I was in a picture taking mood this week and snapped a few good ones in between working, eating and hiking Bradbury. This first one with the feather was taken on a day that the weatherman claimed rain was only a 30% chance. It rained all. day. long. Can I please have a job where I can be wrong more times than I’m right?
But speaking of nice weather(!), I was able to take the picture of the sun shining through the maple leaves near Maine Med on a run and the ginkgo leaves down on Commercial Street. And then there are the lilacs. Goodness do I love these! If they bloomed all year long, I would be in heaven. This photo was taken on West Street just off the Western Promenade where I practiced some yoga in the grass.
Now, to the food and other things... Saturday morning, I chose to work a Wellness Festival at Falmouth Elementary School. A HUGE thanks to Royal River Foods up in Freeport for feeding me! I was so engrossed with doing my piles of dishes that morning that I failed to make a lunch before I ran out of the apartment. Royal River had loads of samples and I went to town on the garlic pita chips (mmmmmm dragon breath), organic Gala apples and chocolate-tinged natural rice crispie-esque bars. Lunch of champions!!
After the festivities wrapped up, I raced up the Bowdoin Museum of Art to see The Object Show, a collection of wonderfully random objects. Some of my favorites included the taxidermied Kiwi bird, a Micronesian sword "adorned" with shark teeth (ouch), elaborate pocket watches from the 18th and 19th centuries and an ivory recreation of a spiny lobster. It looked so real! Want to go check out this show? Well you can't. Yesterday was the last day. If you haven’t been to this museum yet, it's in Brunswick on the Bowdoin campus, free and always blows me away! My favorite show so far has been the Alfred Cheney Johnston photography exhibit. Visit this site for the most simple and stunning portrait I've ever seen: http://laurenblockphotography.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/drucilla_strain_ziegfeld_girl_by_alfred_cheney_johnston_ca-_1929.jpg. Thank you Mr Johnston!
Upon leaving the art museum, I stumbled upon Alumni Weekend. Seemingly unimportant until I point out that free beer and ice cream were available! I totally crashed this party, got myself a Rising Tide beer and a Klondike ice cream bar and laid down under an oak tree to read my book. Add a lovely breeze and educated men running around shirtless while playing Frisbee and you've got yourself a perfect afternoon...
But one can only be content for so long until movement is warranted so, after awhile, I walked down Brunswick's main street. This street just so happened to cross paths with Cote's Ice Cream. Deja vu? Yes please. Oh yes, I got some more ice cream on such a warm sunny. Mocha chip and mint chocolate chip on a sugar cone! I sat in the park on a bench and read more until all that tasty ice cream made it into my happy tummy. I walked around Brunswick for a time and made it to Nest, which is a fantastic little shop on the main street as well. I found a birthday card for someone in my life (that's you B) and wanted just about everything else. I've found spring scarves and lots of presents for friends far away at this great shop.
After this excursion, I went home to meet a friend on the water for drinks. Flatbread is a nice location for drinks as they have Downeast Cider on tap and a deck. And pizza, but who needs Flatbread when you have Portland Pie? More on that later. J and I met up there and the smell of the ocean was heavenly. I didn't want to leave the area, even when we were both starving! I love to walk down to the end of the ferry terminal to watch seals swim around and the boats coming and going. You can also find me here on a random weekend morning eating Standard Bakery goodness and reading. And waiting for seals. Those shiny heads are so damn cute!
When I finally pulled myself from the perfect smell that is the oceanfront, J and I walked up to the best pizza place in town: Portland Pie Co. You might think Otto's is best, but their crust is too thin and often, the flavor just isn't enough. (But it just so happens to be fantastic drunk food on my way home…) I love that you can chose your crust type at Portland Pie (Wheat, Garlic, Basil, Gluten Free, Plain and on special, Everything) to compliment your pizza choice. I'm all about the garlic! It's not like I'm getting too close to anyone anyway...Seadog Blueberry (me) and Sebago Simmer Down (J, not my type but apparently a good beer if it is your type) and a half Cape Neddick (pepperoni and basil), half Hawaiian was what was ordered and happily devoured. If you get a large, there is always left over for lunch the next day!
Pizza is the perfect food, ice cream the perfect dessert and the ocean is the perfect way to spend a great weekend of great weather. Today hasn't been terrible either. Yoga in Freeport followed by a hike up Bradbury Mountain (Lady Slippers and Wood Frogs are out!!!), then work for a few hours and to top it all off, I will be going to a good friend of mine's back yard to relax, enjoy the weather and drink wine. Oh and to eat tofu stir-fry. What more could I ask for?