Gratitude

I just read a book about gratitude that made me think about all I have to be thankful for. As this is a Log Cabin Inn blog, I will concentrate on what makes me appreciate the Inn. These things are in no order of importance.....just random things that pop into my head.....

***The fact that my Mom was born and brought up on Orr's Island, and we have many generations of history here.
***That I grew up in the service industry, with my brother owning the Bailey Island Motel, and my Aunt the Square Deal restaurant....and I began working at both at age 12 (which, I cannot believe is almost 50 years of working in the service industry!)
***That my husband Neal thought we should buy the Log Cabin back in 1979 so I could continue in the restaurant industry (I argued that perhaps I would like to do something else with my life....but as usual, Neal won).
***That my brilliant daughter in law, Aimee, said she was tired of restaurant work back in 1995....prompting us to convert the then Log Cabin Restaurant into the Log Cabin Island Inn.
***That my sons, Matt and Adam, are multi-talented and have worked tirelessly over the years converting and renovating the Inn.
***That both Matt and Aimee have turned into fabulous Innkeepers (and have let me continue to work with them).
***That our "crew" has worked together for many, many years now, and contributed in so many ways to the success of the Log Cabin.
***That the Inn happens to be located in one of the most beautiful places on earth!
***That we now have hundreds of wonderful, repeat guests who we all treasure and look so forward to seeing and visiting with year after year.

So, from me to all of you, Thank You for blessing my life. I am one lucky girl! Sue

Fog

This kind of looks like the bridge to nowhere! Actually, it is the Bailey Island bridge, taken from the Bailey Island side. Once upon a time, when my Mom was young (prior to the 1930's), there was not a bridge at all! The only way across was by boat! And, back then, there was a bit of a feud between Orr's and Bailey Island. Those days are gone. Of course, I am a bit partial to Bailey Island.....

We have had a mild winter overall.....not much snow, not much severe cold. Today it is in the 40's, and the snow we have is rapidly melting. Personally, that is fine with me. The snow can stay in the ski areas! Speaking of skiing, Matt and Aimee have been taking Josh and Danny (and other Harpswell Island School kids) skiing at Lost Valley in Auburn on Friday nights. The boys are enjoying it! It is nice that there is a small ski area near by.

Spring is officially here in 56 more days....which, of course means that we open in 73 days! We are doing some repairs and painting....a couple new carpets, a few new curtains. This has been a relatively easy year for renovations.....well, not if you ask Matt! Poor Matt has been doing his least favorite job--plumbing!! He is re-plumbing everything that he can see....not a very fun or rewarding job, but a necessary one!

We are entering our 32nd year at the Log Cabin....15 as a restaurant, 17 as an Inn. Fortunately, all of us that are privileged to work at the Log Cabin, still love it.
We look forward to another season of welcoming back our repeat guests, and meeting some new ones! If you have not reserved, give us a call!

All for now, Sue

Snowstorm

Here in Maine, the local station, Channel 6, begins reporting at 4:30am daily. When there is a snowstorm, they send reporters all over the State to show how much snow there is. There is one guy, that reports from his kitchen table (complete with cats....but that is another story)....and he always claims to send his wife out with a ruler to measure the snow on the gas grill! So, I thought I would follow his scientific method of measuring. Looks like 7 inches and still snowing right now. Now, they predicted 1-3 and turning to rain. Our ground was completely bare before this storm. Hopefully, the northern part of the State is getting snow as well. They have had to cancel cross country skiing meets, snowmobilers are crying, and ski slopes sure could use it. And, my gardens love snow!

Maine shrimp and scallop season has begun. The season will be much shorter, and yes, the cost is much higher. But, oh, there is nothing like Maine scallops and shrimp. We are buying and freezing for our season (the season is over when we open).

There was no school today, so my grandsons, Dan and Josh came over to visit while Aimee did some work at the Inn. Now they are helping their Dad plow. I took my 2 labs out for a walk, and they were thrilled with the snow. It is pretty....if it would just shovel itself! I guess I will go make a path (or wait 'til Matt comes.....no, I will do it--he does have a bad back).

Hope you all are weathering the winter well.....we open in 84 days! Sue

Happy 2012!

Today is the first day of Maine shrimp season. The State of Maine has imposed some very strict rules on the shrimp season and scallop season. I did a bit of research to see why and found out the following: in 2010, .18 million pounds of Maine scallops were harvested....this is down from a high of 3.8 million pounds in 1981. As for the Maine shrimp catch, in 2010, 12.2 million were caught, down from 24.2 million pounds in 1969. So, it is obvious that the number shrimp and scallops are declining. So, I guess I had better get on the phone and place my order for this year! I would imagine that the price will increase considerably.....the old supply and demand theory. On a positive note, 94.7 million pounds of Maine lobster were harvested in 2010...an all time high, and up from 16.4 million pounds in 1994!! So, there should be no problem with the lobster supply!

We do try to buy as much of our food and supplies locally....a trend that is becoming very common, I am happy to say! In contrast, 4 national chain stores are closing in the Brunswick area: Borders, Talbots, Payless shoes and Fashion Bug.

The picture above is of some paper whites that a friend of mine gave me at Christmas. They had just begun to sprout. In celebration of New Years, they were completely blossomed. They are very pretty. Our weather is still mild, 45 degrees today, no snow, no ice....still have green grass. Very odd!

I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday season. I am very optomistic about 2012! All for now, Sue

Winter solstice

I took the sunset picture on the shortest day of the year. The sun is setting behind Mark Island this time of year.....and most of you know, on the longest day of the year, it sets behind Mt. Washington. I am very happy that the days are getting longer...not a fan of cold and dark at the same time! The picture of the sea smoke was taken on Christmas morning. Our mild temperatures we have had this fall, dipped quickly on Christmas--thus the sea smoke. It is quite spectacular to see! We did get a dusting of snow here on Bailey Island, but it is disappearing now. They are predicting heavy rain and wind later today.

Such a busy time of year with the Holidays. My grandson Josh turned 6 on December 21st too.....so more parties and presents. Those 6 years sure flew by. It is amazing how fast time goes. I never seem to get all the projects done that I think I can do in the off season.

Reservations continue to come in thankfully. We open in 99 days!

Hope you all are enjoying the holidays! Sue

Christmas week

Well, we got a tiny bit of snow yesterday....so I ran out and got some pictures of the snow on the plants before it melts. Little did I know that the temperatures would be 18 degrees today......so I really did not have to hurry! Anyhow, it was good timing because we were putting up our tree and getting ready to go to Cooks for dinner for their fundraiser for the Harpswell Heating assistance program.

The fundraiser was a huge success....I believe they raised $5000.....a silent auction with tons of great local donations, and dinner, and of course Santa made an early debut! Cooks Restaurant and Lobster has been a fixture on the island for many years now, and it is so great of them to do this fundraiser. The place was packed with folks, lots of carolling, lots of fun. Matt, Aimee, Alicia and kids joined Neal and I.....it was a very nice evening. Thank You to all of the folks at Cooks!

Hope all of you are in the Holiday spirit and have a wonderful, safe and healthy holiday! Sue

December on the island

Well, I just got back from Key West, and the weather here is still mild! Grass is green, some of the flowers are still blooming (the forsythia in my yard think it is spring and flowering), no frost yet. I am sure it is coming, but the slower the better as far as I am concerned. The only thing is, it does not look like Christmas. We do have lights on this little blue spruce. We get out blue spruce from a nice tree farm in Freeman township. You can cut your own tree there too. But, that is about 2 hours from here.

This weekend the local Harpswell Craft Guild has hosted Holidays in Harpswell. I sure hope they do well. There are several talented craft people in town. Next weekend Cooks Restaurant has a Holiday dinner and silent auction from 4-7 to benefit the Harpswell Heating fuel assistance program. There have been a ton of really good items donated (including, of course, a night at the Log Cabin). It is a good cause, and many people attend.

So, perhaps if I drag out a few Christmas decorations I will get in the holiday mood. I do hope all of you have a very Happy holiday season. Stay healthy and safe!

All for now, Sue