The Season is about to start...

Well as they say "the stage is set"... and so finally after the last two months of cleaning, moving furniture, painting, searching for just the right accent pillow or blanket to finish off the rooms, Abigail's is just about ready to be launched into the 2015 Season.

Ashland has had a very mild winter to date with absolutely no snow to be seen at all. A few rainy days, lots of fog and some lovely cold crisp sunny days. Whilst the East Coast is covered in snow we are basking in temperatures of 50+... Our garden is beginning to show signs of spring. The many bulbs that I planted last year in November are beginning to peek up through the ground. I just hope the deer do not eat them when they decided to appear once again. They have been absent over the last few weeks and the roses appear to be intact. We lost the huge fir tree outside Abigail's Garden room last year in the huge storm that hit Ashland late one night. Fortunately the house survived intact as the tree fell towards the parking lot. I have replanted a few shrubs and ground cover in that area and will wait to see what pops up out of the ground. I have put up some bird feeders in the hopes of bringing a lot of birds into the garden throughout Spring and Summer. I have strategically placed them in front of the dining room window for "breakfast bird viewing" and in a tree close to the porch area. We are just waiting for the weather to warm up before we lay down new bark and pebbles along the pathways. The back decking area has had a good scrub down and the porch is in the process of receiving a new "lick of paint".

Abigails' Front Porch undergoing a "facelift"....

The biggest change to our rooms has been that of Abigail Adams. I have repainted the walls and they are now a pale grey blue that is reflected in the original wall paper. We have removed the sofa bed and we now have a twin bed that folds away under the King. This has given the room a lot more space. I have replaced the green quilts with a pale cream cover dotted here and there with small embroidered flowers. All in all the minor renovations have given the overall impression of increased space and lightness. 

A fresh look for Abigail Adams!

Adam and I re-open Abigail's on Sunday 1st February, 2015 with great anticipation and some minor trepidation as this will be our first full season in Ashland. We have taken on some great bookings and look forward to meet our amazing old and new guests. I have been busy re-searching dietary needs in the effort to meet our guests needs. I have loads of new recipes for breakfast and some great baking ideas for afternoon teas. This next month will be dedicated "cookie" month and I hope to come up with some delicious mouth watering soft American cookie ideas. To this extent I spent three hours in Winco yesterday trolling the aisles for food delights and ideas. I love their bulk bins where you can buy whatever you want in any quantity. 

This book is a very interesting read - purchased from Barnes & Noble after some hours of looking through book after book on Gluten-Free baking.

Coming shortly...... "What's new and Happening in Ashland"....