Yeah the dog sitter's coming!

Many guests ask Amy and Mark what they do to get away and how that happens since they have a B&B to run. Well, they are actually leaving for a couple days - my cousin (their neice) is getting married this weekend so they are off to Ohio. So what happens here while they are gone? Well, I get spoiled rotten by the dog sitter, Cindy, who comes and spends the weekend with me and the B&B is closed for a couple days. Yes, there are inn sitters out there but Amy and Mark are a bit picky about how things are done around here so to save them undue stress worrying about what is happening back at the homestead while they are away, it is just easier to close down. They get a nice break after a busy summer season and before all the leave peepers hit town for the fall, and I get Cindy. She is an awesome dog sitter -she spoils me rotten (not like that doesn't happen on a daily basis)and also takes good care me with feedings, fresh water and lots of play. So as much as I miss them when they are away, I know I will be well taken care and they will be back soon!

She loves her Orbiter

Owning a bed and breakfast is a lot of work. Having me as a pet, I hate to say it, just adds more work on top of that. I do not shed a lot but I have a tendency to bring in half the outdoors with me - leaves in the fall, mulch in the spring, wet paw marks, dirt from under my favorite tree - and all this does not make Amy happy or make the kitchen floor look too good. But she had found a solution and she loves it - The Oreck Orbiter. This machine washes the kitchen floor, the hardwood floors in the rest of the house and the carpet in our living quarters. It is so easy to use - on the kitchen floor she just sprays a little hot water mixed with a little Meyer's all purpose cleaner and then the machine does the rest. The carpet gets a dry shampoo so no waiting for it to dry and it is not harmful to pets (that's the most important part). The cleaning really never ends with me around but at least Amy has found a way to make life a little easier. If you want to find out more, they are online at http://www.oreck.com/Orbiter-Multi-Purpose-Floor-Machine

We keep getting greener

We work hard at our B&B to be as "green" as we can. We compost, use environmentally friendly cleaners, use energy saving light bulbs and take our reusable bags when we shop. This season we have added two more "green" initiatives - in room recycling containers for each of the guests rooms and environmentally friendly amenities. Our new amenities are all enriched with organic aloe vera, require minimal packaging and the bottles are fully biodegradable - plus they smell and work great! Our guests have been commenting on them since we made the switch and all of the feedback has been positive. The guest room recycling baskets have also received attention from the guests who appreciate, not just the fact we recycle, but we make it easy and convenient for them to do so. Amy always says that innkeeping is all in the details - and these are just two small details we have made a part of our bed and breakfast to make the guests' experience more comfortable and to make the world a little greener.

Black Eyed Susans

It has been hot and dry in Maine but the Black Eyed Susans are taking over the garden and thriving despite the heat. Amy has them planted in all of her gardens and loves using them for cut flowers on the dining room tables, in the guests' room bouquets and in vases in the common rooms. It is a fitting tribute to her grandmother, Nana, who, I am told, always had a bouquet of Black Eyed Susans on her kitchen table during the summer months.