In five days, I will officially have six months under my belt! Time flies! I know very cliché of me right? A quick summary of what has gone on. And I will try to be quick.
My first month, I had no way to actually take payments or to pay my staff. While I knew it would fall into place, it was certainly the most unnerving part of the job. And it was a weight over my head that I simply wanted to remove. I think I asked the same questions over and over to the folks trying to help me set it all up and I credit their patience for everything working out.
But there’s always something. And one gloomy night, a huge storm came through and lightening struck the property. The actual strike and noise was scary enough….but the fact that it left me without phone service, internet, zapped my computer, lost a few TV’s, and coffee makers put my brain in a tizzy! I got help from some great people and we at last had the internet and phones up and running in three days. Three days without a phone in this business is a very bad thing! While it was certainly quiet and we didn’t get any marketing calls………we couldn’t get any calls!
When I first began, we were in busy season which was a lot of fun. I was meeting so many great folks from all over the world. It was truly a revolving door. Very quickly you learn your priorities. Get up, make breakfast, check folks out, clean rooms, make cookies, and check folks in. Try to get to know everyone a little bit and get up and do it again. Combined with all of this is trying to see a vision for the future. You’re constantly balancing living in the moment and looking ahead and trying to do things better. You’re trying to understand what other experiences would be nice to offer. What are we missing? So, in those areas, I can say we have managed to do a lot!
I had help starting this blog. I started posting on Instagram and Facebook. We will now also be sending out a newsletter with up and coming events.
We have been playing with many recipes. Some make it onto the breakfast menu and some just don’t. Meeting lots of local farmers to source local ingredients whenever possible. I’m getting ready to offer lite comfort meals like different kinds of chili with corn bread, soups, salads, cheese boards, charcuterie, finger snacks, deviled eggs, and more. These will change seasonally as well.
And so excited to say our fire pit is ready! We will have s’mores kits, hot chocolate, mulled cider, wine, and beer for guests to take out and sit and relax in the evenings!
Our Gathering Room is almost ready. This is where we hope you will come in after a long day of whatever it is that you have done, have a seat, relax, nibble on food and drinks, or have a meal. There will be board games, comfy chairs, tables, and music. It will be a place to get to know other guests or start your day early with a cup of coffee. It’s where we’ll welcome you on your first night if you choose and it’s a chance for us to get to know each other.
So while we have been very busy, I think when you come to visit, you’ll see that our hard work will have paid off!
So why do I write this? I was told there could be a good story to tell, maybe even a book to write. A lot of people who frequent B&Bs have their own dreams of being an owner one day. So many want to know why I decided to do this and is it living up to my dream? The short answer is that it has exceeded my dreams and I do think for some there could be a good story in learning from my ups and downs.
Have a great weekend! Hope to see you soon.
