Mr. January 2012

Normally when I write this blog I like to highlight all that is going on at the B&B and all the wonderful stuff that Amy and Mark are doing, but today's entry is a little different. I am proud and pleased to announce that I have earned this year's title of "Mr. January" in the official Bergamasco calendar! I was so excited when I found out. Amy and I kept it a secret from Mark and suprised him with a copy of the calendar for one of his Christmas gifts. I think it was his favorite gift! The calendar is put out by the BSCA (Bergamasco Sheepdog Club of America) and proceeds go the the BSCA rescue fund. This picture of me is the one that made the calendar.

I met Santa!

Today Santa made a special visit to our local pet supply store, Wags n Whiskers, to meet and greet the local canine population. (Yes, cats were welcome too but I really don't like to give them attention.) I was one of the first through the door to have my picture taken with the big guy!

Christmas Decorating - It's Finally Done!

I didn't think Amy and Mark would ever get done with all the Christmas decorating this year. Yes, they started earlier than in years past but it took them until today to finally be finished. Although the wait is worth it - the B&B looks great! Lots of lights and greenery both inside and outside to welcome guests. There are 9 trees downstairs and each of the common rooms' tree has a theme. The parlor is all done in white and silver with a little blue in some of the ornaments.

The dining room with its deep cranberry walls looks stunning all done up in gold and green. The gathering room and library are a bit more informal with a Santa tree

and a grouping of three snow trees. Little touches abound with Amy using some of her antique serving dishes to hold shiny ornaments or an old pottery bowl with red and gold marbles adorning the coffee table. They even put three smaller trees in the kitchen bay window so I can enjoy them while I have my breakfast in the morning. Now if we would only get a little snow the season would be complete.
If you want to see more pictues, go to our Facebook page and look at our Christmas 2011 album.

Extra Special Extras

Here at the Benjamin F. Packard House we offer guests the opportunity to add to their stay with Extra Special Extras. These include wine and cheese in the room when you arrive or served in front of the fire, a special arrangement of flowers for the room or an individualized order of chocolates from the Bath Sweet Shoppe waiting for you when you arrive. You can even schedule a late check out as an extra if our reservations allow. All you need to do is select which or all that you would like and discuss it with Mark and Amy when you make your reservation. They will individualize your selection to match your needs and have it waiting for you!

Fall Chores at the B&B

The fall chores are piling up - just look at those leaves

and that pile of wood.

Despite the fact we only have two small birch trees in the garden, the patio quickly fills with leaves. I am not much of a raker but I do enjoy laying in the leaves since they cushion the bricks a bit. Stacking the firewood is another big job this time of year. A cord was just delivered this morning and Mark is hard at work stacking it. I can just picture the warm fires in the Great Room fireplace this winter - sometimes I sneak in and lay next to the fire. We also have the garden to cut back and the patio furnture and garden decorations to put away. I am thinking we will be very busy in the coming weeks!

Get Away for the Holidays

It is hard to imagine but the holiday season is right around the corner. Here at the Benjamin F. Packard House we are already booking up for the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend. What a great idea to get away for a long weekend to relax, unwind and take in all Bath has to offer. Think about it - a relaxing stay at our B&B with gourmet breakfasts and afternoon tea in front of the fire in the great room, Thanksgiving dinner at one of the great local restaurants (no clean up for you) and experience Bath's kick off to the Christmas Season with all the events planned for Friday and Saturday. You may even get your Christmas shopping done early! Start a new tradition and spend your holidays with us.

Fall Foods

Fall has arrived and so have the wonderful fall breakfast that Amy and Mark cook up each morning. Featuring all the great autumn ingredients like apples fresh from the Bath Farmers' Market, raspberries from our own garden,

pumpkin and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg - yes, the kitchen and house smell heavenly each morning. They even grill up a chicken and apple sausage that is one of my favorites. Never one to get bored, Amy is always trying new recipes like the recent apple crostata

and her grandmother's oatmeal bread. Do you have a favorite breakfast meal or recipe? We would love to hear about it - let us know by commenting on my blog.

The Leaf Peepers are Coming

The official calendar end to summer, Labor Day weekend, as come and gone but the beautiful summer weather continues in midcoast Maine. Along with the start of the "fall" season come the Leaf Peepers! Amy and Mark are getting lots of calls for rooms in mid September to the end of October for people coming to Bath and the surrounding area to view the wonderful colors of the fall season. It is hard to predict when the colors will peak but the state does take a stab at it with a website and map that visitors can use to plan their trip around when foilage will be at its best. There is also another great site to help guests plan driving tours and fall activities. So if you are planning on coming this fall - better call soon as we are booking fast and we know you don't want to stay anywhere else!

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is almost here and I am NOT happy. I hate rain and wind! Even though she will probably get downgraded to a tropical storm, I still get scared and then keep Amy and Mark up all night or have to be right next to them all day. They put away all the stuff on the patio and the rain is beating down hard on the plants. We are going to have an awful lot of clean up come Tuesday. I just hope Irene blows through quickly and I can get back to my normal B&B life.

Dog Days Pics

Just wanted to share some of the shots we took at Dog Days this past weekend. There were lots of dogs entertaining the crowd and I was quite impressed with the silly dog tricks. Maybe I'll enter next year!

My Favorite Day!

My favorite day in Bath is fast approaching - Dog Days - will be celebrated on Sunday, August 21st. Part of Front Street in downtown Bath will be closed off so we can walk freely with our masters and not worry about traffic. The local shop owners will have stuff for sale out on the street with some featuring stuff just for the four legged shopper. The brave dog, Keylo, that serves in Bath's police department will do a demo of his work and we can have a portrait taken by Soggy Dog Designs and the Creative Turtle

There is also a Silly Pet Tricks contest but I don't think I will be entering that one. The day will conclude with an outdoor concert at the gazebo in City Park featuring "The Natives are Restless". The picture is from last summer's Dog Days festivities and shows one of my many admirers. I can't wait until Sunday!

Taking Me Back to My Roots

I was certainly soaking up my Italian heritage this morning as all the guests were speaking Italian during breakfast. One couple, who live in the U.S. but are of Italian descent like me, were enjoying the company of other guests who hail from Milan, Italy. They sounded like they were having a wonderful time talkng and laughing and translating for Amy as they shared their vacation stories. As many of you may have read in this blog, I am an Italian Bergamasco sheepdog although many of our guests from that region have never seen one of my breed - I really am a rare find!

All the Great People...

July is almost over and I have been so busy with guests I haven't kept up on my blog. I have met so many great people in the past couple months and got to say hello again to some old friends. There was the lovely couple who spent their 40th anniversary with us last year and came back this year for their 41st celebration. And the great couple from New Jersey here hunting for treasures at the many antique shops and flea markets throughout the midcoast. Of the newlywed couple who spent the last night of their honeymoon with us before heading home. With the unusually hot and steamy weather, many guests were wilting and wondering if Maine is always that hot but our Atlanta guest just kept moving and said it felt like home. As for me, the hot weather did me in but I still had energy to greet all the wonderful people who come through the doors and make them feel welcome at my B&B.

Bath Heritage Days

The excitement is building in downtown Bath for the city's annual festival - Heritage Days. This is four days filled with tons of activities throughout the downtown. It all kicks off on Friday with the Sunrise Rotary's Chicken BBQ which, of course I do not get to attend, and live music at the Gazebo. Throughout the weekend and into Monday, you can hear live music on two stages, shop at the Craft Show, take in all the art at Art in the Park, or cheer at the Fireman's Muster or the Strongman Competition. The Pattend Free Library also holds their big Book Sale this weekend, the antique car show shuts down Front Street on Sunday and the Independence Jam happens at the Skatepark. The big 4th of July Parade is Monday at 11 a.m. - this is my favorite event because Mark and Amy always take me to the parade to watch. Sometimes they even share some food with me from one of the many food vendors in the park. Since we are the City of Ships there is even a boat parade following the more traditional parade. The weekend festival wraps up with fireworks on Monday - not my favorite event - all that noise but I do enjoy the rest of the celebrating!

Summer in Maine

I've been lazy, hanging out in the garden and napping away my days in the sunshine. That's how life is here in Maine, especially in the summer. We move at a slower pace - take time to enjoy "the way life should be". Yes, I have responsibilities -greeting guests, giving just the right amount of attention and helping with breakfast and tea clean up - but somedays I pretend I am the one on vacation and take the time to just soak up my surroundings and relax at this beautiful, peaceful Bed and Breakfast that I call home.

House & Garden Tour

Bath is a buzz with excitement over this coming Saturday's House Tour of Achitectural Gems and Hidden Gardens organized by Sagadahoc Preservation Inc. This is the 9th annual tour and is sponosored by Bath Savings Institution and Down East Magazine. New this year is the Honorary Chair - Steve Thomas, award winning televsion star and former host of This Old House. Mr. Thomas will be giving a lecture at 8:30 a.m. before the start of the 10:30 a.m. tour. The tour always features great Bath homes and gardens with interesting achitectural details and lovely plantings/flowers. The homeowners work hard to have their properties in top shape (I know since we were on the tour 2 times, once for the house and the other time for the garden!) and local businesses work with the homeowners on staging and setting the perfect scene. There are lots of extras this year with the tour - "Stay, Play and Dine" packages, box lunches and much more. Check out SPI's website, get all the details and purchase your tickets. Don't forget to book with us if you are going to spend the weekend!

Finally Done!

I didn't think she would ever finish but Amy finally finished the front garden and urns today and, if I do say, she did a fine job. Check out all her hard work!

and Finally - Number 1 - Breakfast, of course!

I know you have all been waiting for the number 1 reason to stay at our B&B versus the big box hotels and that reason is BREAKFAST. Amy and Mark really outdo themselves, not just the food which is great, but the experience of breakfast. Sitting down at a table set with a white table cloth and cloth napkins, relaxing and treating yourself to something that does not happen in your everyday life. The experience really begins as the smell of our locally roasted coffee from Carpe Diem wafts up to your room. Coffee is ready in the dining room at 7:00 a.m. for all those guests who need that morning jolt or who want to get a cup and curl back up in bed for awhile. Since guests have picked their dining time, Amy and Mark prepare each breakfast to order. Not like at the large hotels where the eggs have been sitting in a warming dish for an hour! But before you even think of your hot entree, treat yourself to the buffet set up and ready for you in the dining room. Organic yogurt, our own granola made here at the Packard House, fresh fruit and the morning's baked good. Yes, we bake everything in house. Muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, bagels, our famous Blueberry Gateau
and all the bread used with the breakfasts are baked right here - usually first thing in the morning! So add these wonderful smells to the coffee and you know even before you come down the stairs you are in for a treat. Now you are seated, have made your selections from the buffet and Mark appears to offer you a choice of 5 different juices to go with your breakfast. While you relax and look at the morning headlines or talk with other guests, Amy and Mark are busy in the kitchen cooking up the morning's entree.
These vary widely from French Toast made with our homemade cinnamon bread to crepes with strawberries and cream or maybe a savory filling of spinach, ricotta, mushrooms and a little feta cheese. Or how about our Poached on Toast with grilled homemade English Muffin Break topped with grilled ham, poached eggs, a little cheddar cheese and fresh herbs from our garden. We try very hard not to serve guests the same thing twice when they make their return visits but sometimes they loved it so much they make a request.
These are our top 5 reasons to stay at a bed and breakfast, especially our B&B, what are some of yours?

Number 2 - It Begins with a Warm Welcome

There is something special about the warmth and hospitality at our B&B and it begins when you are greeted at the door. Amy or Mark (and me, of course) are always there to greet you in person and show you to your room. Upon your arrival, they answer any questions and explain how breakfast is served at the Packard House - this is one of the most frequently asked questions along with how early can a guest get coffee. Each room has a breakfast card which guests fill out and put in the dining room. The card allows guests to pick from four different dining times, choose a full or continental breakfast, lets the innkeepers know their coffee/tea preference and detail any food allergies. It also reminds guests that coffee is always ready by 7:00 a.m. in the dining room along with the local paper and the New York Times. The wonderful hospitality continues once guests are settled with complimentary afternoon tea served in the warm months on the patio or in colder weather in front of a fire in the Gathering Room. Time for dinner and need a reservation or ideas? Menus of local restaurants are available to look at to help a guest choose and Amy and Mark will happily make reservations. Upon their return from dinner, guests find their beds have been turned down and a pitcher of ice water, glasses and chocolate covered blueberries awaiting them in their room.
Waking up to the intoxicating smell of locally roasted coffee in the morning, you are greeted in the dining room and breakfast is cooked and served by your innkeepers. Need to find that out of away hike, best lobster shack or special place to get local products? Amy and Mark are filled with information and will help you map out your day's adventure with local maps and brochures.
So whatever you are looking for in your vacation - the innkeepers at the Benjamin F. Packard House will welcome you and help you make your stay in Bath and midcoast Maine just what you want!

Number 3 - What Wonderful People!

Sorry for the delay in keeping up with my blog and the list of the Top 5 Reasons to Stay at a B&B, especially ours. I was a bit distracted waiting for an addition to the family - Amy and Mark's great nephew (my cousin) was born yesterday so now I can get back to my job - sleeping in the sun, blogging and greeting guests.
So the 3rd best reason to stay at a B&B - the people!!! Our guests come from all over the United States and the world, bringing a variety of experiences, languages and vacation ideas with them and this all comes together in the dining room at breakfast. Talking with each other, sharing plans and adventures that each has had while visiting Bath and midcoast Maine shapes each guests stay into a unique experience. Guests often find out that this is a very small world we live in. I remember we had one couple visiting from Germany and also a family staying with us from New York. While everyone was at breakfast and talking they discovered that the gentleman from New York had recently given a lecture at the law firm where the woman worked in Germany! Or the time the couple showed up from Essex, England and were staying 2 nights. The next night a couple comes to the door looking for a room also from Essex, England. Seated together the next morning for breakfast they discover they only lived about 20 minutes apart! I also enjoy when guests come back from a day out exploring the sights and share all their stories with each other over afternoon tea on the patio. I get to hear about what they did, how cold they think the ocean is even in the middle of the summer and where they found the best lobster. And lastly, it is not just the wonderful guests here at the Packard House but also the wonderful dog!

justBEcause

A break in my count down of the Top 5 Reasons to Stay at a B&B to tell you about something else that happened here at the Packard House. Amy and the justBEcause group got together this past Saturday for another project - this time decorating pots and planting pansies for a local nursing home. Before they go off to be delivered this afternoon, I took a couple pictures for you to enjoy.





















This group gets together at random times to do something for someone others "justBEcause". Since it is spring they decided to brighten up Winship Green nursing home with some pretty posies. I enjoyed having them all over on the patio on Saturday while they decorated and potted since I got lots of attention too!

Number 4

Here I am, back already with the Number 4 Reason to stay at a Bed and Breakfast (particularly our B&B) - You get to stay in a Historic Home! Many B&B's are located in historic homes and ours also has the added feature of being located in Bath's Historic District. Experience the charm of our antique house with hardwood floors, a beautiful staircase that takes you to the second floor, original windows and unique woodwork. No cookie cutter rooms where everything looks the same - each is unique and has charms all their own. For example, the Gathering Room (one of the common areas where guests can kick back and relax) features a large working fireplace that used to serve as the kitchen cooking area back in the day. Amy and Mark can also tell you a bit about the Packard family who built the house and their descendents lived here until 1985. In addition, being in the Historic District gives the added benefit of being able to walk the neighborhood and look at all the great historic architecture. We even have maps and a podcast available so you can take a guided tour of the area. Lastly, despite being only a short walk to the downtown, we are on a nice, quiet street so whether you are sitting on the patio in the afternoon or sleeping in your comfortable bed you can truly relax and escape.

Why Choose a B&B?

People out in the world who meet Amy and Mark often ask them "Why stay at a B&B? We always stay at hotels." We think there are a lot of reasons to choose a B&B over the large chain hotels but decided to give you the top 5 reasons.

Number 5 - Originality - We are unlike any other. From our individualized guest rooms (each with its own unique decor) to comfy common rooms you can stretch out in and truly relax to our antique house itself you quickly realize you are not in a big box chain hotel. The decorations are antique and one of a kind. Artwork in the common areas and guest rooms is original (see photos) and photographs reflect the history of the house. And I am a true original! Many B&B's have dogs on the premises but we don't know of another that has an Italian Bergamasco sheepdog as their official greeter and blogger.

Want to know the rest of the top 5? Well, stay tune to the next couple blogs to find out.

You asked, We answered

A lot of people ask what we do in the off season and when we do not have guests. I would like to say Mark and Amy kick back and relax but that is not the case. Take today for example, after running errands down in Portland to stock up on supplies for the upcoming busy season, Mark spent part of the day putting up the shutters that they painted over the weekend while Amy continued to clean out the winter debris from the garden. She also planted some pansies in the urns on the front steps. Then they spent time building up the rocks along the front driveway garden to help prevent dirt running off when it rains hard. I have included some pictures of them hard at work and the fruits of their labors and, of course, a pic of me doing what I do best - supervising!

Tanks A Lot!

Once again I am writing about gas prices and how they affect your vacation plans. Now in a previous blog I taught you all about the math and hopefully you learned that the rising prices really do not add that much more to your vacation budget. But just in case I haven't swayed you yet, I have talked Mark and Amy into running a Tanks A Lot special for guests who stay with us. This special offer gives you a $10 gas card when you stay one night, a $20 gas card with a two night stay, $30 with three nights and I guess you can do the math from there! It is just a way for all three of us to say thanks for choosing us and we appreciate your business. Please remember that you must mention this special when you book your room and it is not good with any other offers or discounts. So I am standing by to greet you when you arrive and will have your gas card waiting!

Wedding at the Inn

We had our first wedding at the Benjamin F. Packard House on Friday morning! What excitement! The bride and groom performed their vows flawlessly in front of a crackling fire in the gathering room. Afterwards, in the dining room, champagne and a chocolate wedding cake were enjoyed by the bride, groom and her parents who served as witnesses. Everything looked lovely and everyone looked so happy. I am so glad I got to watch from the kitchen - it was my first wedding too.

Doing the Math

Everyone in the tourism business is talking about rising gas prices and if this is going to deter people from taking vacations. I have been thinking about this and did a little math to show people that their vacation costs will not be out of control just because gas has gone up. Let's pretend you are coming to Bath from the Philadelphia area, approximately 445 miles, and your car gets 25 mpg. When gas prices were around $3.00 it would have cost you $54 in gas. With gas prices now at $3.60 it will cost you $65. So the difference is only $11 one way which really is not bad. All things in perspective as Mark likes to say!

Welcome Mud Season

We are all ready for the ice to melt and Mud Season to take over our lives here in Maine. Mud Season is an interesting time - that time when winter is over but spring isn't here quite yet. To celebrate this special season, Amy and Mark have developed a Mudder of a Deal package which helps guests get into the mud spirit. Check out this package at our website, maybe it is just what you are looking for to revive yourself during this dreary time of year!

Cookies and Community

Back in December I told you about Amy's holiday cookie baking for a local food pantry. Well that idea exploded at the neighborhood New Year's Eve Fiesta and our neighbor, Michelle, took the idea and ran with it! Now a new group, Just BEcause, has formed and they held a Valentine's Day Cookie Swap with a Twist. Michelle explains the concept wonderfully in her blog, but basically Michelle and Amy got together to plan with another neighbor, Kate. They invited a bunch of neighbors to bring 50-60 cookies to our house where they bagged them up in cute holiday bags with pretty twine and specially made tags (thanks Michelle!). Of course, we served a special Valentine's Day cocktails and had appetizers to complete the afternoon. Everyone had a great time and they took some time to brainstorm future projects. It is a neighbors looking out for neighbors concept - something that is sometimes lacking these days but not here in Bath! My contribution - well of course I cleaned up all the crumbs left on the floor after everyone left!

Winter Beach

Yet another monster snowstorm is on the way but Amy and Mark decided a trip to Reid State Park and the beach was the order of the day. I stayed home on my warm bed and watched the snow from the window. They did take lots of pictures to share with me which I am passing on to you. The beach is gorgeous any time of year.