On the Bedford Landings Website, we explain that when you travel to stay with us, you might consider planes, boats, and cars as transportation to and from our Bed and Breakfast. This week, we had guests that included each mode of transportation. One came by plane (and it was a beautiful “Symphony). One came towing a boat (a BIG boat) and one came by car. It is amazing the reasons that people come to the lake- some to check the lake out as a potential retirement location. Some return after visiting to house shop, others to visit family, and some just “escape” to let us pamper them! And we like that!

 

We are enjoying spring at Smith Mountain Lake…sneezing, yellow pollen and all! We are watching the plant shoots pushing through the soil and mixing up the anti-deer spray in preparation for the beautiful hostas to fully leaf out. They are like candy to deer! And we are spring-cleaning! We still have left over wood and plumbing supplies from building the house. I listed the plumbing fitting on Craigslist but would be willing to donate to a good cause!

What does spring at Smith Mountain Lake bring? De-winterizing boats! Yesterday we took our first outing by boat…mainly we sat in a sunny spot and cleaned it up from it sitting during the winter (including using ammonia and water sprayed on a few moldy spots on the upholstery) and blowing out all of the leaves. We bought the boat used and have done some repair work into getting it to run well. But we can’t figure out how to get the boat cover on. It requires taking down the bimini cover and apparently that is too complicated for us! So we are still learning how to navigate the boating life!  I know, it’s tough but here at the lake, we feel it is our responsibility!

Spring at Smith Mountain Lake blends quickly into summer. This summer we are busy…looking forward to more rides over the lake with Bedford Landings Air Tours.  And we are active helping plan many of the activities celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of Smith Mountain Lake.

This weekend (April 23-24) is the Photography show and contest sponsored by the Smith Mountain Arts Council and being held at Bethlehem United Methodist Church. Karen has entered 8 framed photos (just for fun!). It is a drop-in exhibit Saturday (10-4) and Sunday (noon-3).

We are hosting a Wings and Wheels Fly-in at the airport on May 14 from 11-3. Antique cars, antique planes, remote controlled planes, quilts, food and music. FREE! Come join the festivities! The airfield will be closed 11-2.

Jack and I are singing in the Lakeside Singers’ Concert June 3 (7 pm) and June 4 (4 pm). At Trinity Ecumenical Church. Tickets are $12 in advance through Paypal or at General Store, Print-n-paper, SML Florist and The Chamber Visitor’s Center. All the music is “water” music to honor the anniversary of the lake. Fun, fun!

So get in gear and make some plans to enjoy spring at Smith Mountain Lake and look ahead to the summer events too! So many fun things to do!

 

There are many things happening at Bedford Landings and at Smith Mountain Lake in 2016. Read on for a few of them. If you would like to subscribe to this blog, click the (FOLLOW) link at the side. You will get an automatic email when we blog (about once a month). That’s all!

Meet the Artist
Meet our March-April in-house artist;Lisa Floyd. Lisa has painted many murals in restaurants and other commercial art around Smith Mountain Lake. I have been privileged to become acquainted with Lisa and her husband, Dale and observe how they have been bringing their art to the lake area. We first contracted with Lisa to paint a wall in the Forest Room at Bedford Landings featuring birch trees. Then she painted faux wood and stone by the guest hot tub and topped it off with fine art of the lake and of course an airplane in the sky!

Lisa is featuring 10 pieces of art on the walls of the Bedford Landings great room. Five of these pieces are from her special numbered collection of 50 pieces developed for the Lake’s 50^th Anniversary celebration in 2016.

 

If you are interested in seeing her works, just email us and set up a time to come visit, book a stay, or contact Lisa directly. She can often be found at Stacy’s Sweet Spot in downtown Moneta holding fun paint classes.

Yard Work and Maintenance
Summers are the busiest time for us since guests book rooms at Bedford Landings for vacations primarily to enjoy the lake and surroundings. In preparation for the busy season, we do home maintenance and professional development in the winter. This winter, we added a few more heating units to the house, we had all of the windows professionally cleaned, and rearranged some rooms adding a few different accessories and window treatments. Also Jack planted grass seed and fertilized for the Spring and we are hoping that our grass will be green and lush for summer visitors.

Professional Innkeepers Conference
Jack and I attended the Mid-Atlantic Innkeepers workshop in Williamsburg, Virginia seeking new ideas and tips for high quality bed and breakfasts! We picked up a few ideas including some regarding our social media presence. Thus, we are now on Instagram!   Find us at SMLBandB on Instagram and add your own photos of Bedford Landings.   We also are on Google Business, Yelp, Facebook and Trip Advisor. These media sure keep us busy!

Murder Mystery
As you will recall, we held a Murder Mystery in early March. We hosted 30 people who eagerly began to disentangle the facts from the rumor to determine who the criminal was in the group. It was great fun complete with an array of good food, laughter, fact finding and new friends. Everyone who attended said we should do it again next winter, so keep an eye open for this in the future at Bedford Landings.

Bedford Landings Air Tours
Resident Pilot, Jack has his website up and running ready to take guests up for FLIGHTseeing rides over the lake. Contact Jack for your airplane ride!

Upcoming Events
Be aware that this year marks the 50-year anniversary for Smith Mountain Lake. Everyone is planning great events all year long. We are contributing to several events including the Wheels and Wings Fly-in on May 14 which will feature antique planes, cars and quilts (between 11am and 3pm at the SML airport- FREE!). Also Jack and Karen are singing with the Lakeside Singers in concert June 3 and 4. We will be singing water/lake songs and a special presentation of the theme song for the SML 50th anniversary- “The Jewel of the Blue Ridge.”

Times are busy!  Come see us!

 

Many guests who have stayed at Bedford Landings remember Kramer, our little black dog, who cheerfully greeted them at the door. One month ago, our beloved peke-poo, Kramer developed dizzy eyes, was stumbling, and walking in circles. He was diagnosed with a neurological issue (perhaps a brain tumor). There was no way to know for sure without a $2500 MRI. On a nearly 19-year old dog, we opted to just care for him and make him comfy. The vet hydrated him and I spoon fed him. His appetite came back some as I had held him and used a baby spoon to feed him baby food and gravy. He gulped down brown rice on his own after about 2 weeks and I felt hopeful that he was rallying. Then last week, his breathing became labored and he was coughing more like he could not catch his breath.   The vet said he was in congestive heart failure and his lungs were filling with fluid. I guess that his body was simply shutting down. The vet put him in an oxygen tent and now a decision had to be made. My daughter who has a degree in veterinary technology explained that essentially he was suffocating. So whether to administer the humane injection was the decision that had to be made. My sister Sherry joined me at the clinic since Jack was out of town. Snapping this final photo, she mourned with me as Kramer relaxed and crossed the Rainbow bridge. 

As I sit in my office writing this, I keep thinking I can hear his little feet or him breathing. Guess I will have to get used to the silence!

And why is it soooo silent? Jack is not here.   After Kramer died, we left the house and flew to Florida to visit friends. It was actually perfect timing to remain in denial of losing our sweet dog and it served as an escape for us! We had a delightful time visiting my stepmother in Lakeland, having lunch with my uncle and cousin from Orlando and then flying to Naples to visit friends. In Naples, we could not believe the huge, huge homes that just housed one family! Millions of dollars in gulf property with gates, landscaping, unique designs…just amazing! But more than that was the hospitality of our friends. We sure enjoyed them as we ate, danced, shopped, ate, boated, danced, sipped, walked on the beach, watched the beautiful sunset, collected shells, ate, went sightseeing and packed in a great deal in 2 days.

After Naples, we flew north to Sebastian, Florida. There, we have several friends who have moved from Smith Mountain Lake who now live there. We also good friends from Raleigh who we had planned to stay overnight with. And it’s a good thing that they are “good” friends and pilots because they understand how weather can complicate travel. Our plans were to depart Sebastian for home Tuesday (2-23). However, the weather was not looking good to fly our little Cessna 170b through the predicted storms. We decided that one of us needed to return home since we have a weekend reservation and miscellaneous other things to attend to — like taxes and an event to launch the 2016 season for the Lakeside Singers . We have accepted a role as conveners for the group and didn’t want to miss the first organizational meeting Tuesday night. It was determined that Karen would return and Jack would stay with the plane until the weather broke. Of course… since Karen is not a pilot!

The weather map looked rather looming and Jack was smart to stay grounded. 

I longed for the warmth of Florida as I set out in sandals, in a sleeveless top, and toting a carry on bag. Jack and our friend John drove me to Orlando to catch a plane at 10:20 to Charlotte then on to Roanoke, VA to land at 2:09. Perfect timing in order to run home and grab the folder I needed for a 5:00 meeting with Lakeside Singers.

I had used my Frequent Flyer miles and the ticketing agent gave me Priority Access and TSA Pre-check status. I don’t know why, except that I paid a $75 fee in addition to my FF miles and maybe that came with it?! At any rate, I enjoyed the shorter lines at the airport. The flight into Charlotte went well. Walking from Concourse B to Concourse E was good exercise needed due to the Naples eating extravaganza. I got to the gate just at boarding time.  Boarding had not started and it appeared as if the flight would be delayed but they were not communicating this.  Since the flight was just 38 minutes and I had asked a friend to pick me up at the Roanoke airport, I didn’t know what to tell her. She was on her way to get me already.

We eventually boarded and I was seated in Exit seat, 2C right in front of the flight attendant’s jump seat.   We were in the soup (that’s “clouds” in pilot speak) so there was no way for me to know our altitude. When Jack and I fly, I can watch the Altimeter so I know more about what is going on.

When it seemed we should be near Roanoke, I pulled out my cell phone and took it off Airplane Mode to see if I could send or receive text messages. I knew from experience flying with Jack that I can generally send or receive messages no higher than 5000 feet. I was able to do so and let Jack and my friend on the ground in Roanoke know we were circling over Roanoke. The messages went through. It was then that I saw the ground and the runway. We were about 300 feet high and ready to land. Messages started coming in with my assigned alert sound and the flight attendant looked at me and did the “shamy shamy” finger rub.

Knowing we were ready to land, I felt we were still going a little fast to be hit the runway. It was then that the plane started adding power and climbing back into the clouds. I also knew that meant a missed approach. We were not landing in Roanoke. Fifteen minutes later, the pilot announced we were returning to Charlotte. It was about 3:15 now, so I started considering how I was getting back to Smith Mountain Lake from Charlotte. I started becoming social on the plane and bonded with two women who had rented a car and were going to drive to Roanoke. We exchanged names and walked together to the terminal. It was 40 degrees in Charlotte and there I was sleeveless and in sandals. I dug out socks and a sweater from my carry on.

Then I heard my name called and an American Airlines agent handed me a ticket for a 5:45 flight back to Roanoke. With the Priority Access, somehow I had gotten preferred treatment. I felt a little like I was betraying my new rental car friends as I wished them luck and set out to see where I was supposed to be next. My phone battery was in the red zone so I pulled out my charger, found an outlet to grab some power. I called Jack who started talking before I could talk. He said the minimums were not acceptable for anyone to land in Roanoke and that I should try to get the new ticket changed to fly to Lynchburg. I found a service counter and they changed the destination without question for a 4:10 flight that was now boarding. No seat was assigned. They just printed the ticket and off I went to the same vicinity where I had just deplaned. I called Jack to tell him that I got the ticket and to arrange for me to borrow my sister’s car. She and her husband keep a car near the airport in Lynchburg for commuting trips from the lake to her present residence in Jacksonville, Florida. I boarded right away and off we flew to Lynchburg. While waiting on the ramp for departure, Jack texted me that all was set with the car. What did we do before cell phones!?!?!

Making a long story shorter, we landed safely in Lynchburg. I drove directly to the Lakeside Singers meeting just 45 minutes late, conducted business then drove home. I haven’t unpacked yet and I am still in my robe. The house is quiet and not even a patter of doggie paws echoes here. But I feel better having shared my story and now will await my own pilot’s safe arrival home (soon I hope!).

Each year, our local media, the Laker Magazine, conducts a “Best of” contest with online voting. You can vote at least once a day during the voting period. I think I remembered to vote at least twice. I doubt that was enough to gain this award, so I thank those of you voted for Bedford Landings Bed & Breakfast as the Best Place to Stay at Smith Mountain Lake.

Starting on page 55, you can see who all received awards. But we were honored to receive “Best Place to Stay” At Smith Mountain Lake.

There were many “Best of “ awards made. At the recent Professional Women’s Resource networking group Mishelle Brosinski, with Lake Media awarded many framed “Best of…” awards at the meeting.

What amazed me was Mishelle had a sack full of awards for other amazing business women at the lake! Pictured here are the best of the best ranging from wineries to photography, mortgage companies, banks, auto repair, interior design, and more.

With the expansion of our business to include Bedford Landings Air Tours, we now hold two Chamber of Commerce memberships. We find that networking is a powerful way to make contacts and meet other local businesses in the area. We are not the “only” place to lodge at Smith Mountain Lake, but we want to remain the “best!” Being the “Best of anything” is more than just narrowing the competition. We want to truly live up to the award.

Jack and I knew that starting a new business would be hard work. We are not averse to hard work. Starting this business together was partly about Jack and me building a dream together. We know that running a business together can strengthen or weaken a relationship. So far, we have decided that we make a pretty good team. This team spirit has been our strength during the hard obstacles along the way. Some things I am better with and some things Jack is smarter about. The first hurdle in initiating the business was telling our family about out plans. We were met with responses of “Why would you want to do that?” Or “are you sure you want to cook and clean for other people?” Then of course there was the obstacle of selling of our home in Raleigh. That took 3.5 years during an economic downturn. This was directly followed by moving all of our belongings into storage and building the house including acquiring funding (See old blog post on that debacle).

Even though starting a business that we had never been a part of in our past lives was different for us, we felt we were strong enough for the challenge. First, we studied up on this new craft and industry. We read “Running a Bed and Breakfast for Dummies,” and we went to an Innkeeping 101 course. We joined a The Professional Association of Innkeepers International and went to their national conference in addition to the MidAtlantic Innkeepers Association and joined our local The Bedford Area B & B Association.  Along the way, we asked questions, took notes, and listened to advice from others who with more business experience. What we learned is that 1. Patience and prayer work; and 2. If you believe in the dream and want it bad enough, it can happen.

We want to be sure we are living up to the “Best of” award and have examined what that means. First, we think it requires some creativity and artistry. I hope that we have applied some bit of artistic creativity in the design of our home; but also in the way that we interact with and host our guests. We also hope we are genuine. For example, if we are crafting customer service as our “art,” then that needs to shine through in our lives, our attitudes, and our interactions with all others throughout our networking and affiliations. We love meeting appreciative people, listening to their stories, advising guests on sightseeing excursions, or places to dine and we generally enjoy being helpful.

A second component to remaining “Best of” is to build in recovery and renewal time. We agreed early on not to let the business run our lives. If we don’t renew and get away from time to time, we will burn out too early; and in our retirement years we want to stay active for as long as possible. Since summer is the busiest time for us, we plan vacations in the fall or winter. But we also close reservations in favor of family get togethers and plan guest check-in times to be late afternoon (after boating time!). This year, we took a fall vacation river cruise on the Danube and are planning a few other jaunts this spring. We also have hobbies as outlets. Jack, of course builds airplanes, plays bagpipes and hunts. I do stained glass and play racquetball.

Comparing what we feel are critical aspects to running a successful business and remain “best place to stay” at Smith Mountain Lake, I wanted to understand others perspectives. I read an article about how to be the Best at Anything. The Time magazine article boiled it down to four points, many of which I believe we have truly considered.

• Always work hard to improve.
• When choosing tasks and strategies, consider your natural gifts.
• Pick a great team and get familiar with them.
• Within reason, always help others.

These all seem like good points but it sounded a bit to me like the advice shared long ago by Robert Fulgham. We realize that being the “best” is a matter of other people’s perspective (since they vote) but also it is about becoming the best and feeling like we have earned this privilege. It is the simple things in life that lead to being the best of anything!

Share, play fair, be kind. Warm cookies and milk are good for you. Take a nap once in awhile, continue to learn and share. Learn some and think some. Draw and paint and sing and dance some. Play and work everyday some. And when you go out into the world, watch out for traffic. Hold hands and stick together.

Thanks for helping us continue to realize our BEST!

Not wanting to sound ungrateful for the extended warm season this year, BUT, the winter months can be long and gray.  In trying to overcome Winter at Bedford Landings, we have brought in some visions of summer in the form of art.

Artist in the House
The artist who’s work is on display this month is Dana Phillips.  Dana moved to the lake from northern California after having been raised in Texas. Previously a lawyer in southern California, he expanded his talents and now paints landscapes and other figures with many scenes from our lovely Blue Ridge Mountains and Smith Mountain Lake.  Bedford Landings is pleased to host these works.  If you would like to come by the see them just email Karen for a time to stop by.

Murder Mystery
Another way we are chasing away winter at Bedford Landings is to plan something fun!  And we are planning an evening that will be a Murder Mystery.  We attended one in September and decided this would be great for folks living at and visiting the lake.  Our Murder Mystery event is planned for March 5. We have space for 40 to play, eat, drink and be merry!  Get your tickets now!

Kramer Over Time

Many who have stayed at Bedford Landings have been greeted by our peke-poo, Kramer.  Kramer is now 18 years old, deaf, and somewhat demented.  He sometimes stands in a corner lost, he whines with his arthritis at nap time and in the night before settling down. He sleeps about 22 hours a day, and takes Rimadyl for the pain.  Poor guy.  But then other times, he brings his stuffed squirrel for us to throw and bounds in the door as if he was a puppy.  He still eats well but he wears a diaper for incontinence. Since he is a black dog, he doesn’t take a very distinct photo, but are some I have taken overtime.  I won’t post his photo in his diaper.  The sweet dog does have some dignity!

Don’t be Blue
Wherever you are, if you are chasing away the winter blues, remember that it is just a few months, make a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate, pick up a good book (we are loving reading the “Outlander” series), plan a movie night or game night with friends. Write a real letter in long hand to an old friend, paint on canvas, get one of those lovely new adult coloring books, dust off your sewing machine or table saw, plan a little vacation, build a fire, tune up your bicycle, clean up your workbench, give away clothes that you never wear and un-used cookware to a charity, learn to knit, refinish some furniture, feed the birds, or experiment with a recipe.  Below is one of our favorites you can try! We are  chasing away the Winter Blues at Bedford Landings.  How about in you?

Apple Butter Bread
Bedford Landings B & B
Smith Mountain Lake, VA

¾ c. apple butter
2 t. cinnamon
½ t. cloves
½ c. water
½ c. oil or applesauce
|1 ¼ c. brown sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
¾ t. salt

Mix it up and pour into one 9-inch pan or 3-4 mini pans. Cook 350 for 50 minutes for minis and 70 min for large loaf. Enjoy with a brewed cup of tea!

 www.bedfordlandings.com