March Madness

March arrived today - not quite like a lion, but not like a lamb either. Just hope the snow/rain/sleet predicted doesn't leave a lot of white stuff over everything again. Enough already!

But here at the Iron Mountain Inn B&B, March is time for: March Madness, March Hare, St.Patrick's Celebrations and even green eggs and ham as well as Irish coffee.

I always think of March as the "Green Month" and so, starting today, I am going to try and be more green from using less water by only running the dishwasher when it is full...did you know, you don't have to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? Try it. it's amazing and even some almost dried on leftovers come out...most of the time!

I'm going to be sure and turn out lights when I'm not in a room (saves green money as well); I've already unplugged clocks and lamps in rooms that are not being used - easy enough to plug them in when a guest is coming. Plus it saves having to go around and change them every time the power goes out!

Turned down the hot water heaters to vacation....oh my gosh, did I turn it up for the last guest? But I really should wrap them with insulation for additional savings.

Trying to combine trips to save on gas, but when you live in the middle of the forest, sometimes that's hard to do. Of course, this past month I haven't used gasoline because I haven't been able to get of the mountain with all the snow. That's ok, I have enough food to live for at least a month or two if necessary.

And then it's time to plan a party! No matter party night than March 17th! Let's celebrate that wonderful Irish St. Patrick! What a guy! And don't forget the leprechauns, some good Irish music, corn beef and cabbage and what party for St. Pat's would be complete without Irish whiskey! Come on over - join the fun!

Another Romantic Candlelight Night

Well, the power is finally back on after being off for 4 nights last week. First night - not too bad. Wrote by candlelight as noted in previous blog, found a photo I'd been looking for for over a year, the days weren't too bad, but by the second night writing by candlelight...well, this following is transcribed from my chicken scratches - the candles weren't very bright!

Another romantic candlight night except I'm alone! Candles aren't really as romantic when you need them to eat your dinner, plan your weekly menus and go from room to room. Finding the right combination of tall and pillar candles is essential for reading and writing. And you don't want the ones that flicker! That can be very annoying!

Dinner tonight consisted of PB and banana with a topping or organic preserves washed down with a glass of 2% milk. Now I could have cooked something since I do have a gas cooktop, but I just didn't feel like it.

When I called the electric company at 5:30, they were all laughing! After all, they have power! Said they'd get to me in the morning. Guess they want to stay warm and dry instead of being out and about repairing their customer's lines.

This storm isn't as bad as the one in January of 98 when I was living in an RV by the creek with no running water or toilet facilities. I did have propane heat, but there was a lot of wind and it was much colder (although when I went out to the car to listen to radio, it said 28 degrees).

I usually listen to WETS-FM, but I was trying to get a local weather forecast so switched from FM to AM and got the WCBS station from New York City! We are 600 miles from the Holland Tunnel so that is quite a distance - guess it was the cloud cover keeping the signal from flying off into space. I learned that the schools will be open on Monday, but I have no idea what's happening locally!

I don't mind not having electricity during the day, but at night while I'm alone...not good!

The complete silence is just astounding! The snow muffles any noise so when I go outside and shovel off the steps, once the scrape of the shovel and my panting are done, there is not a sound! Inside the only sound is the battery operated kitchen clock - tick tick tick tock tick tock tock tick - it's very loud in the silence when usually I don't hear it at all.

Last night I slept in my insulated pants and shirt, but the heat from the gas stove in my little kitchen and my own body heat under the down quilt ame me so warm that finally I took my socks, then about midnight changed into a nightgown - I was plenty warm and comfortable for the rest of the night. Plus the cats help keep me warm.

I put back on the insulated garments in the am. Wore them until the gas fireplace got started. BOY! does that put out the heat. I have to close the living room door and open my bedroom window since I like sleeping in a cool room.

Now time to get to the Christmas dinner shopping list. 30 people so I'll start with a large ham. Then who can bring the green bean cassarole; the macaroni and cheese cassarole; the spinch; the baked sweet potatoes (that's me); the apple pie (not me); brownies, cookies (me); no rolls since no one eats them with all the other food!

Tennessee Mountain Vacations: New Year's Celebration

Tennessee Mountain Vacations: New Year's Celebration

Winter Arrives in Tennesse Mountain

Winter storms - December 2009

Winter arrived on Friday here in the mountains of NE Tennessee. Haven't seen the sun since Thursday and doesn't look like we will for a couple more days.



But, with no wind, the snow piled up and up and up pulling power poles down down down! Which meant the power went out. So when the daylight faded, it was back to the Colonial period when great things were written and studied by firelight and candlelight.



Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence by candlight so I thought I'd try writing something with paper and pencil (no quill pens hereabouts). But my Declaration has more to do with "Things That Don't Work When You Need Them Most" than liberty.



I have a WINCO 15,000 watt generator which is supposed to come on 30 seconds after the power goes off. The 4 times I've needed it has worked once the way is was supposed to and this time after handyman Jay worked on it it is chugging happily away down the driveway. But this Declaration was written last night by candlelight.

• Bristol Spring Race Weekend - April 1. Ice storm, high winds, power outage, full house here at the Iron Mountain Inn, but no problem, we all enjoyed comraderie, drinks and some Final Four Basketball games. Generator worked as promised.
  


• Fall 2000 - guests in the Chalet had no heat or hot water so I suggested they go to the Inn (I was out of town) to get warm and shower because "I have a generator". For some reason, it didn't come on. Nothing I could do since I didn't have Jay, the handiest handyman at the time.
  


• Power was off, but I was able to get off the mountain and go to my house on Watauga Lake for a few days.

Now, about my lighting for this Declaration. I have 3 glass candles. You know, the ones with a clear base you can fill with lamp oil - changing the color and scent to match the season. I love them because they don't drip! I also have 2 6' pillar candles. They are casting enough light for me to see the yellow lined paper I'm writing on.

Later on I'm going to see about reading a book by candlelight. Abe Lincoln did it by firelight, but I don't want to go to all the trouble of hauling wood in from the "outhouse" (every log home should have an outhouse. My outhouse holds tools, mice homes, bird seed and garbage. The latter because the bears would come and carry off the garbage cans when I had them next to the back door.

Back to the lighting. I'll stick to candles (which also give off a nice amount of heat as they burn). I have lots of half burned candles which I can use.

I said this was going to be my declaration. Not of Independence but of "Why Don't Things Work When You Need Them".

For example:

1. The generator. it worked fine each Sunday clicking itself on for 10 minutes and then going back to sleep. But when I needed it....
2. The computer: right in the middle of an important project....CRASH! I hadn't had time to save so I must start all over.
3. The car: I have an important luncheon and what happens? When I go to start the car it has a flat tire. Or even more annoying, because my Dodge van is "so smart", it locks the doors when I leave the key in the ignition even when it is turned off!
4. The radio: Although I can get my local NPR station, there are times when I'd like to try a different slant on the news, or hear different music. But my radios (I only have 2) only seem to get WETS=FM without static.
5. The washing machine: Everyone knows about the sock monster, but why is that when I have 10 loads to do and only a few hours to get the sheets washed, dried and put back on the beds at the Iron Mountain Inn, the washer stops mid-cycle. Of course, I'm busying vaccuming up ladybugs and don't notice the washer has stopped until I go down expecting to take wet clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer. Instead, I have to restart/finish the washer.
6. The leaf blower: When I bought the leaf blower, the sales lady at Loews said she had the same one and had no problems starting it. I, on the other hand, haven't been able to start it since I got it home! My handyman can start it, in fact, any male who comes up the mountain can start it, but me...never! All I want it for is to blow leaves from the decks and driveways and I don't want to call someone every time!
7. The cell phone: I can see the Sprint tower flashing red and white across the valley on the opposite hill, but I cannot sit at my desk and talk. I have to slide over about 3 feet so I'm in front of the window, not the 12" thick concrete wall to get a signal. Another thing, why do I get voice mails 2 days after I've already spoken to someone and sometimes, I never get messages.
8. The ice maker: I have to remember NOT to take all the ice out because that makes the ice maker mad. When it gets mad it stops making ice! I have to go to the store and buy a bag of ice, put it in the ice maker and then my ice maker is happy and will continue making lots and lots of ice.
9. The telescope: My daughter gave me a wonderful telescope. I have no light pollution so the stars shine so brightly on a clean night you think they are close enough to reach out and pick one. But the telescope is so sensative that if I breathe on it after training it on a star, it goes out of focus. I just see a blur of grey.
10. And finally, flashlights and remotes. When you need them, do they have working batteries? Of course not because you bought DD and your flashlight takes CC. Or you bought AAA and your remote takes AA. I have hundreds of batteries but I never seem to have the right one when I need them.

Well, the candles are burning down and my hand is getting tired so I guess it's time to take Ben Franklin's advice, "Early to bed, early to rise...". Might as well since it's too dark to do anything else.

PS. The next day. My generator is keeping me in the 21st c. and my gas fireplace is keeping me warm - both thanks of Wizard Handyman Jay. Tomorrow I must get out to shop for the ingredienets for Christmas dinner - 30 people, but guests are also bringing things to eat.

New Year's Celebration

This year, since my kids are leaving before New Year's, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the start of the new decade with a New Year's Celebration! So, hopefully 8 other people (or more) will want to join us here at the Iron Mountain Inn in Butler, TN for a wonderful low key, but celebratory weekend of good food, good fun and lots of laughs.

The following is what I have planned - but am open to suggestions!!!

Room for 2 nights (or 3)
All have whirlpool tubs, 2 have steam showers and 3 have private balconies which are great
for seeing stars in the midnight sky

Breakfast each morning (black eyed peas on New Year's Day of course)

5 Course dinner with champagne, party hats, favors and the very popular noise makers

Music - let's roll up the rugs and shake a leg

Wood burning fireplace to burn your sorrows from 2009 so you can start with a fresh slate in 2010

Hoping that 2010 will be a wonderful year for all of us so let's start celebrating!

Busy Bristol Race Weekend

What a week! Whew! At least today, Saturday, all the chickens are home roosting before heading out to the Bristol Track for tonight’s big race! But getting everything ready …. It’s been crazy! Life in the mountains is certainly full of great people, lots of things to do and you never know what is around the corner.

First, Let me explain that since I was unable to rent the Lake House for the week…I decided to rent out the rooms individually and have Carolyn, my assistant innkeeper, i.e. housekeeper go over and make breakfast the 2 mornings people would be there. Actually…since I was able to rent the Lake House to one couple for Sun-Thursday it was a good decision for the bottom line.

Wednesday, first guests arrived at the Inn. They (Thomas) were to move to the Lake House on Thursday after the previous guests left. But since I had the room open until Friday am, and we were having a good time, they decided to stay until Friday when they would move. Now, the room they were in, was booked to the Downs for Thursday night, but since I had the Green Room open, if the Downs really wanted the Spring room, I’d move the Thomas, but the Downs liked the Green Room so All is well! Again, a very delightful couple from Chicago.

Thursday evening I did dinner for a couple. He had stopped in to check out the Inn (they are staying at a friend’s 5 bedroom 5.5 bath home on the Lake) and asked if I would do dinner. Sure, said I. So made cucumber soup, chopped salad, steak (I did cook it well if I do say so myself), fresh corn and asparagus and ice cream and cookies for dessert. It worked out well and they are very nice and will probably come stay some future time.

Thursday evening about 9:00 a knock on the door. The Martins are there wanting to get into the Chalet and there is a young man with a large dog who says he isn’t leaving until Friday am! Ooops! I expected the Martins on Friday – Sunday night. But since the Lake House was lovely and clean, I moved the 8 people in the Martin contingent to the Lake House for the night! All is well….. sort of.

Friday am. Make breakfast and have a delightful time with the Thomas’. Would like to get to the Chalet and start cleaning since the Martin clan wants to settle in as early as possible, but the Downs are enjoying a relaxing restful visit…they finally come down about 10:00 for breakfast! We have a nice chat, but then I explain that I must get to the Chalet to clean it so I leave them, some dirty dishes although all frig stuff has been put away. I grab some cleaning supplies since I wasn’t sure what we needed at the Chalet. Dog hairs! Oh my gosh! In the bedroom, in the shower, in the living room! It was a golden retriever and although he had been shaved, my vacuum clean bag was soon full! And as I’m busy cleaning, the Martin clan show up with bags and bags of food, clothes, sleeping bags and air mattresses. I finish cleaning around them and they leave so I can finish cleaning the kitchen. But then I have to get to the Lake House to help Carolyn start cleaning that (Carolyn was an hour late due to problems with her mom). Luckily the Martin clan didn’t make a big mess! But 3 bedrooms and baths to strip, wash, clean and vacuum the house takes awhile. And guests were arriving to go to the race!

Back I ran to the Inn to get the tickets for race which I was selling to one of the incoming couples (I’d forgotten take them with me) and while I was gone one of the other couples arrived so Carolyn got them settled and they went to the race. Back I went to the Lake House, sent Carolyn back to do the upstairs of the Chalet while I finished laundry at the Lake House. The second couple arrived and I settled them.

Back to the Inn to finish preparations for breakfast the next am. Set the dining room table since the weather has been so iffy. Figured people could either eat in the dining room, or pick up their utensils and go outside if it was nice. It was nice enough for the first 4, but then the rains came – lasted about 2 hours. But the Thomas’ donned their rain gear and headed out to hike the section of the Iron Mountain Trail from Cross Mountain to Nick the Hermit’s monument. Earlier in the am, he had done a 6 mile run before the rain started. Dedicated runner – has done 25 marathons!

At 9:00 p.m. get a phone call to see if I had a room. Well, since I did at the Lake House I said yes. Although I was looking forward to heading into the shower and then bed, I went over to meet the gal at the Lake House. She was meeting her boy friend (he was coming from Boone). She paid me (this was to go to the couple who had booked 3 rooms and then one of their friends backed out so I was trying to get her some money back) and I headed home. Just rounding the last corner, my phone rang. It was the couple who were standing at my front door. Told them I would be right there. They were to meet her brother and his wife (the people who’d bought 3 rooms), but had a 10 hour drive and had just gotten there. Got them settled – in between calls from the girl at the Lake House worried that her boyfriend wouldn’t find her since she gave him the Inn address for his GPS and his cell phone didn’t work and neither did hers.

Finally boyfriend called me just as I was getting out of the shower. I determined his location and while he was on the phone, I guided him to the Lake House. All was well! They left very early this am I understand.

So this am breakfast went off very well (chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, juices, watermelon and muffins) and while I was chatting and clearing up, some friends called and invited me to lunch at Mel’s (the Thai restaurant). I put the cold things in the frig, started the dishwasher and took off. Spent about 45 minutes having laughs with friends. Then back to finish cleaning up and prepping for tomorrow’s breakfast. But at least I have the entire afternoon and evening since race guests won’t be home till 2:00 a.m. or thereabouts.

Now time to go deliver mums to the various houses, pick up garbage (although I’m concerned about bears getting into it), pick up some last minute supplies at the grocery store and listen to the last cd of The Shadow of the Wind – a fascinating book my son and daughter-in-law gave me for Mother’s day.

And so it goes here in the mountains. Come, share the magic with us - we'll be sure you enjoy "Pampering Perfected" service.

End of Summer

Here it is August 15th - where did the summer go! Everyone I talk with comments that this year seems to have passed faster than ever. But it has been a good one! The Iron Mountain Inn B&B has shared the magic of the mountains with many guests, and families have had so much fun at the Lake House this summer. The water levels finally came up to normal so the dock isn't 100' away from the shore line! At least what I call the shore line....the grass before the red clay lake bottom.

Water in Watauga Lake is great for swimming!!! No big waves, no chlorine, no salt, no sand! Just beautiful clear fresh water! Like floating on a cloud! Too bad I haven't been able to enjoy it. I went to the Jersey shore instead! At least, I visited my daughter and her family in Asbury Park, NJ - house had a pool and went to the beach quite often. Great having a pool as well as the beach!

But now we are gearing up for the Bristol Nascar Race Weekend next week! 170,000 people descend on Bristol TN/VA (state line runs down the middle of Main Street) and surrounding areas. They fill up all the hotels and rooming houses, vacation rentals and campgrounds. The visitors add millions of dollars to our economy so we love them.....twice a year! Now if Bruton Smith could think of some way to bring this many people to the area once a month....that would really be wonderful!!!

We did have over 8000 BMW bikers riding "the green eyed snake" aka 421 and our other great biking roads. The trip down to Cherokee for some gambling is always a fun ride. We even had a wedding on their bikes a few years ago. Shotgun wasn't needed!

Bikers are welcomed at our vacation rentals - we'll even do the shopping since bikes don't have much room for groceries! That way, a group of friends can arrive and the food and beer will be ready and waiting for a great riding weekend. - or even stay a week.

Once here, there is so much to do: why, even take a ride on a bike where the driver is the power source; bring a fishing rod and catch dinner in the stocked lake and streams; listen to old tyme music and attend live professional theater at Barter. Not enough time to do it all in one visit.

So come, share the magic of the mountains where every season has a reason to visit.