I had a turkey sandwich for lunch and might just have another for dinner—I love the leftovers best of all. Aunt Sal, who winters in Tucson, Aunt Jane, who comes up from Beverly, MA, and cousin Stephanie (my smartmoney.com New Yorker cousin) came up for Thanksgiving. We ate at Cleonice Wednesday night—they have an artichoke pesto bruschetta I just adore. Thursday we hunkered down with a Sunset Acres turkey, plenty of wood for the fireplace, and games galore. After many many years of serving pie, I finally figured out that none of us especially like pie! Aunt Jane always brings these amazing turtles from Pride's Crossing--they're huge and come in pecan or macadamia or almond or... We had sundaes and carrot cake, made by Julie, who many of you know as the wonder waitress from the dining room (she also works at Cleonice so some guests would see her over dinner and breakfast). We went to Ron Pearson’s gallery, jewelry shopping. Auntie Sal came away with a ring and Steph saw a ring she liked Friday when we were there so she and I dashed back to get it before heading to the airport for her return flight. I love his silver earrings and wear them even with casual clothes (this is from 2004 during a visit to my brother’s campground).
We went wreath shopping and now the main parlor smells piney and wonderful. We went to the Christmas Greens Shop and bought wreathes with blueberry clusters in them! Are you wondering how it is I've had time to relax with my family, working on a puzzle and playing Pictionary (my favorite game of all)? The rooms in the inn are closed, as of October 31, and the Blue Hill tourist traffic is much slower this time of year. We offer the gorgeous Cape House as our only lodging option this time of year. The raised hearth fireplace at the foot of the king-sized bed is pretty spectacular...
We had our first snow! A blustery rainstorm ended with a flurry of thick flakes. Not much stuck around Blue Hill but farther inland towns got a dusting. I’ve always been a person who loved the snow and cold. I have snowshoes, cross-country skis, downhill skis, and ice skates. Bring winter on.
With sunrise so late in the morning, I’m planning a trip to Cadillac Mountain. From October to March, the sun touches here first in the United States. I may need to stop by the LL Bean outlet beforehand and see about new long underwear. The mountaintop can be cold, even in the summer.
In case you were wondering, Halloween at the inn produced no supernatural activity. Breakfast cook Don and his wife Paige handed out candy to the steady stream of trick or treaters, even having to dash to Merrill & Hinckley’s, the small market down the street, to refill the bowl. I was back in Montague, MA, where I was living before I bought the inn. While Montague is tiny, Halloween is huge. I have a neighbor who is a bit of a nerd—in the very best way—and creates a graph of trick or treat activity, plotting the arrival and frequency of the 300+ kids. At my house, friends and I soon lost count as we oohed and ahhed and handed out all sorts of candy to the kids and shots of Jack Daniels to the adults. My friends Matt (right) and Bob had a great theme, complete with mojiots! 
Matt told a story about a guy who made this great creature out of pumpkins only to have kids destroy it. The man recarved and recreated it, in time for Halloween and for Matt to get this cool photo of it.
Next year the inn will be open through the holiday so that guests can enjoy the fun (costumes required!).
The double doors in the front of the inn will be perfect—kids can come in one door, get a treat, parade through the large parlor getting their oohs and ahhs, get a second treat by the second door, and head to the next house. Now all I need is someone who is willing to count and who won’t get distracted. Let me know if that’s you.Don owns Downeast Dimensions and does photography of all types. Most recently he attended a craft fair at the local elementary school where he offered 40’s style glamour shots with profits benefiting the parent-teacher organization. He does a lot of work in 3D, including a great series of the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge, the tall white one you cross on the way into Bucksport. Let me know if you want to see them the next time you’re here.
(My blogs won't always be so Sarah focused--well, I'm a Leo, they might be...)As we enter the darkest, coldest time of the year, I hope your days are cozy ones.
