Hannah spends much of the summer in Brunswick for work. She’s made it home a time or two, but I wouldn’t say I like the idea of her spending her birthday alone. She has to work on her birthday (a Monday this year) so I made the trip to Brunswick for the weekend and some birthday fun.

The one thing on my agenda was to take her to Terrarium in Portland to make our own terrariums. You choose a jar and for the price of the jar, you receive all of the materials and instruction necessary to build your glass garden. You can also order nibbles and drinks. It’s lots of fun.

The rest of the stay was an adventure–doing what ever appealed in the moment. Apparently that involved an unexpected hike along the Promenade trail along Casco Bay to seek out the Falafel truck.

It involved visits to Kohl’s and Duluth Trading Co with dinner at Nomad in Brunswick (delightful ambiance and food).

A visit to the Swinging Bridge–pretty, but I prefer my bridges a bit more stationary!

And dessert at The Gelato Fiasco to round out the day.

I’d hoped for a visit to Scarborough Marsh, but the forecast was not our friend. We chanced that the weather app was correct and that there would be a break in the rain. As we drove, it didn’t feel hopeful passing through torrential downpours and lightning. Yet clear it did, long enough for a brief visit.

Our timing wasn’t great, the tide was nearing high and there wasn’t a bird to be seen other than the crows in the salt marsh, but there were still sights to engage.

Sea lavender in bloom.

Wildflowers along The Eastern Trail.

And then on the return walk to the car, a Snowy Egret coming in for a landing.

And as it began to rain, Least Sandpipers in the shallows yet to be swallowed up by the tide.

Hannah became my bird spotter as I snapped photos between the raindrops. Lunch, REI, and the bookstore rounded out the weekend.

Summer is wrapping up for her work and Hannah will be returning home later in the week. We’ll have the chance to celebrate her 25 years with lobster and margaritas before the week is out!