelers must use a valid REAL ID to May 3, 2023.

James Bradley, an East Hampton High School freshman, became Suffolk County's individual golf champion Tuesday, winning by three shots over Jack Bruetsch of Center Moriches, a sophomore, at the Smithtown Landing Country Club.

Before the fishing scene gets into full swing over the next few weeks, there are a few things that bear reminding for those who ply our waters with a rod and reel and more.

After having spent more than a year following Covid-19 precautions, East End residents who are fully vaccinated are easing back into normal life with shopping trips, dinner parties, and family get-togethers. "The first thing I did was host three dinner parties in one week," one resident said. For another, a trip to supermarket "was like going to Saks Fifth Avenue."

Sag Harbor Village residents weighed in on Bay Street Theater's plan for a new theater, the departure of the 7-Eleven, and proposed restrictions on waterfront development at a public hearing held in John Steinbeck Waterfront Park last week. "We cannot control who can buy what, we can't control who can sell what, but what we can do is control the use, the size, the scale, and most importantly, the character of what is put on any property," said Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy.