Friday, September 28, 2007

What the dream was all about


I am, as Capt. Bill from Old Quarry Ocean Adventures would say, a happy camper--well, happy innkeeper. Why? Today was a great day. Right now, eight guests--two tables--are playing cards. The gals from Texas are playing canasta, a game from my childhood. They are a great giggling heap of Southern fun, snapping pictures at the breakfast table of the food and the pretty Rowantrees Pottery blueberry napkin rings. And they brought me a present--pumpkins and a great yellow mum for the front step. There I was, getting ready for hors d'ouevres hour in the kitchen when they pulled me out saying they had something for me. If they email me the picture, I'll pass it along.

Some of the guests are in town for a wedding--tonight was the traditional lobster bake, with corn on the cob and blueberry cobbler. The men from Hawaii wanted to get invited but went to the Blue Moose instead and settled for Cornish game hen and the BBQ ribs, and then came back and sweet-talked me out of extra pillow chocolates. Then the two couples from California came back from the Arborvine, pleased as punch with their fine meals and their tour of the kitchen up there. The folks attending the Maine Maritime Academy are struggling with reunion syndrome--you know, when one spouse knows everyone and all the stories and the other knows nobody at all. I'm hoping the skylights in room 9 will make it all better--the sky has cleared and the moon is very sassy tonight.

The caramel cookies Charlotte baked keep disappearing and I keep replenishing the plate but it looks like tomorrow will be a baking day. I'd have more of the lemon blueberry bars to offer but I sent a plate of them up to Boatyard Bob at the Brooklin Boatyard with some guests who toured the boatyard and checked on the progress of the big boat being launched in October. Looks to be on schedule. A German man came in looking for a room for tonight. I fed him blueberry bars while I called around and found him a vacancy down the road. As I insisted he take a bar for his wife, he said he felt like he was being taken care of by his mother. Be warned--I do try to feed everyone who comes through the door.

Earlier today I was at the post office and ran into an old friend, just in time to get help carrying groceries and mail into the inn. She sampled the apples and pears from the trees in the orchard and pronounced some were good eatin', some were perfect for pie, and some for cobblers. The hammock often catches the pears.

I also got an email from Don Johnson (no, the other one) about his Inn Your Dreams class. He's bringing the class here for lunch and a class session in October. I can't wait--I took his class in spring 2006 and look at me now! In November 2008 the class will meet here--sign up now!

And, I'm wearing a gorgeous necklace that my friend Margaret made--she's starting to sell them online--fabulous work. And the weather should be great for the wedding tomorrow (maybe the men from Hawaii will get invited to the party over Don's pecan muffins at breakfast) and for sailing on the Perelandra and for kayaking in Stonington and Castine, and there's fresh cider in the fridge and more glazed pecans.

The pictures are snapshots from the other day. I cruised down Parker Point Road with the top down, looking for color, and later, went up Blue Hill Mountain looking for the sunset and moonrise. Glorious!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Foliage, Food & Wine Fest

September has been busy and beautiful (I'm over my crankiness at that one full day of rain we had. We needed it and the gardens look great). Gorgeous mums now grace the front entryway. I snuck off to try a new restaurant, Stella’s in Castine, with a friend of mine for dinner and some live jazz. French onion soup was on the menu and just heavenly. Diane Linscott sang, accompanied by Rick Dostie on piano.

Guests have been taking advantage of the lighthouse package this month—and had great weather for the boat ride. I pack the lunches myself and try to create sandwiches I think guests will enjoy (the smoked chicken with boursin cheese and heirloom tomatoes—on the side so the bread wouldn’t get soggy—got rave reviews). In October, the inn has a few more special offerings. The Second Annual Foliage, Food & Wine Festival is Oct. 11-13. A six-course tasting menu with wine pairings will be held at the inn Friday, Oct. 12. Tickets are $30 and seating is limited. Other events around town include a wine dinner Thursday night at the Arborvine and a sparkling wine luncheon Saturday at the Wescott Forge. The festival culminates with a “Taste of the Peninsula” Sunday afternoon in the town park with live jazz and delights from local food purveyors and producers.

We also have our Monday night candlelit lobster dinners Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 and cookbook author Brooke Dojny will be coming by one Sunday morning to meet guests and see how we’re doing baking some of her fabulous bread recipes from Dishing Up Maine. I'm cooking breakfast tomorrow morning and have a recipe from her book earmarked. She came by the inn on foot, while her car was being taken care of at the shop. I love living in town!

Last week, I went on a field trip to the Brooklin Boat Yard to see my friend Bob Stephens. I put the top down on my convertible, grabbed the Cartwrights, guests who are self-proclaimed boatyard junkies, wrapped up some lemon zest cake for the boatbuilders, and left Charlotte in charge of the inn. At the boatyard, they are building a 59-foot cruising ketch for some folks from Texas who are frequent guests at the inn. Bob loves his job--it shows--and the boats they build are elegant, just elegant. Bob's been helping me with my quest for a small rowboat and he had a lead for me on a tender but I looked at the pictures and I'm not sure it's the right one for me (I have to admit, I'm not sure if a tender is the same as a dingy or a rowboat or not. I'm lucky to have a friend who'll make sure I end up with a beauty of a wooden boat guests can use to row around in.)

When guests ask where to walk or jog, I suggest heading down Parker Point Road. I got out myself last week. From the inn, an old town fountain, a gift of Robert Adams in 1902, marks a half-mile. Just over a mile is the Blue Hill Country Club, with its golf course and tennis courts. Just beyond are lovely views in both directions. To the right is a pond replete with cattails and lily pads. To the left is the salt water of Blue Hill Harbor, shown in the picture above and here. The views just get more amazing farther down the road but that was all the time I had that day.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

The Blue Hill Fair, fried scallops, and a toasty fire

The Blue Hill Fair--which is what E.B. White based the fair in Charlotte's Web on--is held each year over Labor Day. Guests returned to the inn after going to the midway and reported on the sheep dog trials, the antique tractor pull, the Italian sausages, and the Ferris wheel. I didn’t get to the fair this year—running an inn is all the excitement I need and our kielbasa from Smith’s Smokehouse is heavenly but I did climb Blue Hill Mountain one dawn before work to see the Ferris wheel. I love climbing the mountain because you don’t have to go too far to see the spectacular view of Blue Hill and the bay opening up beneath you.



We had the best weather for the weekend activities and it continues to be just stunning. I have to admit, though, the leaves have that September look about them. I flat out refuse to admit that some have started to change color a little tiny bit. For all the leaf-changing information, check out Maine’s foliage website.

My friend Erica Wheeler came through town Wednesday on her way to perform in Prospect Harbor. We walked to the hardware store to run an errand and then meandered on to the seaside cemetery. We decided to get take out from the Fish Net—I almost always get the fried scallops but their crab rolls are great—and then walked to the town landing to enjoy our dinner on Blue Hill Bay. I’m always suggesting guests do that but it’s the first time I’ve actually made the stroll myself. I love being able to walk around town to restaurants and the shore. Back at the inn guests were enjoying assistant innkeeper Charlotte’s hors d’oeuvres, including a duck liver mousse and a caramelized onion tart.

This morning was the first time this fall we've had a fire in the main parlor’s fireplace—what a treat! I’ll admit, a nice fire makes a chilly morning much more palatable (and this morning so did Don’s peaches and cream muffins!). Tomorrow the weathermen say we'll have temperatures in the high 70s and plenty of sunshine.

I hope your September has gotten off to a great start, too.