A fiery fall sunset, and our beautiful Tom turkey...Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and though the leaves are just about gone (ok, everything is gray EXCEPT the row of Bradford pear trees in the back yard - they match this sunset!) there is still so much to do in the garden...all the perennials get trimmed back, the leaves are piled on the flower beds to keep them semi-warm, and them everything will be mulched for winter. December, January and into February all is quiet - then one day, the front yard will be covered in purple crocus blossoms, and we know it won't be long for the daffodils!



In the mean time, Christmas decorations go up - we are cutting a TALL tree this year for the Breezeway, and putting up a pretty one for the Festival of Lights (great to see in Scottsville - over 30 trees, each decorated so pretty - runs from Dec 12 thru 20) Also, if you are here in early December, the Charlottesville Gingerbread House competition is at the Paramount Theatre this year - you get to see the trains, houses, and get a tour of the renovated theatre also - it is really beautiful. www.theparamount.net Also some very good Christmas shows coming up there in December - let us know if you'd like us to get you tickets and dinner reservations for a holiday show! The Charlottesville City Market becomes the Holiday Market through December every Saturday morning - artisan crafts, food, great stuff for unique gifts.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving - think of us for a winter weekend! High Meadows gift certificates make a great present!

this weekend

So we have had DAYS of rain and windy weather...but the weekend is going to be gorgeous! Saturday and Sunday both - high 60's/low 70's and SUNNY. The trees that are hanging on to their leaves are the beautiful big red oaks, and a few bright yellows up on the mountains. The roadsides are a blanket of color on the ground - I am hoping to get up to Skyline drive this weekend.

Seeing lots of buck deer along the roads, in the fields...of course, it's not unusual to see several females at dusk in the edge of nearly every pasture - this time of year, the single antlered males are what catch the eye - they have a way of running that is just beautiful. Most of the birds are gone or going now - til May - except the cardinals (which are so lovely when it snows!) and big black birds. Definitely feels like fall is wrapping up and winter is on the way!

The vineyard is completley put to sleep for the winter...every row has been cultivated beneath the vines - it looks lovely. Quiet, peaceful, and yet after it sleeps for just a few months - it will be lush and green and (hopefull!) loaded with grapes...it is one of my favourite places to walk, and to just sit and look at the quiet symmetry of it. I am hoping for a new bench this winter to place at the southern end - looking back up the vineyard to the house. There are some beautiful teak root benches up in Madison county...they look like old twisty grapevines actually - I may need to stop there on my way to DC in a few weeks, and pick one out!

I thought that between my mother and I, we had nearly every cookbook known...well, at least every one we could WANT to have...then I came across a book and website that I can't wait to try some recipes from... www.thepioneerwoman.com
It is kind of blunt sometimes, but I think she is so honestly trying to do the best she can with life - it makes me happy. There is a recipe for Tres Leches cake...omg, there is no way it can be healthy - but on the other hand, I do believe that anything made with lots of love and a little bit of decadance can probably help all of us to live longer. Her Blackberry cobbler is clafouti-ish to me, but it looks delightful. And some of the savory recipes made my mouth water just reading them...and then there are her photographs. WOW. Step by step, and artfully beautiful. I wish she were coming to C'ville for a book signing!

perfect weather continues...

What a fall! I am sitting outside, warm sun shining, grass still lush and green - though quickly getting a covering of gorgeous leaves. The air is just cool enough that getting cozy is a pleasant thought! Fireplaces are definitely going to be in use form now on. Bonfire this weekend? If the rain holds off, most definitely.

Also happening this weekend - Cardinal Point Winery Oyster Roast, Saturday and Sunday...nice wine, good food, VERY fun music...how about some Cajun punk on Sunday?? Easy to get to, and you'll pass my favourite antique store on the way.

Virginia Film Festival happens this week - lots of good tickets still available. SO much to do this time of year - and, the breweries are introducing their holiday brews soon, so even non-wine drinkers have some fun ahead.

Farmer's markets are closed for the season now - even our chickens are slowing down a little bit. I guess winter will come sooner or later - we are putting in winter greens, though the last batch was devoured by a hungry groundhog - maybe a new fence to deter him?

The peacocks are so pretty too - no long tail feathers for the winter, but loads of down makes the birds seem twice their normal size! They have been feasting on the bugs that are getting sluggish in the cool air.

I am off to the orchard for a look at the view, and some more of my favourite apples...and cider for guests this weekend. Ciao!

Lovely fall...and gobbling turkeys

well, the cold has been pushed back enough to feel comfortably cool - so far, a terrific fall, since the deep chill only lasted a few days. The leaves are JUST coming into their best color - I expect another 2 weeks (at least) of gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows...our big sugar maple in front has yet to even get going. As I sit and look into the back garden, the pear trees are just dusting with red at the tippy top of the trees...and the tom turkey is putting out a real 'gobble' now! It is so funny - I have never heard one in person - and about 3 days ago, as I was walking outside - it was as if he was talking...so cute, and the feathers are gorgeous - they are a pair of black and white 'Royal Palm' turkeys, and nearly full grown. Much better looking than when they were first given to us! These two (Turk and Caicos) will not be dinner - no worries for them, but I am hoping for some offspring next year that might be.

We have had many guests taking drives on Skyline drive this week - that is our part of the Blue Ridge Parkway - and they all said it was lovely, but the roads that wind through our part of Albemarle county are just as pretty. And the view on Carter mountain - plus the October 'pink lady' apples - shouldn't be missed if you are here!

The work here now revolves around the leaves, of course - cleaning up and tidying the perennial beds, mulching for the winter, and composting the leaves when the last have finally fallen. I look forward to a few late fall bonfires in the evenings, venison stew, and lighting the fireplaces, once the garden has been put to sleep for the winter...it is a peaceful and contemplative time, those few weeks before the holidays begin...oh, and of course pumpkin and squash recipes come out! I had forgotten how much fun it is to cook a big orange pumpkin into mush - and then something really fine like pumpkin cheesecake, or ravioli...the cheesecake I made this week is nothing like a pumpkin pie - just the smooth, rich flavor of the squash, with a bit of maple syrup and gingersnap crust...yum!

Cold already!!

Autumn is starting...

Yesterday was quite a breezy day - lots of early changing leaves, and dogwood nearly finished! It is so pretty to drive and watch the leaves fall; the view at Carter Mountain Orchard today was marvelous! Apples are ready, though my favourite 'Pink Lady' apples won't be in until late October.


I haven't seen the flower beds ever look so lovely this time of year - this is going to be a perfect October. Last season, the leaves were beautiful well into November and it looks like this year we might have much the same. SO much rain this summer (terrible grape season for our vineyard!) has made the trees lush and full - maybe a few hours on Skyline Drive? A tasting at Blenheim - I don't think any vineyard has nicer views...and darn good wine to boot! Gotta love a woman winemaker...

And last - but not least - we finally have our peacocks settled in...a beautiful India Blue named - well, we haven't named him yet. A Blue Pied male called 'Aqua', and a sweet female Cameo named - ok, no name for her yet either. The two turkeys are very happy, and the male is just getting his 'gobble' - I heard it for the first time this morning, and I don't know that I will like it quite so much as the sweet whistle the pair had as young birds. If it is too loud - there will always be next Thanksgiving...

More bounty...

We have added a few rabbits - I hate to admit it, but they are primarily supplying us with fertilizer. They are cute, but squirmy - maybe after a few weeks of holding them they will come to appreciate us. Right now, the only time we get much of a reaction is when we bring them fresh veggies.

We also have 3 newly hatched chicklets!! A sweet hen from our flock was simply determined to sit on a clutch of eggs...a few others have tried to no avail, but here we are looking at these 3 little cuties...she seems to be a good mother, she has already taught them to eat and drink, and they are scratching around the hay looking for treats with their teeny tiny feet...so cute.

Next week, we are expecting to 'rescue' 2 peacocks, a mini goat, and another rabbit...I have heard the peacocks can be a bit noisy, but that as soon as they acclimate to their new home, they are good 'watchbirds' and will roost in the highest trees, so they won't need barn space. We shall see - too noisy and they will need to find new homes. The goat is called Lovey, and is really cute...she will earn her keep helping with some poison ivy removal near the vineyard.

Our guests love to visit the animals and they all love to feed and hold the little ones - I am sure Lovey will enjoy the attention. Come see us and the new additions! FALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER - and so is the reason so many people come to the mountains of Virginia - leaves will be changing soon, and the nights will be cool and crisp...great apple picking or winery touring weather. www.cartermountainorchard.com

The Bounty of August....

https://www.greenwoodgourmet.com/blog.asp

This is a great little blog, from one of our favorite local shops...I hope they do another one looking back on 2009! It was a fantastic place to get pumpkins and gourds last fall (we will be back!), and also lunch on the way to wineries or Blue Mountain Brewery (unless you are having lunch there of course). We are looking into having a pumpkin stand of our own here, and with a little luck, we will have a nice place to take fall pictures and get a good jack-o-lantern pumpkin or some other interesting gourds...

I found myself with a little time this past month, and re-read 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle'. It was funnier this time around - maybe because I was having such a great summer and had time to appreciate the writing. What a book! What an experiment! Most people can't begin to do what this family did, living entirely off local foods for one full year (mostly what they grew, froze or canned). I appreciated their exceptions - coffee and olive oil I am sure I wouldn't want to do without.

It does make you think though - how much we take for granted, why DO we have to have mealy tomatoes out of season? I know that by making local purchases, and mostly eating in season, our food tastes much better than if we didn't. And even people who haven't ever thought about this idea before probably instinctively understand the basics: why do think people love bean soup in the winter and watermelon in July? Because we can keep dried beans in a pantry all winter, and watermelon needs long hot days to get good and juicy. I can't quite break from my Florida roots - I know that our Virginia strawberries are better than anything shipped 700 miles. And I buy them from a farm 2 miles down the road in May and June. BUT...I also know that in February, Plant City has warm, ripe juicy berries - and when I see them in the store, I give in. Same with Mangoes in August, and oranges in December. Those don't grow here and they never will - so I indulge, and remember living in Florida. What I do try to avoid is mangoes in January and oranges in August...that may be the season on the other side of the planet, but that's a little too much fossil fuel with my produce....700 miles is slightly better than 3000, but not as good as the farm next door, I know.

Some other good advice I keep in mind when shopping for family or the inn: if your grandmother would recognize it, it is probably ok to eat. Actually, Michael Pollan said pretty much if ANYONE'S grandmother would recognize something, it is probably ok...my grandma might not know what tofu was, but plenty of Japenese grannies would. On the other hand, which one of them would recognize much of what is on the labels of the foods people buy these days - some ingredients are downright unpronounceable - and we are supposed to EAT it?? For anyone wondering: American cheese is NOT cheese - "processed cheese food" doesn't equal anything near the fresh, local Virginia cow, sheep and goat cheeses we have available here, and in many other places also.

Take time to look around your area - you might be amazed at what you can purchase locally - and spending only $10 a week at a local farm instead of buying from a chain will help your neighbor and you! And if the mealy tomatoes in January sit there, well, maybe someone will get the message that we are standing up for our food choices and demanding better for ourselves.

whew...

What a summer so far! We are so lucky to meet such wonderful people at the inn...just this past week, we have had several aspiring or new-to-the business winemakers. Democracy Vineyards was here for the 1st annual Wine Tasting at Wineworks - just a short drive up the road. They have a pretty vineyard in Nelson County, and make their wine at Michael Shaps' Wineworks. Also, a great couple from Montreal hoping to have a farm/winery up in the cold north in the next year or so! This week, we have a couple scouting locations to plant vinifera...the countryside here in Virginia couldn't be prettier, dotted with vineyard and rolling hills.

Biking - we had over 2000 people roll through Scottsville last month with Bike Virginia. Sometimes guests pack the bikes and head off for the day touring vineyards that way - most places will hold purchases for you to come back and pick up later. Weather - also perfect! 80's in the daytime, 60's at night...sunny and beautiful. And of course, tubing or canoeing on the James River is in full swing - that is another perfect way to spend a lazy summer day. (tip - plan a midweek trip...stay one night and get your second night half price here, and the river isn't nearly as crowded as on the weekends. Though here at the Horseshoe Bend, the river is WIDE enough to accomodate A LOT of tubers/boaters.

And the best news of all for Scottsville - drum roll please - our new pavilion is up and the Thursday and Saturday Farmer's Markets are in their new home! It is beautiful - open air post and beam, big enough for everyone to have some shade. Thursday evening there is a guy with terrific vegetarian Indian food - bring dinner from the market back to the garden at the Inn - we do it nearly every week!

SPRING!!

It won't be long til the James River is teeming with canoes, kayaks and tubes again! What a perfect way to spend a summer day - and just think, you could end up back here for a delicious dinner, picked fresh from our garden or grown just a few miles away.

Caromont Farm (Gail Hobbs Page - the best!) is underway again for the season - I had some fresh farmstead cheese last week - delicious! - tasted like spring. Our farmer's market will be open in a few weeks - can't wait for that; and we will be spricing up Scottsville on April 18th planting all the town planters with fresh flowers for the spring and summer. Our little town is so quaint - needs a few more shops of course - but the streetlights, the river, the park - and the shows at Victory Hall, really add up to true small-town charm. We have great hiking trails too - and a beautiful reservoir right in the center of town that is lovely for a picnic.

The new visitor's center at Monticello is getting rave reviews - even in DC! I guess that means it MUST be nice! :) Wineries with new releases, art shows in Charlottesville - and the pretty outdoors - I don't know what more one could ask for - come visit!

So much to do...

SO much I want to do here!!
1 year plan - survive this economy! open bakery; repair slate roof; plant pond with water-loving plant divisions; clear brush through woods to pond - generally improve the walking trails; begin hedge of hydrangeas along Baldwin lane through vineyard; add hoophouse to flat parcel at south end of vineyard; create soapstone patio outside north porch; install peagravel walkway to gazebo and cottage
3 year plan - renovate bathrooms; plant front meadow in blueberries, raspberries, seasonal veggie patch; evolve bakery - add lunch?; plant fruit-bearing trees in side meadow; add beehives; new wooden storm windows and screens built and installed seasonally
5 year plan - arbor from inn to gazebo with heirloom climbing roses, wisteria; build new barn with drive-in access (chicken coop under and around back, main level for canning, berry processing, flower drying) evolve bakery - fruit jams, etc available year round?; pool on east side of house
10 year plan - downstairs innkeepers quarters into restaurant or new guest room; pick-your-own berries/farmstand open seasonally; new color scheme?

And of course all along keeping rooms fresh, reupholstering, repainting, weeding, making beds and all the other mothering that is just a part of life...

Spring/farms

Robins are here en masse, cardinals are flocking the feeders - spring surely must be here. We have had over a week of drizzly rain - perfect for soaking in...now we have a forcast of 10 days of 60s & 70s - I think the lawnmower might make a field appearance this week!

Bakery update: we aren't baking for Country Blessings any longer, but that gives me more time to FOCUS on finding a bakery case and planting outside the bakery door, fine tuning recipes and deciding on boxes...looks like May for grand opening. perfect timing for our Herb Festival May 9th!

As a big fan of the new Washington administration, I read with happiness many stories of encouragement for the new first family to tear up the lawn and install a garden...that's really good advice - and truly I wish they would...but we also have to understand BABY STEPS. The Obama's are from a ginormous city - what do they know about how lovely and easy and fabulous a home garden can be? What a great example for the nation it would be, I dream! But for city people, it might be hard to truly wrap their heads around it - what with all the other problems they are trying to solve. Maybe after living in a city, they are THRILLED to see so much green ANYTHING outside their windows. Let's let them get used to that first - then maybe, with some encouragement from letters and emails, and if the White House chef wants truly fresh salad greens - then MAYBE we can convince them what a wonderful thing it is to see your food grow.

I got an email of dire warnings about the new Food Safety Administration, and the potential evil effects on the small farmer. Maybe. But I don't mind waiting to see how it all plays out...I don't mind speaking up, but I am an optimist - and I believe that the motives are to HELP the small farmers...looks at the cigarette news!! How great is it that one of the worst products is finally being held accountable for the harm it produces! Maybe it won't be of any benefit for farmers to grow tobacco, and they will finally grow something useful and healthFULL...think of the acreage we could put to use growing food - what a concept.

Last thought:

"It is far better to be an optimist and be proven wrong, than a pessimist and be proven right."

Enjoy the early spring!

A couple of new links:

www.farmvisit.com

In like a lion...

What a morning!! Guests awoke to a beautiful 6 inches of snow, clear blue sky, no wind and 30 degrees...a perfect late winter day. I am sure the skiing up at Wintergreen is about as good as it gets - they have had nice cold weather for making snow, but nothing compares to a new natural blanket!

It isn't going to last long enough to hurt the emerging flowers - I expect that when this is all melted in few days, the flowers will explode into bloom. And, if the month goes "out like a lamb" as the saying goes, we are in for a pleasant spring in a couple of weeks.

Our Spring Herb Festival will be Saturday May 9th, and the farmers markets will be gearing up in late April and May. But for now, anyone wanting to get a last ski in this season should come NOW! $125 any room, and a couple of really good breweries on the way up Afton Mountain to Wintergreen.

If you are planning to visit Monticello - the new visitor's center is FABULOUS. If you don't want to take the tour, do the hike (2 miles on a beautiful trail) that ends at the center, grab an espresso and a snack, then hike back down. Pretty in the snow, and in the spring!

Spring happenings...

It isn't even March yet, and crocus are all over the lawn! Daffodils, tulips and iris have started sprouting - and the pear trees have fat buds ready to pop in just a few weeks. This is a great time to visit Charlottesville - restaurants aren't too busy, weather is fair enough to stroll the Downtown Mall, and we still have winter special rates.

Scottsville has a pretty interesting bluegrass jam the second Friday of every month at Victory Hall. You never know who will show up, but it's always a good time if you like old-time music (actually, it's fun to people watch even if the music isn't your thing) and it is free - sponsored by the Scottsville Center for Arts & Nature. I am teaching an art class there - SCAN has big plans for this small town!

Call us for more interesting ideas of things to do - lots of free hiking, second-hand treasure stores, and free music nights can keep a weekend getaway affordable...splurge on a nice bottle of Virginia wine, and watch the sunset over the James this spring.

special winter things to do...

Here we are in the midst of that slow, sleeping time...but with our special winter rate ($125 any room)you'll be able to add a couple of extras to your itinerary. Winery tours continue to be our guests most popular daytime activity - and we have a few really special places within just a few minutes of the inn. Blenheim Vineyard is open now for tastings without an appointment - it has some of the best views around, and a woman winemaker to boot! First Colony has been getting good reviews lately from our visitors, and right next door to them is Michael Shaps' Wineworks...where you can really see how it's all done.

If you don't want to venture up to Charlottesville for dinner, we can arrange dining for you back here at the inn so your day can end up cozy and quiet - in front of your fireplace. Even without a full blanket of snow, the bare trees at sunset are a treat to enjoy from any room!

Our new website - and new photos of some of our favorite rooms willbe up and running in a couple of weeks...take a peek if you can't stand the wait before your visit.