Generally, in the summer, Miss Pine (see last blog) has lived and thrived on the screen porch.  After sawing her in half, after being chastised by others, after mourning the dedicated old tree, I left her alone.  I kept watering her and by August 4, I noticed some green growth.  It’s not much but I feel that indeed, she will blossom again!  

And the part that I sawed off of the top, I have wrapped in a fertilized moist towelette nested in soil. Hopefully new roots will grow.  We all wait!

On to other items

The summer has been medium busy.  It is ok.  After being in business 11 years, we are ok with whatever business walks through our door.  We welcome visitors and hopefully give them a high quality, personally-attended stay!  We try to schedule our time around breakfast and check-ins because on the community front, we are as busy as ever.  Karen just finished a week as camp director for the Smith Mountain Arts Council youth Arts Camp.  She is also still rehearsing and playing with the SML Boomer Band.  The band plays for charities and doesn’t take any money for themselves.  

Jack is chair of the church (new) organ committee and chair of the church trustees.  Both come with an array of duties and visits multiple times a week to the church.

Doolittle turned three years old and we had several grand children visit in and out this summer! Of course we had to join the fun of Pirate’s weekend at Smith Mountain Lake!

Travel

Those seeking to stay with us in September may see on the calendar, that we will be taking our annual vacation in September.  Off to Greece and Turkey on a Celebrity Cruise! Cheers!

Secondly, In November, we have marked our calendar CLOSED as we will attend a professional Innkeepers conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Those are always fun and we get new ideas, although the sorbet maker I ordered on impulse during the last conference has only been used once.  Any interested buyers? 

And lastly, Our church choir has been invited to sing at CARNEGIE Hall!  That’s right!  That’s the same stage that Def Leppard, Jelly Roll, Billie Ellish, and Pink will be performing on this year!

We will be singing with a 250-voice choir performing a Joey Raney cantata entitled Have you Heard. Joel Raney is a prolific composer who works for Hope Publishing Co. in Chicago. Our choir often selects his cantatas for Easter and Christmas. So with a new black dress in hand, a tuxedo, music folders and train tickets, we will leave the day after Thanksgiving for this adventure!

I will be keeping an eye on Miss Pine and continue to report about her growth!! Send me any nurturing tips!  Happy (upcoming) Fall!

In 1976, I was only 6 inches tall.  Starting my new life in a dorm room, I have witnessed many life events. In my more than 40 years I have met dogs, cats, and babies, witnessed power outages, panic, terror, sadness, anxiety, surprise, and joy as I have moved from Virginia to Michigan, back to Virginia, to Missouri, North Carolina, and back again to Virginia. Two different families fostered me while Bedford Landings was being built. But finally I have found a comfortable place to winter in the breakfast room; and summer in the sun of the screened porch. As my best, I stood over 7 feet tall. I add new growth each summer.  Unfortunately, I would also shed fronds and some of my lower branches became a bit drafty.  But, I have had many ancestors that have grown to over 200 feet tall.  Proudly, I wear white lights to give a soft glow to the breakfast room where people are stunned that I am actually a live Norfolk Pine.  At Christmas, small ornaments adorn my branches and through it all, I proudly am referred to as “Miss Pine!” and “Miss Pine of Bedford Landings” to my important friends!

Well, now we have sad news. As the years went by, standing guard at Bedford Landings B & B, my pot began to rot so my owners decided to do me a favor and get me a new pot. I got new soil and a healthy new start. But somehow that didn’t agree with my system. More fronds shed than should have in the Spring of 2024. At 48 years old, it appeared I was withering away from my best to looking my worst. My owners were perplexed as to what to do. And here is what happened. As she cried, she sawed me down. Yes, with an actual saw. She took my best part and saved it in hopes I could root somehow. She also stuck a small piece back into the soil. If I bear children, I will be amazed truly!

I am not angry with her, but maybe, just maybe there will be a miracle and my life will be perpetuated.

Nothing to do now except watch the passers by and hope that I can sprout. I will try really hard! Stay tuned!

We decided to take in the 2024 solar eclipse in Wapakoneta, Ohio.  We made the reservations in December, know there would be a mad rush for the “band of totality.” It was a short 2-hour flight from Smith Mountain Lake. We were the third plane to arrive and the gas attendant filled our tank right away, knowing that he had the day ahead of him filling tanks.  Once we landed, we set up “camp” beside the airplane.  We had a rental car, but the excitement was imminent, so rather than checking into our overnight stay, we remained in place awaiting eclipse start time of 1:54 pm. 

Over the loud speaker, a disc jockey was asking solar system trivia questions and playing music with the SUN in them such as “Here come the Sun” and “Walking on Sunshine.” I never heard my all-time favorite, “You are My Sunshine!”

At least eight people stopped to admire Jack’s airplane and ask where we were from.  One little woman approached us and asked where we flew in from.  She said she just lived across the street and wanted to take our picture. Awww. We smiled!

It was a festive atmosphere and clear skies.  The jet trails were evident but so was the warmth of the sunshine!  Dressing in layers, we began peeling them off as the temperature rose.  I was so glad we didn’t have to stand in the food truck line since we had taken sandwiches and bottled water.

At 1:54 the slightest curve of the moon moved over the path of the sun. 

Little by little, the sun became covered.  I took a picture of my watch at 3:00. 

I don’t know why but the day just seemed eventful!  Using my solar filter over my camera lens, I snapped picture after picture, some blurry and some un-centered. At 3:09, the DJ started playing the theme song from “2001 a Space Odyssey.” It was perfect for the occasion.  Later he told me his wife made him promise not to play “It’s the End of the word as we know it!”

At totality, the temperature became cool and the shared experience of everyone at the airport was created.  We were one community sharing a Godly phenomenon. 

In the darkness, I wrapped a small blanket around my shoulders and enjoyed what looked like a brief sunset. Even the security lights on the airport were triggered by the darkness. In this three-minute lapse, we saw some stars and Venus!  I am telling you, I will never feel the power of the earth, the moon, and the sun in concert with humanity ever again!

You are my Sunshine!

During pollen season in Virginia, you may hear sneezes, coughing, sniffing, and grouchy complaints about itchy watery eyes and yellow pollen.  It makes one dread this beautiful  season…but Ahhh–choo!

What are you allergic to?  I am not even sure I know what bothers me, but I know if I am outside for too long doing spring planting, blowing pollen, or even a little touch up paint, I have to come inside after a bit.  My throat feels parched, and my eyes feel full – not sure of what but that’s my sensation!

According to Yale Medicine, in March and April it is the tree pollen and in June it is the grass pollen.  In the Fall it is ragweed, and in the winter, mold! They recommend wearing a hat outdoors and changing clothes and washing your hair to avoid pollen on your pillow!  As simple as it sounds, I had never thought about this.  But it may apply to the dog too! 

Some people swear by a humidifier, nasal sprays, steam and essential oils.  Adding Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Lavender, Rosemary, and Sandalwood to a steam shower or neti-pot may help.   Ginger tea is said to help alleviate inflamed bronchial passages.

As much as I hate not opening the windows during the cool spring nights, I know it can lead to poor results. Replacing your ventilation system filters before and after the season is a consideration!

What about the Yellow Pollen?

The first time I saw the thick yellow pollen, it was tax season so I know that about mid April, the yellow powder becomes prolific! When I first experienced it, it looked as if a bomb had dropped.  Come to find out, the pine trees were mating (of sorts).  The best thing about pine pollen is that is is much larger (in size) than other tree pollen so that it cannot get up into the nasal passages as easily as smaller pollens. Blowing with the blower creates a huge cloud and after a rain, the pavement is just floating yellow dust!

So for the season, wait it out!  Wash the dog, change your clothes often and enjoy a nice lavender steam bath!  Carry on!

As innkeepers you can imagine that we have all sorts of great people visit and some who just don’t understand what a Bed & Breakfast is.  When people refer to us as an Air B & B, we stop and assure them that we are a REAL B & B.  In a real B & B, you meet the owners, who serve as hosts, concierges, chefs, housekeepers, maintenance staff, and psychologists! 

We don’t have many rules.  Mainly, they are; no glass in the hot tub (use plastic glasses) and don’t mess with the hot tub temperature. We conduct a little guest orientation upon arrival and tell them that they may go anywhere in the house except our room or the kitchen.  That’s about it!

Here are a few fun guest examples:

• There was the man who showed up without his girlfriend.  They had a fight but he decided to come anyway and just hike through his anger.  By breakfast the next morning, he was still angry, but in the night, she had called and wanted us to get a dozen roses for him and attach a special message from her.  While Jack started breakfast, I ran to Foodlion.  Their flowers are not great, but they are fresh. Driving swiftly home I came in the back way and quickly put the flowers into a vase.  The guest was finishing up breakfast and I told him there was a delivery for him.  He took one look at the message and bid us adieu.  He marched to the car and threw the flowers in the front seat and drove away.  We are still scratching our heads over that one!
• When people check in, we always ask them to use the guest refrigerator and microwave, not the main kitchen- for health reasons!  But people push their limits.  We have had people rifle around for champagne flutes (which we never use).  They have wine glasses provided in their room.  We have found left over pizza and other assorted leftovers in our main refrigerator.  We don’t try to be mean about it, but we just ask guests to NOT use the kitchen. 

• We try to accommodate special diets.  I mean we bend over backwards making things egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and meat-free!  All people must do is tell us what allergies or aversions they have.  Laughingly they may offer that they don’t like Brussel sprouts or Lima beans.  We haven’t ever served those!  But when we set a plated breakfast before the guest, we want it to look appetizing and special to them.  If we look over and someone if not touching the food, it sort of hurts our feelings.  All they had to do was tell us.  We are not short order cooks.  We plan our breakfasts based on food accommodations and the number of people we are serving.
• You may know we have a dog named Doolittle.  He is the friendliest dog you will ever meet!  Recently we had a teenager who was terrified (screeching in fear) of dogs.  Doolittle just didn’t understand being locked in our room away from people.  He is the official greeter when they arrive and the morning greeter as people descend the stairs. Once while checking in a guest, Doo was so excited that he was running around the living room. He is very fast. So fast, that the guest thought we had two dogs!

• We keep the hot tub at about 103 degrees.  For the temperature to adjust to cooler, it takes about an hour per degree.  We ask people not to touch the controls.  But we have found it the next day down to a cool 90.
• There was a very wealthy man that stayed with us who needed to talk about his divorce, his loneliness, and his life experiences.  He was sitting on the deck and had worked through a bottle of wine. Over a glass of wine, we listened.  Talking well past dinner, he asked where he might order a pizza to be delivered.  We are rather rural and nobody delivers to us.  I had a frozen pizza and offered to prepare it for him because, indeed he needed to soak up some of that wine in his belly.  Jack commented that he had never probably eaten “Frozen pizza!” It was all confidential but there were some juicy stories he told!

By and large (I mean 98.5% of the time) we love our guests!  We want them to come back too!

Don’t feel you need to be added to the “unusual story” list as you ponder making a reservation but feel free to share your stories when you do come! And visit Doolittle!