Late March musings...

so...here it is, March 24th...yes, that's it LATE march, and this is what our sidewalk looks like!!  You can't see the daffodils, tulip shoots, daylilly sprouts and pansies because of the 4" of SNOW.  Certainly, it's gorgeous - but we have a spring wedding in just 4 weeks!!  It's kind of hard to think that it will be green and lovely by then, but Virginia always is.  :)  Also hard to believe - First Colony had a "Kites and Flights" event on Saturday - and had amazingly wonderful weather!  Breezy enough for plenty of kites - their facebook page had a few photos I will try to share.  (Incidentally if you haven't already - go 'like' their page...new owners, and lots of new ideas over there for summertime events.  And maybe a name change?

Sorry to anyone who has experienced our website issues the last few days...we're almost out of the mud on that one, online reservations will be back up soon.  In the mean time, you can always find us and loads of other gorgeous b&b's at bedandbreakfast.com or innvirginia.com. 

Anyone a fan of Portlandia?   Hilarious sketch about a B&B inspection...

and on that note...I aim to head to the back porch to watch the fading light with a nice hot cup of tea.  Cheers!

Spring is here...literally!

It doesn't get much prettier than spring in Charlottesville!  Dogwood, cherry trees, forsythia, redbud...and of course the flowers!  Daffodil, crocus all over lawns, and fresh green sprouts in all the flowerbeds.  It's nice to see!  I am headed to a Festival of the Book luncheon on Thursday with Afton Mountain Bed & Breakfast, Iris Inn, and Foxfield Inn to hear Douglas Brinkley.  SO many great authors in town this week - and it happens every year.  Festival of the Book, Festival of the Photograph, and the Virginia Film Festival...I should probably make a calendar...adding that to my to-do list right now. 

In celebration of spring, and of the 'winds of March'...First Colony is hosting their first annual 'Kites & Flights' this Saturday!  Looks like loads of fun, you can bring your own kite - or make one there.  New owners are breathing some new life into the winery - we are looking forward to seeing their vision come be.  I actually had the pleasure of a terrific wine tasting there last week - Mateo was so accomodating to our out of state visitors!  Best wine we tasted all day too!

We are booked this weekend - but if you are planning to take a break this spring - we have rooms available (several refreshed and repainted for spring!) through March and April...and believe it or not, ONE room open for UVA graduation...so spread the word.  Lodging is pretty tight mid-May - so if you are coming, better act fast.   :)

WOW!  What a spectacular weekend ahead!  If you don't have plans, MAKE THEM NOW.  Wineries will be open, I am sure all the patios will be open, and the weather will be a fabulous clear, sunny and 70 degrees.  Combine that with the crisp clarity of winter afternoons, and the vistas from our neighbor wineries will be AWESOME.

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Come see us...and this could be your Saturday afternoon at www.thistlegatevineyard.com or www.aftonmountainvineyards.com or meet the new owners at www.firstcolonywinery.com

It's also Dave's birthday...come raise a glass to his accomplishments, at www.blenheimvineyards.com just a few miles up the road, where Kirsty Harmon is one of our favorite winemakers!

New Year’s Resolution #1…post more pictures, more often!

 

We know that everyone loves to see pictures!  I know I do.  Our friends at Experience Charlottesville on Facebook have some great pictures we should be sharing – I keep meaning to, but whew!  2012 just flew by…

Which is ok – here we are, excited for some new additions at High Meadows, not the least of which is our beautiful new gazebo ceiling mural.  Nearly complete – now we are looking for just the right light…maybe a Moravian star?  ALWAYS wanted one of these! or another fabulous painted metal floral chandelier?  But they are so hard to find!

Maybe we’ll take a vote…I’ll post pictures of the mural when completed, and we can all decide together. 

If you are planning a trip soon – our January special is ‘Lunch on Us’ with a 2-night stay…so make your reservations soon!  We’ll pack you a terrific locavore picnic lunch to enjoy wherever your day takes you.

A new addition to breakfast…our good friends at http://www.hudsonhenrybakingco.com/ are selling out wherever they go!  We are trying not to run out – and hope to be selling it in our new gift shop, opening the March – FINALLY! 

mid summer thoughts.

Such a pretty table for this rehearsal dinner...I am a really big fan of dining outdoors, and have had the pleasure of several really spectacular farm-to-table experiences with Hill & Holler.  Next up is 'A Taste of Nelson', on August 18th.  Hoping to go, and wouldn't it be nice to enjoy dinner with some guests?  I am hoping that a few of those lucky folks staying with us, will also find this too tasty to resist -

In the mean time, here at High Meadows in late summer and fall, we are lucky to be enjoying al fresco breakfast on the patio...so pretty under green leaf canopy now, and soon a bright orange and red roof!  I can't believe I said 'soon', but it will be here before we know it!

On the vineyard front, the grapes are absolutely GORGEOUS.  Too many deer, and too many birds - might be time to put up that fence this winter.  Hoping for a nice harvest - the clusters are huge, and for Pinot Noir in Virginia, that's quite an accomplishment.  Yay to Gabriele and his team!  Will keep you posted...come see us  - less than a month til harvest I would think.

Lavendar everywhere!

 

http://inglewwodlavender.jimdo.com/

SERIOUSLY...have you ever seen a more beautiful place? Just about 40 minutes south of us, and still in full swing for a few more weekends - Inglewood Lavendar Farm.  I have never been to Provence, but as most readers know from many literary descriptions, during the lavendar season, the air all around you is perfumed with the calming scent of lavendar.  It's like this here now - at this magical farm.  Their farm store is a delight - there is nothing to compare to the scent of essential lavendar oil...and nothing is spared here - the products are fantastic!  

Lately, I have been harvesting our own lavendar for Lemon-Lavendar Crepes, with Caromont goat cheese...so yummy.  It's simple to infuse pretty much any syrup with the delicate flavor of summer - just let a small sprig steep in the hot syrup for a while - the longer you leave it and the bigger the sprig, obviously the stronger the taste!  Lemon is a natural paring, but my favorite local jam maker did a delicious strawberry-lavendar jam this spring, which has inspired me to try Peach Lavendar...off again this weekend to Carter Mountain to pick peaches, then home to cook and can.  Guests this winter can look forward to the tastes of summer, even in front of a warm fire! 

Perfect Summer start!

The fabulous view at Bel Air - site of the Sunday night Hill & Holler Farm dinner!  Can't wait - the food at these events has been spectacular, topped perhaps only by the delightful people I have met.  One person, Daniel, is an inspiration for my canning this week...beach plum, fig and rosemary sauce.  His jams, http://accordingtodaniel.com/jam/ are legendary in Charlottesville, and available at the Farmer's Market or our favourite shop Feast! (I think the exclamation point is actually part of their logo...and if you shop there, you will understand why.)  I will be attempting a peach & lavendar preserve this week, and who knows what else?  Such fun! 

The wedding last weekend of Amy & Adam also was an inspiration - Amy spent hours making all sorts of delicious jams, conserves and jellies for her wedding guests, pickles of all sorts graced their reception buffet - all made by her.  What a treat for her guests, and I was so grateful for the gift she left for me - a beautiful selection of her sparkling cookery. 

So - pickles this weekend, jam this week, and maybe continuing through the summer...come see what we serve up for breakfast!  And if you are lucky enough to be around for a Hill & Holler dinner event (check out their website for upcoming dates) let us know and we will get you tickets.

what a happy start to summer!