Early Morning Musings

When the whip-poor-will wakens you at 5:00 AM, and you can't go back to sleep...time to head for the desk and check in with the world.

Little by little sunlight is creating shadows outside, other birds have begun calling out morning greetings to one another and it's going to be a beautiful day!  A great day to replant the various window boxes around the Inn,  Finally was able to get new liners for the 36" metal planters across the front of the Inn.  No place local carries them, but our True Value Hardware ordered them for me.  Now it just means taking out the old ones and filling the new ones with potting soil and petunias.

Never used to like petunias...my grandmother had them lining her front walk and after the rain I always thought they smelled like dog poop.  But either the growers have taken out that smell, or my nose isn't as sensitive, because now I don't get much scent from petunias at all.  And I do love the colors!

I'm not much of a gardener, but I do like my garden to have color and interest.  Guests like to walk among the plants and are always asking me what such and such is...sometimes I remember, and sometimes I just buy something because I like the color.

I'm going more into perennials except for the window boxes....and if I could put perennials in those window boxes, I certainly would!  Early in the season I plant pansies since they can take the cold and then it's always a question of what goes in when it gets too hot for pansies.  This year it's petunias!  And in the front geraniums.

Well, the clock radio just came on which means it's about 6:00 a.m.  Time to get dressed to start the breakfast for guests.  They went hiking yesterday to Laurel Falls and came back to the Inn with some wonderful photos!  They managed to miss the storm...it came up while they were sitting on the front porch.

                            Come, share the magic of the mountains in quiet Northeast Tennessee

Memorial Day Musings

Ont his special day when we remember those who served (my grandfathers, father, husband) our country I hope everyone is driving carefully. Keep a bubble of safety around you and take your time!

The gardens are in full bloom.  The two koi who have so far survived the bears and raccoons are getting bigger! They both need names so when you come to the Iron Mountain Inn, check them out (we'll provide some food) and let us know what we should call them.

Noisy is lying on my desk with one foot hanging over the keyboard disrupting my typing!  She always wants to be where I am...especially since Mouse picks on her so badly.  No wonder I have trouble getting work done!

Time to head to Food City for supplies.  I hope they might have some of the great Scott's strawberries when I get there....ummm!

Urban B&Bs

Amazing the things which come across my InBox...here is an article about B&Bs in cities.

http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/hotel-and-b-and-b/big-city-b-and-bs

Mostly people think of B&Bs as being vacation areas, but there are a number of them in cities, including Jersey City, NJ.  One of these days I do have to get up to that one and visit since it is very close to where my daughter lives.

Of course, my B&B is located high atop a mountain far from any big cities.  I guess the closest urban area would be Elizabethton - I can't count Mountain City as Urban although it is a very nice small town.  "Urban", I wonder in what context a city would be considered Urban?

Words and images are interesting...Urban...what does that mean to you?  New York City?  Denver?, San Francisco?

Then there is the question I've wanted to know the answer to for many years...when does a grain of sand become a pebble become a stone become a rock become a boulder?  I'm sure there must be definitions in geology, but I don't know.  Can someone answer this question for me?  Don't think it can be found on Google.

On that note, I'll end this blog

Till next time when I'll hope to share the magic of the mountains with you.