1847 Blake House Inn B & B

Miscellaneous Happenings

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

2010 has already been busy and we’re only a week into the new year.

First off, the weather has been a real downer with temperatures in the teens and single digits for at least a week.  And, we’re expecting some more snow this weekend (January 8 – 9). It’s a real challenge keeping this old house warm, but it forces me to be creative. The second floor is no problem since heat rises, but the first floor (thank goodness there’s only one guestroom on the first floor) is another story.  The pipes under the original house always seem to do okay, but the pipes under and in the kitchen never fare well.  Last winter we had 3 burst pipes. So far this year, I’ve seen one tiny pinprick leak in a pipe that’s been topped off. The next couple of days will see temperatures higher than freezing so it remains to be seen if there are any issues.

While the weather outside has been truly frightful, I’ve been keeping busy, taking down holiday decorations. I pace myself so it takes a good week to get everything down and packed away.  Everything outside is finished and all but the Parlor and two guestrooms have been packed away. I hope to get that completed today and tomorrow.

At the same time, I have been making some changes to two guestrooms: the Rose Room & the Magnolia Room.  As soon as the changes have been completed, I will update the room photos and descriptions.  The main changes involve switching the beds between these two rooms.  The king/twin beds that were in the Rose Room have been moved up to the Magnolia Room and the queen bed from that room has been moved downstairs to the Rose Room.  The main reasons for the switch are 1) the Rose Room is a handicap accessible room and the king/2 twin beds were just too high for someone in a wheelchair and 2) with a queen bed in the Rose Room, there is more floor space to maneuver around if a guest is in a wheelchair.  Also, with a the king bed in the Rose Room, it had to be configured such that is blocked off half of the built-in bookcase and I simply hated that.  Now with a queen bed, the bed can be moved to a different position and the bookcase can be used fully. It looks so much better. I’ve also been installing bedside wall sconces on both sides of the bed, changing the curtains into a roller shade on the door and adding a painted window to the transom above the door. Just small adjustments that make a big difference.

I should have photos of the room changes within the next week so check the Rooms Descriptions Page (under Rooms & Rates) to see what I’ve done.

Lastly, I’m working with a previous guest, Angela McKeller, to put together a fabulous culinary weekend during the weekend after Memorial Day. Angela won a recipe contest I had a few years ago and since then, she has written her own cookbook and hosted her own cooking show, among other things.  Angela lives in Atlanta so she will be coming to the Inn and working her magic for a few days. We’re still working on the details, but this will be an all-inclusive package with demonstrations, cooking classes, accommodations (if desired), and tie-ins to the Asheville community (possibly Biltmore or Asheville Food Tours). It is shaping up to be a fun time so definitely check back often for more details.

Winter Comes Early (But Not Softly) To Asheville

Friday, January 1st, 2010

The week before Christmas, Asheville was buried under a foot and a half of snow.  The snowfall was nice for the first couple of hours, but it became clear very quickly that this was no ordinary snow.  Before long, the roads, cars, and my parking lot were covered in thick, unrelenting snow and no matter how many times I went out to scrape the walk and put salt down, it wasn’t enough. Of course, it had to snow on a Friday when most guests are checking in, all the more important to keep driveways and walkways clear.  I must have shoveled the walk at least 6 times in a six hour period. Below is a photo as the snow was falling. The first was taken about 3 hours into the storm, before everything was covered in deep snow. The second was taken as it started to get dark outside. If you look closely, you can see the snow falling in the photo.

In South Asheville, we were lucky because we did not lose power to the Inn as some of the B&Bs in the downtown area did and all but one guest made it safely.  We even had a couple traveling from Florida to Ohio who was able to get off the interstate after sitting for several hours and they made it to the Inn for one night.

It turned out to be a fun time. Everyone snuggled in for the evening to watch movies and play games. I made some triple fudge brownies for snacks and we made the best of the situation. In the morning, those who had to leave shoveled their cars out and were able to get on their way. I was able to get my car out long enough to make a grocery store run. The guests in the Sycamore Suite had their two daughters with them and they made a couple of snowmen down on the lower grass lot of the property. That’s Jenny running in between the snowmen.

After the first day, the roads were getting cleared, but the parking lot at the Inn became an ice skating rink.  The constant driving had packed down the snow and it became a thick sheet of ice.  Thank goodness I went to the grocery store on Saturday because my car became snowed in for 2 more days until I could chip enough ice out from under the wheels to get out.

As of New Years Day there are still patches of snow and ice around the property and in the parking lot.  The only casualty to the Inn was the collapse of the roof of the gazebo down on the lower patio. The weight of the snow caused the wood beams (or arms) to collapse in. A couple of the arms broke off, but after looking at the damage, I think I may be able to replace the broken arms and get the canvas back up. I remain optimistic as a New Year’s Resolution.