Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 - Happy New Year! Well, okay, it’s a little past the “season” but still in the first month, if barely. It’s a slow time in Blacksburg, and a busy time at Clay Corner Inn. January is one of our Deep Cleaning Months, and we not only clean d-e-e-p-l-y, but also repair, renovate, retrofit, paint – whatever it takes to keep things shipshape for your visits.
Top priority this year: resurface those wonderful [though weathered], old, porcelain tubs in the main house. You can’t buy that quality, and the resurfacing is bright, beautiful, sparkling and shiny! Scott Mattox, our go-to guy for all things maintenance and repair, gets the credit for this amazing renovation and the new white epoxy finish on the American Room shower walls. That old yellow simply didn’t go with anything, especially not Old Glory’s color scheme! Of course, John is still Chief Factotum (look that one up), but he’s wearing a cast on his left arm, and it limits his capabilities temporarily. I’d love to report that his parachute didn’t open, and he thought to land on his left arm since he’s right-handed, but it was the ol’ slip-on-the-ice-while-walking-the-dog scenario.
I’d take a photo of one of the bathtubs, but we’re sold out as I write this, and everyone has checked in – how cool is that for a winter night that started with a cold and snowy morning? So, I’m showing you three other things in photos. One is our AeroGarden (www.aerogarden.com) herb garden in our inn kitchen! Yes, we are growing and picking fresh herbs each morning all winter! We have snapdragons blooming in a small flower AeroGarden in the office.
The man relaxing by the fire last weekend is VT dad Mike Pereira. He comes often, and he spends a good part of the evenings right here, in the main living room, by the fire. He's engaging, shares a bottle of wine, and last weekend, he brought some great, homemade cookies. And we thought we had the corner on tasty cookies! Thanks, Mike.
The other photo is Cash. People ask why I don’t put blankets on my horses, which live outside 24/7. They’re uniquely designed for all kinds of weather. I can warm my hands under Cash’s mane, and here’s what horses do 16-18 hours every day. They eat grass. They paw through the snow, and they eat grass. When it’s 98 degrees, they’re out in the open --- eating grass. When it’s stormy, raining and thundering, they eat grass, often oblivious to inclement weather. And Cash just took a minute break to look up at me for this photo. Right now, he’s probably --- eating grass. And he’s warm and happy in his winter coat. Digestion and motion also contribute to keeping horses warm, so eating grass (or hay if there's a significant snow covering) and living in open pastures suits them just fine.
We have some new packages coming soon – a movie night, a bed ‘n biscuit special (dog-related) and it just wouldn’t be a real February without some special chocolate treats. Take care and stay warm, Joanne.
