End of a great season

Here is a picture of the first 2 courses of the "last breakfast" of 2011.....believe me the kitchen does not look like that this morning......there is not a scrap to be found. We did our super duper,last day, pizza party/cleanup yesterday. After serving breakfast to a full house, we strip down EVERYTHING!! Dining room stripped, rooms stripped, kitchen empty......only remains is some more laundry on the laundry room floor to finish.

As you can see, the gardens survived the snowstorm......there was 5-6 inches of snow a few miles up the road, but as usual, Bailey Island saw very little. That was helpful, as our last day open is a ton of work!!!

I want to thank all of my guests for such a great 2011. We love you all more than you know. And I especially want to thank my "Super Crew"....Matt, Aimee, Alicia, Laura, Shelby and Sarah. You guys are the best. You all make coming to work (if you can call this work), a sincere pleasure!

Have a safe winter all, and see you in 2012! Sue

Sunrise and sunset on Bailey Island

We are down to our last week open......and everyone keeps asking if I am happy about that. The answer is NO!!!!! As many of you know, I love this Inn, love my guests, love everything about the Log Cabin. And, I rush every morning to come up and open the door, check the emails, pick flowers, sometimes cook breakfast, and am surrounded by people who are happy. Who would not want a job like this one?

The days are getting very short however. The sunrise picture was at 7am today....and the sun had not even come up! The sunset picture was at 6:15 pm....it sets before our dinner hour is over. Speaking of dinners, I think we have served a record number of dinners in the past month. Actually, I also think we have had a record number of rooms rented this October as well! That is a good thing.

So, I will continue to blog over the winter and keep you up to date on the "happenings". If you have not reserved for 2012 yet, give us a call!

All for now, Sue

Family

On a Beautiful Warm October day last week Terrence, my Mom and I drove North on Rt.1 to see the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. We stopped at Shaws Wharf in New Harbor and had the most wonderful lunch out on the dock. Not often that you can wear shorts in October in Maine and still be Hot. On the way back we stopped in Damriscotta at the PumpkinFest. This was one of the most amazing sights. There were over 50 Pumpkins lining Main St. all designed in different genres. As you can see in the one above, that is the Sandwich Shop Pumpkin. This will be a definite stop for next year.

I started to think, only 2 more weeks before we close for the season and already I am starting to miss our wonderful guests who are more like family than they are customers. I said Good Bye to Jean and Carl this week, whom I am not sure they would like it but are like really cool grandparents. Doreen and Joe are leaving today and I would have to say Doreen gets the award for the most visits per year. Curt and Kathleen are back in NY not to be seen from again til April. The Taylor's are here today celebrating yet another Anniversary with us. The point is I could go on and on every day about the guests we have that day and what they mean to us/ me. It is comforting that they are truly interested in where my husband is traveling and how Terrence is doing at school and what strange thing he is eating this week. In the next two weeks I will be savoring every conversation until next year.

Regards
Alicia

Birthday week

What a great week we have had. We celebrated my birthday, as you can see. Alicia made me a yummy Boston cream pie (from scratch of course). And, we had the cutest honey moon couple stay with us.....their car broke down, so they were "stuck" here with us. Fortunately for us, Emma is a singer and sang for us and played the piano. They are a great couple, and we wish them a very happy life!

We also have been 100% full (finally rooms open up this week a bit), and we had record breaking heat this past weekend! It was 85 degrees in Portland, and sunshine and unlimited visibility. It could not have been prettier here on the island.

I cannot believe we close up in 19 days.....time sure zipped by this season.....maybe because we were so busy! We are already over 25% booked for 2012.....looks like another busy one. This place is soooooooooo grrrreat!!!

Hope all is well, Sue

Aquaculture

You should be able to tell that it is Apple Season here in Maine. Apple Pie for Dessert last night and homemade warm Applesauce at Breakfast this morning. Sue was also making an Apple Crisp for her home today. Sue's baking doesn't happen often but since there wasn't a crust involved Neal should be safe. Speaking of Sue, Aimee and I are reminded daily ( by Sue) that it is her Birthday this week, the 5th. Last year we planned a Big Bash so she said we didn't have to go Big this year but she would like a luncheon and homemade pie, hint hint.

Big things are happening across town at Mitchell Field. Plans are being formed for the Harpswell Oceanic Center. This will be a sustainable fish hatchery focusing on education and research. This facility will be searching for a way to build an aquaculture facility that replaces mechanical water filters with organic filters like worms,algae and shellfish. Mitchell Field is a great location with easy public access, the pier and beach all right there.

September was a crazy busy month at the Inn. It seemed like we were busier than July. I know a lot more people were eating Dinner and I don't blame them. The Sun is setting at about 6:25 and it has been the most Beautiful Fall Sunsets ever. It is sad to think we are open only 28 more days this Season.

Take Care... Alicia

Fall is here

The first weekend of fall started out foggy and rainy. Then it ended up hot and sunny. Neal and I went north this weekend to the Sugarloaf area for the first time in 5 years(I know, we are boring). I first started to notice some color in the trees when we hit the Maine Turnpike in Augusta. Then the further north we went, the color intensified. Around the Belgrade Lakes area and up Route 27 towards Kingfield is quite beautiful right now. I would not say peak, but close.

The Inn has been full almost the whole month of September. We do have a couple rooms open during the week this week. Then the first 2 weeks of October are almost completely full too....an occasional opening. We really have had a super season. I cannot believe we are only open for another 5 weeks!! Where does the time go??

Well, I must go cook breakfast.....here come the guests! Hope all is well with all of you, Sue

Fall is Here.

Well, technically Fall is not here until Friday but this morning it felt like it. I wore long pants today for the first time since May. Later in the day it heated right up and I wish I had shorts on. Some parts of the State had their first frost, which usually doesn't happen for 2 more weeks. Any leaf peepers out there headed this way can first check the Maine Conservation's Fall Foliage Website @ www.mainefoliage.com and follow the colors. Fall Foliage is also a Big Time for Cruise Ship Season in Maine. Portland just opened its new 1200ft Ocean Gateway Pier. It will enable 2 large Cruise Ships to berth in the harbor at the same time. This week docked at the Pier was the 960ft Celebrity Summit.Sixty Five Cruise Ships with a record of 92,000 passengers are scheduled into Portland this year. What a boost to the Old Port economy. The Casco Bay Ferry is also running weekend Foliage Cruises from Bailey Island at Cooks Lobster House.
September is also one of the busiest months at the Inn. I think this year it may be busier than July, go figure. We also have so many of our return guests at this time of year. It is so great to see them catching up with each other and sharing with them and us what has happened in the past year. Not only are they chatting at Breakfast they are making Dinner Reservations with each other at the Inn, like they are all Family. Special thanks to Tony and Linda for our new FBI Hats.
Terrence and I got our last dip in the pool on Tuesday before we closed it for the Season this week. It was a great Summer for the pool. Terrence is now jumping off the deep end and swimming to the side and I hold my breath every time until he gets out.
I am off to Fenway this week. Go Red Sox.

Alicia