The InnSide Scoop

As summer approaches, the chances of having far-flung friends and family calling to let you know that they will be in your area sometime in the next few months is high. For most people, this means there will be an expectation that you will at least offer your home, a piece of the fllor or closet as a place for your friend or family member to rest his/her/their head(s). If only the responsibility as a host(ess) ended there! Fear not, your intepid innkeeper has a medium size innside scoop to make the visit pleasant for all involved:

Take time off for your guest

Good excuse to take some R&R anyway. Let ‘em know when those time(s) are so there’s no room for misunderstanding. It is easy for a houseguest, especially one that has not visited in some time, to assume that the host(ess) will not only be sitting at home preparing for the visit, but will also have absolutely no plans other than spending time with her when they arrive! Good host(ess) that you are, however, this will not have to be a serious concern of your houseguest. Instead, arrange to be home, certainly when the guest is due to arrive, and also at least some of the time that your guest will be staying with you. You may want to take the first day or two off, or save the one on one time for the end of your houseguest’s stay. Either way you do it, your guest will appreciate it.

Provide an area for houseguests to claim as their own (for the duration of their stay) their own “home away from home” as it were.
Whether it’s a fold up cot in the livingroom, or the computer room turned into a guest room, your guests will appreciate having a space in your home where they can call home-temporarily. Ideally this would be a separate room but even if it’s a foldout sofabed, arrange things so that your guests can use this area as if it were their bedroom for their stay, and keep their luggage and other belongings with them in this space. It may not be the most comfortable arrangement , but your guests will sure appreciate their own “space”.

Nothing like ye ol “care package.“.. You may not be in the innkeeping biz , but towels, toiletries, and the usual sundries are a nice touch. If you happen to know said houseguest well, you’ll know for example, if they’re allergic to scented products, have any dietary restrictions, or love reading hunting magazines. If you are able to, you can provide all these things that would make the stay that much more pleasant for your guest-be it an extra blanket for someone who is always cold or some bottles of water in the room of a guest who is always thirsty at night. A lot of things that make people comfortable are very inexpensive and if you can provide some of these, your houseguest will remember your hospitality long after they’ve returned to their own home. Definitely a good thing for our business, actually

Be a concierge

You know those handy information centers that are usually located around local area chambers, train stations and airports, providing car rental options, maps and answering other questions? We have a lew of those brochures here for your handy dandy use. If you can’t drive your friends or family to every sight they want to see, or take part in every activity they want to do, provide them some options for transportation: you can loan them a spare car (if you have one), or give them info on local outfitters if they’re bird watchers or want to take a “guided tour” of the National Parks. If they are hikers or cyclists, an appropriate map, with an indication of areas where good bike/walking paths are, might be handy. If you know know the directions to the various places your guest will want to see, use a highlighter to mark the directions clearly for your guest. Sometimes, it’s the simple things.

Don’t foget the (not so) little things
Depending on how comfortable you are, you may want to provide your guests with a key to your house so they can come and go as they wish. You might also want to offer them the use of your laundry facilities and encourage them to ask you for any items they may have forgotten or might need. Some houseguests will also want to know what sorts of “house rules” you’d like them to abide by, including how late they can be noisy till, whether or not they can use your phone without asking (and how you want to handle long-distance phone calls) and which bathroom you prefer they use, for example. These may be small things but to a guest staying in a home they are not accustomed to, spelling out some of these things might be helpful. Encourage your guests to ask you questions if they are not sure.

“HOSPITALITY, n. The virtue which induces us to feed and lodge certain persons who are not in need of food and lodging.”
Ambrose Bierce

GreenHouse Guidance

We often get questions about our greenhouse; since we’re blessed to have on one site here …

Greenhouses are structures which provide the ideal growing environment for flowering plants as well as vegetables. There are many styles and basics you need to know before you begin building greenhouses. Ask yourself a few questions to determine what type of greenhouse you want to build and how much money you want to spend. What purpose the greenhouse is going to serve.When building greenhouses you can build on a steel base or a pressure treated lumber base. For the hobby greenhouse builder you may decide to build on a flat surface of ground and have a polyethylene covered frame. This type structure will do well if you only want to get a jump on the season by starting your own seedlings. An aluminum frame can be erected to accommodate the polycarbonate panels. This provides strength to the structure while the polycarbonate panels allow for internal lighting and an increase in temperature.

With proper planning you can build your greenhouse that’ll require just a minimum of attention. If you have a lot of time to spend in your greenhouse then you may not be prone to install some of the automatic controls which cut down on daily maintenance. But if you are like most people you will want to be able to save as much time as possible. When building greenhouses there are automatic controls that can be installed to help maintain the best temperature for growing, provide artificial lighting, proper humidity, and ventilation. They are a g-dsend, by the way

Location, location, location . Finding the best location to build your greenhouse is as important as the structure itself. The best choice is an area located to the south and preferably a sunny location. Take care to stay far enough away from trees to eliminate the danger of falling limbs causing structural damage. Building your greenhouse to attach to your house can be of benefit since the greenhouse would benefit from the heat which comes from your house. Another important factor is to place your greenhouse where it will have the least exposure to wind. Because of the materials used in building greenhouses they are often susceptible to strong winds.

Always make sure you install proper ventilation for your greenhouse because the sun can heat the interior even in the winter months. Again a g-dsend here when I can just duck in there for some serenity in mid-winter. Bright, sunny days can cause the temperature to rise to a dangerous level and could lead to plant loss. Proper ventilation will allow for weather changes and help you to maintain a temperature which promotes healthy plant growth.

But if space is a major factor which is usually the case - quel est le problème - mini greenhouses can be a way to go

There are many different reasons as to why mini greenhouses are incredibly beneficial, and so if you are trying to decide on what greenhouse you should get, then there are several different things that you are going to want to consider so that you can make the best possible decision.

One of the most important things that you are going to have to consider is the fact of how much space you need in your greenhouse because after all, if you have lots of plants and you need more room than you are going to have to get a larger greenhouse, whereas if you do not have that many plants and thus do not need that much space then you can most likely work with mini greenhouses.

Gardening In A Small Space If you are limited on yard space yet you desire to grow some of your own vegetables, you might find that a miniature greenhouse is just what you are looking for. They don’t take up a lot of space and they are capable of functioning all year long. They are also handy when spring planting rolls around because you can start your own plant sets from seeds before they are ready to plant. When purchasing these plants from the store they can be quite expensive and often they do not live. Growing your own plants from seeds will be less expensive as well as producing a healthier plant.

Once you get your miniature greenhouse you will find that you will have some assembly to do. Usually the smaller ones are not very difficult to assemble if you follow the directions carefully. Some of the small ones are as small as 49” x 74” and come equipped with vents that are sensitive to the heat and will open and close accordingly. Assembly on the more simple models will take roughly six hours from start to finish.

After you assemble your miniature greenhouse there are many other items you might want to consider such as raised beds that do not allow your young plants to reach the ground or a heated mat that will produce enough heat to keep your young and tender plants from freezing. You can also purchase a bench system that will allow you to place your plants at varying heights. Miniature greenhouses will fit into small spaces which will allow the patio gardener to enjoy fresh vegetables and beautiful plants all year long.

One of the best things about mini greenhouses is the fact that they are so mobile, in that they are incredibly easy to move around when you have to do so.  Speaking of flexibility, t he metaphor of gardening has often been used to describe the spiritual experience we go through. Literally and figuratively, the garden is , growing, flourishing, bearing fruit, dying back and needing to be planted again and again.

I remember so many times beating myself up for not achieving self-imposed benchmarks of growth. Why is my riding not progressing as fast as I’d like.. why cant I lighten up more? , I should have been more joyful, more generous, more compassionate, less irritable, less selfish, less anxious, et cetera, et cetera.
Being in the greenhouse, , now I see spiritual experience in seasons of time where there is growth, followed by barrenness. I till my spiritual garden, water it, weed it. It bears fruit. Often the cold winds of life sweep through and I dry up. But I don’t worry about it. Spring always comes.
And the fruit will be as sweet and full of juice as ever. Food for thought.

Small or large… you’ll reap what you sow The frittata is so much more than an Italian omelette. It is often baked or cooked on the stove top. The variations are almost endless.This is an extremely easy vegetarian frittata. It makes a marvelous meatless meal.

Easy Garden Frittata Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients

* 3 Tbsp olive oil
* 2 medium potatoes, diced
* 1 cup broccoli florets
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
* 1/4 cup roasted garlic
* 8 eggs
* 3 Tbsp milk
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the potatoes and vegetables; cook 5 minutes or until potatoes are browned, stirring occasionally.
3. In a bowl mix together the eggs, milk, and salt with wire whisk until well blended.
4. Pour the eggs over potato mixture and cover.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until center is set.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and replace the cover.
7. Let stand 5 minutes.
8. Cut into wedges and serve.

Now grow up!

A Slacker’s Guide to Gardening

We are so blessed here to have our onsite greenhouse .. .it’s the perfect complement to the farmer’s market I love the *idea* of gardening, making things grow and thrive and eating the freshest of vegetables and fruits.

Sadly, the fantasy doesn’t always live up to the reality.

This whole gardening thing is fairly new to me, but these are some of the things I’ve learned in my quest to reduce the amount of work.

1. Pick your plants and seeds carefully. You’re looking for words like “Perennial” and “Enthusiastic self-seeder.” aka Things You Won’t Have to Plant Again. “Thrives on neglect” is another good one.

2. Don’t pull up weeds in a section of garden until you’re ready to plant that section. Nature abhors a vacuum, and if you pull weeds up without putting in new things, all it means is new weeds will come up and you’ll have to pull them, too. Besides, from a distance, who can tell? Hell, they’re green, aren’t they? When in doubt, throw in some marigold seed. Not only are they green, but they have pretty flowers and they are a natural insect repellent.

3. A remarkable number of garden problems can be solved by the addition of two things: water and mulch. By mulch I don’t mean gravel and bark and stuff; that takes work. I mean, stuff from the chicken house, old hay, newspapers, things like that. The mulch stops the weeds and holds in the water, resulting in Less Work.

4. Get animals, such as chickens, ducks, rabbits, or goats. What you clean out of the garden, give to the animals. What you clean out of the animals’ pen, dump in the garden. The circle of life. It’s a beautiful thing. (However, do keep the animals and the garden away from each other; the animals may have a different idea from you on what constitutes a ‘weed,’ and this can result in More Work.)

5. Redefine your idea of ‘weed.’ If you can eat it, it’s not a weed, it’s a vegetable. If I could get into the whole eating dandelions thing, I could save a hell of a lot of time.

6. If it’s ripe, pull it. Don’t wait for it to be perfect. If you do, either some damn bird or animal or insect will get to it before you do, or it’ll bolt or die or turn into a baseball bat or something, resulting in Wasted Work.

7. For every outdoor spigot you have, get one of these from somewhere. It’s called a manifold, and it lets you turn one faucet into four. Collect all the garden hose you can—garage sales are good. Then pick up a bunch of these. It’s called a soaker hose, and it’s a hose with a bunch of holes in it. The difference is that these are there on purpose.

Run a length of garden hose from all the new faucets to all the garden spaces, and surround them with soaker hoses. From then on, watering consists of sauntering outside, turning on a spigot, moving a switch on the selected faucet, and having a beer while you wait.

If you really want to be lazy, put battery-operated timers on each of the faucets and set them up to run on different days. Yes, this is all some work to begin with, but it’s just once a season. Leave them out there all winter. So what if it cracks? It’s just a $10 hose, and that way you won’t have to take it down in the fall and set it up again in the spring.

8. Especially if you do #7, set your lawnmower to 3 inches. At least. And say, maybe pick up some hose repair kits while you’re at it.

9. If you have a drip irrigation system, a couple of times a year it’ll suddenly quit working. You’ll think the well ran dry. You’ll think your neighbor was stealing your water. You’ll worry about the dwindling aquifer. You’ll look fruitlessly for leakage. Nine times out of ten, the connector between the hose and the system has gotten clogged with dirt or earwigs or something. Check it first. And check both sides.

10. For God’s sake, don’t get green-handled garden tools, gloves, etc. I spend half my time in the garden trying to find the damn things. Wait til May and get pink ones, even if you’re a guy. Better still, wait til August when they’re on sale. Ponder the notion of pink garden hose while you’re at it.

11. When it gets over 90, there are only two jobs I do. First, I mow the lawn, because I have a riding mower and no matter how hot it is, at least I’m sitting down. Besides, it has a cup holder. Second, I do things involving water—fixing the irrigation, hosing off the house and trash cans, etc.—because at least that way if I get wet it feels good.

12. If you’re uncoiling something dark for the first time—hoses, edging, etc.—pick a nice day, leave the damn thing in the sun for a half hour and go have a beer. You’ll both be a lot happier.

13. Practice the following phrases:

“I’m xeriscaping.”

“I’m creating natural habitat.”

“It’s a native plant garden.”

But in the “green segment”… do check out this handy dandy watering can for your container gardens or seedlings. Don’t let the flowers dry out with this classically designed recycled copper watering can. Handcrafted from hammered recycled copper.

$49.00 at Gaiam

A Kiss on the Nose and The Shema

הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל־לְבָבֶךָ: וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ: וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ: ט וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ:

Hear, O Israel; The L-rd our G-d is one L-rd; And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart; And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates

I always (or almost always) recite the Shema and kiss the horse du jour on the nose. I somehow feel laced with grace when I do that. How do we live Torah?” and we can try to live out Torah on our own or like our People through history we can draw on our Jewish tradition. This is one of the most innovative parts of Messianic Judaism in that to be credible we must come to respect Jewish tradition and live in the G-d given way of life that has been preserved over the last 2000 years. So much of Jewish life is based in tradition

Having evolved more towards Messianic Judaism from being Reform, Messianic Judaism is a Jewish congregational movement that is (or should be) firmly grounded in Jewish soil. So then for the building of a mature Messianic Judaism, we must respect Jewish tradition, which serves us in that it is the way for us to live out the Torah in our lives each day. Judaism with a Messiah in our midst is such a powerful part of our identity

So apropros of horses.. I had a good chuckle on this one. It’s only an old joke if you havent heard it before

Charlie was a regular visitor at the racetrack. One afternoon he noticed an unusual sight.

Right before the first race, an Orthodox Rabbi visited one of the horses in the stable area and gave it a blessing.

Charlie watched the horse race very carefully and sure enough, the blessed horse came in first!

Charlie followed the Rabbi before the next race and again, he went to the stables and performed a similar procedure.

Charlie played hunch and put a couple of dollars on the blessed horse. Sure enough, the blessed horse came in by two lengths and Charlie won close to fifty bucks!

The Rabbi continued the same procedure through the next few races and Charlie won each time. He was now ahead $1,000, so between races, Charlie left the track and went to the bank and withdraw his life’s savings $20,000.

The biggest race of the day was the last one. Charlie followed the Rabbi and watched carefully which horse he blessed.

He then went to the betting window and put his whole $21,000 bundle of cash on that horse to win.

Then Charlie went out to watch the horses race. Down the stretch they came and, as they crossed the finish line, the horse that Charlie bet on, was dead last!

Charlie was crushed.

He located the Rabbi and told him that he had been watching him bless the horses all day and they all became winners, except for the last horse on which he had bet his life’s savings.

Charlie then asked, “What happened to the last horse whom you blessed?
Why didn’t it win like the others?”

“That’s the trouble with you Reformed Jews,” sighed the Rabbi. “You can never tell the difference between a blessing and Kaddish.”

You can say a blessing over this blueberry muffin cake.. our guests uh ate it up… from recipezaar

TOPPING
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (can use more)
FOR THE CAKE
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, and cut into pea-size pieces

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (or fresh)
1. Set the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan, and dust with flour.
3. For the topping, stir all ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.
4. For the cake, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl to blend.
5. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and baking powder to blend.
6. Using your fingertips, rub the cold butter into the dry flour mixture, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
7. Add in the buttermilk/egg mixture; stir JUST until blended (don’t over mix!) stir in the blueberries.
8. Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan.
9. Sprinkle the reserved topping mix over the batter.
10. Bake for approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour.
11. Remove from oven, and cool the cake in pan on a wire rack.

Do I hear an amen?

Trot on friends, trot on.

Home Grown Hospitality

Here we literally have home grown hospitality, having an on-site professional greenhouse where we grow our organic produce. A favorite “stop on the grand tour” that folks are fascinated by.

Some fruits - make that veggies of our labour from last year -

Which gave me food for thought on branding hospitality. What differentiates our bed and breakfast as a lodging opportunity? The greenhouse for sure is one. Being a horse friendly acommodation is another biggy… Which all comes down to “how else do we brand ourselves? “

Focus the Marketing Efforts - There’s that “F” word again. Casting too wide a net is a mistake often made by entrepreneurs with big appetites and small budgets (sorry couldnt resist) As a b&b owner in a rural country area, promotion and marketing while important is done on a totally different level than the big boys sitting on Park Ave.

Like most small businesses, we have to be creative with marketing since there are the budgetary constraints. . Here are three fun and effective tools we use.

1. Split advertising and promotion costs with neighboring businesses. Jointly promote a sidewalk sale, or take your marketing alliance further by sharing mailing lists, distribution channels and suppliers with businesses that sell complementary goods or services. Since we serve breakfast only, we recommend the restaurants in town and in Twin Bridges to our guests. Likewise people coming through town looking to make a stop for the night (hopefully) will get sent here.

2. Similar advice holds true for special events. Instead of taking a small, obscure booth in a half-dozen community events, purchase one or two major sponsorships per year to ensure that everyone who attends the events will be exposed to your message.
We have a banner at the Madison County Fairgrounds in Twin Bridges a venue which hosts a slew of different events from Rodeos to Reunions. Lots of locals and out of towners come to these events. This one covers a “multitude of sins”.

3. Happy guests spread the word. By telling others what they’ve gained from using your products or services in presentations or informal conversations, your sources can encourage others to use your products or services.

4. Hobnob with the locals; we regularly visit the farmer’s market here in town which is held each Saturday in the summer. We provide some of our produce as well as enjoy visiting with both locals and travelers.

5. Another unique feature is we’re a horse friendly accommodation. We have stalls, turn out pasture and of course 4 friendly herd horses for them join. As an endurance rider, we have lots of folks either looking for trail riding here or enroute to Yellowstone for riding. I’ve even heard some horror stories of overnight trailering on the highway. They love being able to board their horses here instead of at a campground .

How do you stand out from the competition?

Speaking of horses, today the Winds of Whitehall were back in full speed. It was pretty bitter on this morning’s run and we were set to meet Patrick later in the day. I was a bit apprehensive since the winds kept howling all morning serenading me whilst doing the innkeeping chores.

Still enjoying a plethora of greenhouse harvest, fortified the troops with a veggie omelet and toast. Recipe courtesy of the American Egg Board

Ingredients
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano leaves, crushed
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon butter or cooking oil OR cooking spray
• 1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar or Swiss cheese

In medium saucepan or skillet, stir together onion, green pepper, zucchini, tomato and seasoning. Cook, covered, over medium heat until vegetables are tender, but not brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.

In large mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg whites with water and cream of tartar until stiff but not dry, just until whites no longer slip when bowl is tilted. In small mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolks into whites.

In 10-inch omelet pan or skillet with ovenproof handle+ over medium-high heat, heat butter until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Pour in egg mixture. Gently smooth surface. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until puffed and lightly browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. (Lift omelet at edge to judge color.) Bake in preheated 350°F oven until knife inserted halfway between center and outer edge comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Loosen omelet edges with spatula. With sharp knife, cut upper surface down center of omelet but DO NOT cut through to bottom of omelet. Arrange reserved vegetable mixture over half of omelet. Sprinkle with cheese. Tip pan. With pancake turner, fold omelet in half and invert onto warmed plate or platter with a quick flip of the wrist. Cut in half or into wedges. Serve immediately.

Once fueled, we set out.I hoped my initial nervousness wouldnt telegraph to Picken and thought it would be a good profile in courage for me. We set out with Patrick on his “Runaway” , so nicknamed since that’s his inclination even at the ripe old age of three.

“The Runaway” was content to settle in behind Picken and we figured at the top of the hills along the bench winds topped out at 40 mph. Tough going. When we descended and were going through the “wash”, I started really having fun despite the conditions. Patrick wanted me to lead out at a canter/gallop so that the “Runaway” would have something to run “to” rather than run away. Picken did a fairly serious gallop but I had no problem bringing her down. Dan followed Patrick on Brady and was on the edge.! Continuing on the loop, Patrick led the way since following is a tough one for Picken. It felt good again that I was able to contribute to Patrick’s horse training and make a difference..

Again a good lesson in “enjoying the journey” and observing where you are in the process and where you’ve come from. A year ago, that kind of ride would never have happened; I did nt have either horse skill or mental management. I know this is just another “town along the road”.

Now go out, and make a difference. Trot on friends, trot on.

Travel Lean and Green

Kermit had it right. It ain’t easy being green; and I’m not talking about the color . But wherever your travels take you now , with the help of the non-profit Green Restaurant Association, at least you’ll be able to go out to eat and not feel too guilty about stomping all over the environment. On average, the one million restaurants in the US generate 50,000 pounds of waste and uses 300,000 gallons of water annually. The Green Restaurant Association is working with a growing number of restaurants to transform them into “certified green restaurants.” It starts with a full assessment of the restaurant, then recommendations of what actions they can take, e.g. low-flow spray valves to reduce water use, LED lighting to boost energy efficiency, composting to manage food waste.

A growing number of restaurants want to green up their acts, with the help of the non-profit Green Restaurant Association, which is transforming food businesses into what it calls “certified green restaurants.” To date, 1000 restaurants in 23 states have become certifiably green.

Check out WBUR.org interactive tour for a complete guide on how a sustainable restaurant can be run, both inside the kitchen and out.

Neat! So next time you go out, look for a “certified green restaurant.” Just don’t drive 80 miles in your Hummer to get there Hit the road And while your’e summer traveling (or traveling anytime.. .some green travel tips

• Don’t buy an SUV. Unless you really need one. Don’t buy a car that’s bigger than your needs. In other words, don’t buy a Lincoln Navigator unless you really need something the size of the Titanic on a routine basis.
• Buying a fuel-efficient car is one of the easiest ways to reduce damage to the environment. Not only will you lessen all kinds of noxious emissions into the air, but smaller cars also use fewer raw materials in assembly
• Last but not least, buy a used car. If you’re getting rid of your old heap, consider donating it to a worthy cause. We’ve done that with each automobile we gave up. It made life easier the car will get reused, and you’ll be able to take a few bucks out of the IRS’s coffers in the process. More green car tips can be found at Cartalk.
• You can order the Montana 2007-2008 Montana Highway map here. UPDATE: If you do order the map via the link provided, you might want to indicate in the comments section that you want the 2007-2008 map

And wit hMemorial Day ust around the corner… it’s time to “get sconed … I get on a jag… especially since I ran a bakery once upon a time in Manhattan… Nothing like muffins , as a thank you to a friend, or for a whole rowdy group over for weekend brunch,t. But once you make them a few times, you start finding excuses to make them again and again.So bake them for no reason, enjoy a few yourself and then send the rest off with the first unsuspecting neighbor you come across.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones from ccoks.com
1/2 cup margarine or shortening
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup regular milk

Preheat oven to 375F.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in oats and raisins. Add milk and mix gently until a soft dough begins to cling together.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a 7 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place them on an ungreased baking sheet, or a sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar for extra sweetness.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and firm when pressed lightly in the center.

Makes 8 scones.

Bein’a Chicken - Don’t Cry Fowl

Ah.. the joys of 4-H’ing.. Now I know i’ve gone country. And while I’m not a zoologist, but I am thinker.

Raising Chickens for the first time can be intimidating. When I first called the feed shop, I was trying to sound like a pro. I asked, “Do you sell pullets?” “Yes”, the man replied. “Are they all females?” It’s been an uphill battle ever since.

Pullet parenthood is an much of an adventure as child rearing, only with more feces per pound of body weight. However, I’ve been reading quite a bit on poultry matters. So here ’s a little scoop on how this chicken rearin’ goes.

Go to your local feed store and purchase $10.00 worth of chicks and $50 worth of food and supplies. Don’t forget the water dispensers. Buying the metal ones, never plastic is always advised. I have yet to see a metal one.

Next, place the chicks somewhere sheltered, like a bedroom closet. Toss in some highly flammable straw or wood shavings and promptly dangle a glowing heat lamp just above them. Note to self: Update homeowner’s policy.

For the next several weeks feed them 3 lbs of food per day and remove 4 lbs of sh*t per day from the closet. Despite all logic the birds get bigger. As the adult feathers grow in be sure to clip one of their wings. That is one per bird, not just one wing total. Clipping can be accomplished by tossing your scissors and your body into the heaping mound of chicks, poop and straw. Grab a wiggling screeching bird from the bile pile. Restrain it with one hand. Stretch the wing out with your second hand. Clip off 50% of the wings outer ten feathers with your third hand.

As the birds grow adjust the heat light temperature down by one degree per day. No, this is not actually possible. That’s not my point. You start at 100 degrees for hatchlings then continue down by one degree per day until your bedroom is a minimum of 3 degrees cooler than the spring blizzard outside your window.

Before the move, experience the Joy of Wing Clipping one more time. Feather clipping never works the first time. Still, after all the hassle you probably don’t want them to fly the coop in under sixty seconds. Of course, if you’re like me, by this time you may be inclined to pack them each a lunch and leave a stack of Greyhound tickets by the open coop gate.

The scoop on coop construction: Hen houses and chicken coops are an art form unto themselves. There are lots of web sites showing off architectural designs from Chicken Chateaus to Bird Bordellos. The meticulous craftsmanship makes my own home look like – well – like a chicken coop.

Always fashionable, I went with designer shabby for our coop. As for the coop itself, there is a gift for tight chicken wire, which eludes me. Inferior design aside, I ultimately learned a thing or two. The nesting boxes are supposed to be up off the ground. That is correct. For those of you keeping score you just spent two weeks cutting back the birds flight feathers only to hang their houses in the sky.

Higher than the nest boxes, you are to build a roost. This is where the birds crap at night so they do not crap on your breakfast eggs. Of course the roost is usually OVER the nesting boxes, so whatever you do, don’t use those perforated plastic milk crates. For young birds maintain a heat light in the hen house.

And finally there is the feed regime. I consulted several experts and read up on feeding as well. Make sure to give your chickens, starter formula, mash, growth formula, start & grow, brood formula, grit, no grit, scraps, no scraps, no antibiotics, medicated starter, non-medicated starter and never ever switch in-between.

Alas, if you want healthy, happy chickens that lay good quality, tasty eggs then make the effort to feed your chickens a balanced diet that’s intended for chickens.

Unless you really do know what you’re doing, the best option is to buy ready made feed from a local farm merchant.

Be forewarned; finding a label that identifies contents as organic and free range can be futile. Trust me. I’ve tried. But I won’t give up. Some farmers aren’t giving up either. Here’s a great article from one about the old-fashioned practice of letting chickens roam free on the farm. And another about why a free-range label might not mean so much. As with so many other issues, we’re left to wonder what’s best and what we’re really buying. Seems the only way to be sure is to buy from a local farm where you can see for yourself what goes on.

Ready made feed will give your birds a balanced diet that keeps them in good condition without risk of malnutrition or diseases and disorders caused by a lack of essential nutrients and vitamins.

Think about it. If a commercial, free-range, organic egg producer who relies on each and every one of thousands of birds producing an egg a day does not bother to feed his hens any old rubbish, why should you?

I may not be Queen of the Coop yet, but at least I’m not running around like one with my head cut off

Going Green to Save Green

Your intrepid innkeeper continues in her ongoing quest of the greening of Montana , with yet more ideas to let our natural environment help you go green and save green as well. Being a city girl gone country.. lotsa these were totally new and foreign but have become a way of life.

Food and Food Waste

1. Plastic water bottles create small-scale environmental disasters. American demands for plastic water bottles requires the use of more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel approximately 100,000 U.S. cars for a year. Use filtered tap water in a reusable bottle, and you’ll save money as well as show the world that you’re green. Switch to a glass container at home or in the office, stainless steel when in the great outdoors.
2. Move away from plastic food storage containers. The problem with plastics is dependency on this non-biodegradable material despite its possible toxicity. Save money and protect your health and the environment when you purchase foods in glass containers and then reuse those containers for food storage (but not in the freezer!).
   
3. Discover the joys of composting. Even if you live in an apartment, you might find a ways to use food waste as compost in a personal or community garden. But you might need to learn how to compost first. Go to American Community Garden to find or to create a community compost project. You can learn about how to conduct group efforts from sites like that one, but don’t expect to make a living from a small compost project. Instead, you can enjoy the organic local veggies for health benefits.

The whole composting process can be as easy or as complicated as you care to make it. But whether you buy your compost bins or make them yourself (out of anything from wood to chicken wire), I do suggest that you start with at least two. That way you will be able to stop adding to one, giving it a chance to fully break down while you fill the second bin. No yard? No problem. There are even “kitchen composters” available, complete with squiggly little worms that hasten the breakdown process. Your potted plants will love you for the effort. You can even water them with compost tea.
Here are a few handy links to get you started turning your trash into treasure:

A Complete Guide To Composting
What Kinds Of Things Can I Compost?
Planet Natural’s Composting Tips & Supplies
Composters.com

4. Learn to love worms. Another “in” food waste management program involves worms, or vermiculture, even in urban areas. But, go small before you decide that this is the green money-saving and moneymaking project for you (yes, you can sell your worms, and prices vary by area and weight). Two warnings about vermiculture: 1) The worms are noisy, so keep them in a place where the noise won’t creep you out (from personal experience);

Water

1. Water conservation . Yes, water is a renewable resource, but its access seems to be both unpredictable and arbitrary. Learn more about the international water crisis so that you can relate the world situation to your local access.
2. Then, learn about your local watershed through adoption. The EPA invites you to adopt your local watershed. Through this effort, EPA challenges citizens and organizations to protect and restore water resources at a local level. You will become more aware of what you can do to conserve water and cash, like…
3. Wash clothes only when you have a full load. Two socks or a full load require the same amount of energy to wash. You’ll save money on your water bill when you wash clothes less often. Can you say “Frontier House” ?
4. Use cold water whenever possible. Home laundering accounts for up to 36 percent of total household hot water

And last but not last, sometimes, with a little bargain hunting, organic is not only the more healthy option but the cheaper one as well.
Many grocery stores offer online versions of their weekly fliers. As the larger stores work to compete with smaller specialty organic grocers, you may find quite a few organic items on sale. In addition, an online service called Mambo Sprouts can send coupons for organic products directly to your inbox. That was the city girl coming out in me “suggestion”.

Trot on friends, trot on.

Traveling the Road More Green

When we visit beautiful places it’s natural to want our holidays to have a positive impact on local people and their environments.

One of the easiest things you can do to make your vacation greener is to choose a hotel that’s committed to minimizing its own environmental footprint hen we first found our home here in Big Sky country and began the remodeling process, on our bed and breakfast it was a natural to step to do our part to help preserve the natural beauty that is the Last Best Place they call Montana.

Natch for ideas, we turned to the online experts at BuildingOnline who pointed the way for some preliminary Home Plan ideas to get our home fires burning, so to speak. While our greening process is an ongoing part of the journey, here are some seeds of reality .

We use

• Cleaning products - non-toxic, phosphate-free, biodegradable, natural scents or unscented, dye-free, concentrated
• Extra blankets - room can be kept colder on winter nights if guests request
• And of course, organically grown produce from our on-site greenhouse!

We also , incorporated native features and materials in building design and landscaping, allowing guests to immerse themselves in nature. That was an obvious choice for us being here in Montana.

Resources for deciding where to go

Adventure travel
• Adventure Collection: A group of eco travel operators offering unique journeys all over the world
• Eco Family Adventures: Family-focused itineraries catering to both parents and kids

National and state parks
• About.com: Has a national park locator searchable by state, activity, driving distance from major cities, and more
• Campgrounds-by-city.com: Listings for thousands of state, national and private campgrounds

General resources
• Sustainable Travel International: Has an eco-destination guide searchable by vacation type and/or region
• Google: Offers a new map-based service with info about eco-friendly locations in five major U.S. cities
• RoadsideAmerica.com: A guide to offbeat U.S. tourist attraction

Hit the road be safe and travel responsibly.

Montana on my Mind

A childhood dream came true when we moved to Montana May, 2004. Another dream was reached when me and husband, Dan, opened Fish Creek House, a bed and breakfast just outside of Whitehall, just 20 minutes from the historic mining town of Butte and close to Bozeman.

“When I was young I always told my parents I wanted to live in Montana,” Living in New York and later California , I wasnt quite sure how that would happen.

Dan, a partner in a computer business and gunsmith, and I, a bi-athlete, came to Bohart Ranch near Bozeman to compete in the running and shooting competition and fell in love with the area. The search was on for property in Montana. For Dan, he was returning to his roots. He lived in Malta until he was five.

We found a beautiful log home located on forty acres with gorgeous views of the mountains and a stone’s throw from Fish Creek. Located just 15 miles from Whitehall, nestled in the Tobacco Root Mountains. .The Inn offers rustic charm with all the modern conveniences. It’s also a perfect stopover between Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.

While I was initially reluctant to “virtually” build this home from afar, my gut instinct on John Benedict and his crew were spot on… Trustworthy, dependable and way fun to be around.

So here we were in California doing a virtual and long distance “remodel”… So we devised the monthly California-Montana drive tour… First we broke it down into two days, and finally got the world and Olympic record for doing it in 14 hours. The stretch of I-15 thru Idaho predictably became the worst weather wise, with big rigs jackknifing in the windy snow . On our third jaunt, highway patrol stopped us to clear one off the road adding about 4 hours to overall time… Made up for world record the time before!

We’d meet John Benedict our builder at each of these “pow wows” and he’d give us the guided progress tour. Fortunately our realtor was always available as well even going so far as to try to find the “missing septic” tank in 5 inches worth of snow… a real trooper. Although his search was unsuccessful,since we eventually had to add another septic to meet State Requirements for the B&B, the spirit was great

During one of our trips, they took a hike down to the creek and when I looked up at the log home nestled in the hills, the name Fish Creek House came to me A “v-8 ” moment as itwere.

A new barn , arena and round pen have been built for our horses and guests are welcome to bring their own horses and board them.

Other activities include hiking, antiquing, exploring nearby ghost towns and hosted shooting clinics at their range. Virtually outside our door is the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest, great for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing Whether on horseback, or in hiking boots, you will enjoy some of the most beautiful, untouched country in America. A perfect stopover between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

“We want to accommodate people who are nature loving. We’ll make you feel like part of the family while you’re here,” Dan hosts monthly shooting clinics An Olympic rifle coach had a shooting range was built on the property. Where else can you take in a museum and a rodeo… all in one day?

Another specialty of Fish Creek House is the food. We offer a gourmet breakfast for their guests and with their own personal greenhouse, the vegetables will be organically grown on site.

We offers two guests suites, each with a private bath, a large living room with a stone fireplace, a library and a sitting room, complete with a microwave and a fridge. Fish Creek House is also a place where the active businessperson can stay in touch. (if you must !) We offer wireless internet in each of the rooms. We have furnished our home using custom made Montana pieces in their guest rooms.

Ah nothing like the life in Big Sky Country Montana, The bed and breakfast, our horses and the folks… just another day in paradise